Teaching sociology in carceral settings is a demanding, yet profoundly rewarding endeavor. Instructors who embark on this path face a multitude of challenges that go beyond the typical classroom setting. The Sociologists in Prison Education Community encompasses peer networking, professional development, emotional support, advocacy, and ideas for engagement with alumni and on-campus students, and involvement with the broader community. By fostering a sense of community and solidarity, prison educators can enhance the quality of education they provide and contribute to the successful reintegration of incarcerated individuals into society.
Below, we outline a few of the unique challenges that prison educators face.
First, the incarcerated population, characterized by diverse educational backgrounds and complex life experiences, presents a distinctive set of hurdles for educators. Some incarcerated students enter our courses with minimal formal education, while others have completed some college courses. This variation in educational levels within the same classroom poses a challenge for instructors, as they must tailor their teaching methods to meet the needs of all students. This Community would provide a place for instructors at universities and 4-year colleges to learn from the expertise of their community college counterparts, who have skillfully navigated these differences in educational backgrounds and challenges/opportunities of working with adult learners for years.
In addition, instructors in this unique educational setting face numerous other challenges, from limited resources and limited contact with students (e.g., no email, no office hours, etc.), to security concerns and societal prejudices. Instructors must have their course materials vetted by prison staff ahead of time, and teach without technological aids such as PowerPoints or videos. Many instructors also face societal prejudices when teaching in prisons. There is a common misconception that prison education is futile, or that those who are incarcerated do not deserve the opportunity to learn. Instructors often must confront these biases, both from within the prison system (e.g., from correctional officers), and from external sources.
Teaching in a prison environment can take an emotional toll on instructors. Interacting with individuals who have faced significant trauma, incarceration, and societal rejection can be emotionally draining, and the logistics of the prison environment can be frustrating and take a toll on faculty. Being part of a community of people who have shared similar experiences can offer a safe space for instructors to discuss these challenges and find strategies for self-care.
An ASA Community for Prison Educators would play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of education and the overall well-being of instructors, which could also benefit incarcerated students. Connecting with other instructors who share similar experiences can provide a platform for sharing best practices, seeking advice, and venting frustrations. Peer networks can also facilitate collaboration on research and curriculum development tailored to the unique needs of incarcerated students.
Prison educators, like their counterparts in traditional higher education, benefit greatly from ongoing professional development opportunities. Workshops, conferences, and training sessions specific to prison education can help instructors stay updated on the latest teaching strategies and research in the field. Currently, there is no central place for sociologists to gather to share materials and benefit from professional development that is specific to teaching sociology in carceral settings.
A strong support community can also serve as a platform for advocacy and raising awareness about the importance of prison education and the deleterious effects of the prison industrial complex. Educators, together with advocates and activists, can work to change public perceptions, lobby for increased funding, and advocate for policy changes that benefit incarcerated students. Some of us are abolitionists and believe in imagining a world without the prison industrial complex.
Finally, this Community is a place for instructors to exchange ideas about how best to engage with graduates of prison education programs and how to support them upon release within our colleges and universities.
Community Co-Chairs
Sarah Hoiland
Megan Klein
Gabe Rosales
Sarah Shannon
Calvin John Smiley
Mary Nell Trautner
Looking for community?
You can join the Community while joining ASA or renewing your membership. You can also add the Community to your existing ASA membership from your ASA Member Portal. While it is free to join a Community, you do have an option to make a voluntary donation to the Community. By joining the Community, you will have access to the Community’s listserv. Through the listserv, you can receive notifications about the latest Community happenings and make connections with others in the Community.
