Education and Transformation: An Argument for College in Prison

Authors

  • Carmen Heider University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
  • Karen Lehman Taycheedah Correctional Institution

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/ce.v10i9.186361

Keywords:

Higher Education in Prison, Prisons, Higher Education, Correctional Education, Prison Education, Reflection, Critical Thinking, Transformation

Abstract

This essay explores the dynamics of what it means to learn inside of a prison by featuring a narrative written by a an individual who has been incarcerated for more than 20 years. The narrative explores the challenges and successes of earning a baccalaureate degree while in prison, including highlights from several courses and the overall significance of the college experience. The essay then features a dialogue between the incarcerated author and a university professor who teaches a course at the prison.  The essay as a whole underscores the value of higher education in prison and the importance of supporting these types of programs.

Author Biography

Carmen Heider, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Communication Studies Department, Professor

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Published

2019-05-01

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 9 (2019)

Section

Radical Departures: Ruminations on the Purposes of Higher Education in Prison

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