Roundtable: Building Bridges through Prison-University Partnerships

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

This roundtable will examine the role that universities can play in helping to forge connections between incarcerated individuals and the outside community through development of, and involvement with, prison-related programs. Drawing on examples of such collaborations from Britain, Australia, and the US (primarily California and Oregon), the panelists will share perspectives based on engagement in a variety of educational endeavors including the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, the California Arts in Corrections initiative, the Insight Garden Program, a university-hosted prison art exhibition, a selection of other volunteer-led activities, and the Project Rebound reentry program. The panel will consider the significance of these collaborations for incarcerated individuals and prison culture, while also addressing the impact on outside students, the university, and the broader community. The panelists will pay particular attention to the implications for reentry and will consider how universities can contribute to public discourse on mass incarceration and second chances. Consideration will also be given to creating opportunities for both inside and outside participants to ‘give back’. Additionally, discussion will explore the challenges that may arise when establishing such collaborations in terms of navigating bureaucratic and budgetary constraints, as well as the comparative roles and goals of the institutions involved.

Sub Unit

• Area XII. Roundtables

Discussants

• Annika Yvette Anderson, California State University, San Bernardino

• Emma J. Hughes, California State University, Fresno

• Michelle Inderbitzin, Oregon State University

• Marietta Martinovic, RMIT University

• Rosie Meek, Royal Holloway, University of London