Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, August 23-December 6, 2007, Thursdays, 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Sessions will be held in the Charles Bass Correctioanl Complex, Annex
Facilitators: Glenda Lingo, Parents in Prison, 292-3795; howlin@comcast.net
Janet Wolf, American Baptist College, 687-6901, jlwolf@comcast.net

Course Description: This course will create a unique partnership between prisoners, prison officials, college students, local congregations and community groups. We will explore a sociological analysis of the criminal justice system and its impact on our communities, particularly the African American community. We will examine issues around crime and justice, corrections and imprisonment, restorative justice, harm reduction, victimization, parole, probation and reentry. We seek to create an environment that will facilitate the honest exchange of ideas through dialogue between people on the inside and outside, and to develop an experiential setting for learning from and listening to each other in order to more effectively define reentry support. This is our 6th semester.

Course objectives: The student will be able to:
*Analyze and evaluate the criminal justice system, from the inside out
*Define restorative justice and explore alternatives to our current system
*Identify barriers to reentry/transition and possibilities for overcoming these barriers
*Evaluate the effectiveness of current prisoner reentry/transition programs
*Work as team to develop a congregational model for effective prisoner reentry support

Required Textbooks: may purchase from facilitators or buy them on your own
Currie, Elliott. Crime and Punishment in America. New York: Henry Holt, 1998.
Zehr, Howard. The Little Book of Restorative Justice. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2002.

Requirements: An open mind and willingness to learn, grow and be challenged
Regular attendance in each class, arriving on time and actively participating
On time completion of class assignments for reading and reflection papers
Completion of several surveys at the beginning and end of the course
Work on group project designing reentry support teams

Tentative class schedule: no class on November 22
August 23: Orientation at American Baptist College, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
August 30: What Are Prisons For? [All classes are at the Annex starting on 30th]
September 6: Why Do People Commit Crime?
September 13: Analysis of the Criminal Justice System
September 20: Myths and Realities of Prison Life
September 27: Punishment and Rehabilitation
October 4: Victims and Victimization
October 11: Restorative Justice vs. Retributive Justice
October 18: Restorative Justice: Creating Alternatives
October 25: Redefining ReEntry
November 1: Redefining Prison Ministry from the Inside Out
November 8,15,29: Developing congregational models
December 6: Graduation