Podcasts, Prisons and Pedagogies: How Media Arts Spark New Possibilities for Incarcerated Youth

• In Event: At-Risk, Justice-Involved, and Traumatized Youths: Outcomes of Engagement in the Arts

Abstract

Juvenile correctional systems (systematically and by design) separate young offenders from the community physically, socially and psychologically. Instead, communities receive much of their information about incarcerated youth from stereotypes, rather than direct forms of engagement. In this way, incarceration engenders both physical and psychological distance between the imprisoned and the community at large.

Drawing on extant research on connected learning (Ito et al., 2013), mentorship (Liao & Sanchez, 2019), psychological proximity (Littman, 2021) and the intersections of youth media and justice (Jenkins et al., 2018; Vasudevan & DeJaynes, 2013), we conducted an exploratory research study to learn how a publicly-shared podcast series produced by incarcerated youth (aged 14-21) enable these young people to communicate effectively to authentic audiences using the podcast medium and how, in turn, the attitudes of audiences change as a result of listening to the podcast. The production of the podcast series was led by teaching artists from a nonprofit youth media program in Utah.

The team hypothesizes that adult audiences’ exposed to youth-produced podcasts experience a shift in attitudes towards, and intentions to act, regarding incarcerated youth. Moreover, we hypothesize that pedagogical practices led by experienced teaching artists, results in well-crafted and personal stories by young people that authentically engage audiences.

The primary study population are 100 adults who either live in Utah where the youth are incarcerated and/or subscribe to the podcast through one of its channels. A secondary study population is composed of the teaching artists who lead the program at the secure care facilities. Youth who produced the podcasts came from a variety of backgrounds (94% male; 62% are urban 50% are white/non-Hispanic while Hispanic, youth of color and youth from refugee communities make up the remaining population).

This research study uses a mixed-methods approach (e.g., instructor self-reflections; audience feedback surveys, pre/post surveys of podcast listeners, focus groups/interviews with podcast listeners, and listeners metrics gathered from online analytics). Investigators used grounded theory and inductive reasoning to conduct open coding and analysis of qualitative information (Charmaz, 2014), which was then triangulated with quantitative data from pre/post surveys (Creswell, 2008; Yin, 2013).

Preliminary results suggest that exposure to personal stories by incarcerated youth alters listeners’ perceptions about the life circumstances of incarcerated youth, and that gaining access to what youth are thinking and feeling allows audiences to feel nearer to these youth. The intimacy afforded by the podcast medium and the visceral quality of personal storytelling by incarcerated young people effectuates an emotional immediacy that appears to counter subjective feelings of detachment and stereotyped assumptions on the part of listeners. Such results may have policy and practice implications showing how bridging the divide between incarcerated youth and the general population breaks stereotypes, cultivates empathy, and influences people to better understand the worlds, desires, and needs of incarcerated young people. Results also suggest that when young people feel heard and seen, especially after involvement in the justice system, they may be more likely to see themselves as valued members of society with a hopeful future.

Authors

• Mindy Faber, Convergence Design Lab
  Presenting Author

• Adam Sherlock, Spy Hop Productions

• Danielle Littman