Trauma in the Classroom: Learning and Teaching in Carceral Settings

• In Event: Corrections Staff and Officer Work Experiences

Abstract

Education can produce short- and long-term benefits for people confined in carceral settings. Some factors, including trauma, can impact educational experiences and performances. A multiple-case study of carceral education cohorts revealed universal multiple trauma exposures consistent with the literature demonstrating that justice-involved people are disproportionately likely to experience trauma compared to people who are not justice-involved. This article concludes with recommendations for trauma-informed educational practices in the carceral setting and vicarious trauma awareness among educators who teach in carceral settings.

Author

• Jennifer Lanterman, University of Nevada, Reno