Life Skills for Inmates

CRJ 3650-01 SL (4 credits)

Fall 2013

Instructor: Dr. Heather Ahn-Redding

Office:101 NorcrossClass times & Location:

Email: M/W/F: 3:25-4:35 PHL 113

Phone: 336-841-4682/919-357-1166 Fridays: 1:45-3:00 Detention Center

Office Hours:

MWF 10:45-12:00, TuTh11:00-12:00

Prerequisites

  • Permission of instructor.
  • You must be at least age 18.
  • A “clean” background check is required for continued enrollment in this course. If you have questions about the background check and encounters with law enforcement that might exclude you from participating, please speak with Dr. Ahn-Redding.

Mandatory Orientation at Detention Center

You are required to participate in a mandatory orientation at the jail during the first week of class (prior to the drop/add deadline). If you feel uncomfortable and would like to drop the course, you are encouraged to do so in the first week during the drop/add period.

Syllabus Quiz

You will be required to take and pass an ungraded syllabus quiz. Before you are allowed to start your service learning, you must achieve a score of 100%. You may repeat the quiz as many times as needed.

Course Description

This elective criminal justice course is designed to provide a service learning component to the study of criminal justice and the field of corrections. In partnership with the High Point Jail Ministries, students will deliver life skills classes to inmates who are incarcerated at the High Point Detention Center. There will be threeweekly components to this course.

  • Mon/Wed Prep Time in the Classroom: This aspect of the course will take place within a traditional classroom setting. You will use this time to prepare for the upcoming jail class.You should rehearse the delivery of course material outside the classroom.
  • Fri. On-site Visit: You will depart HPU campus at 1:30 p.m. and meet at the detention center at 1:40.You will go through security and beginthe class at 2:00.In groups of 2-3, you will be assigned a level of the detention center where you will remain for the duration of the semester. This will allow for continuity such that you can generally interact with the same inmates on a weekly basis. Departure time from the detention center will be approximately 3:00p.m.
  • Fri. Debriefing in the Classroom: After the detention center visit, we will meet back on campus. We will hold class and reflect upon and process our experience with the inmates. An in class journal will be kept after each jail visit and updated in class. Class discussion will also center on connecting the week’s reading assignments to that day’s jail experience.

What Is Service Learning?

Service learning is more than just a volunteer opportunity embedded in a course. SL is about creating a synergistic experience that connects traditional course work with an experiential learning opportunity. In other words, the work you do in the detention center will enrich your understanding of the field of corrections, and your reading assignments/class discussion will provide a contextual framework to enhance yourinteractions with the jail inmates. Structured reflection assignments and journal entries throughout the semester will help you to process and articulate your experiences, critically engage in the literature, and address many ethical issues surrounding corrections.

Contact and Service Hours

You will spend 200 minutes each week within the traditional classroom setting. You will complete a minimum of 25 hours dedicated to service at the detention center (this includes time spent at the detention center, time rehearsing the lesson plans outside of class, and the time spent preparing the jail brochure). The remaining 20 hours will include travel time, reflection assignments, and preparation for the final presentation.

Course Goals

You will provide valuable life skills classes to jail inmates, thus receiving a meaningful hands-on immersive experience within a local correctional center. By placing you in a role where you are responsible for implementing classes for inmates, this experience will foster leadership, collaboration, communication, and teaching skills.By delivering classes to inmates, you should leave the course with a richer understanding of correctional and criminological issues, as well as ethical problems in the field of criminal justice. Through reflection exercises and class discussion, you will be able to connect a body of correctional literature with the classes you design and see firsthand the relevance of empirical research to you own interactions with the inmates. You will also be provided with the opportunity to contextualizethe literature by hearing firsthand accounts of inmates’ personal experiences with crime and corrections.

Student Learning Outcomes

Outcome / Assessment Method
  • Synthesize knowledge from the theory of the course and the practical service experience to reflect on your role in civic life
/
  • Reflection papers
  • Assigned readings
  • Journals

  • Foster the ethical reasoning skills needed through practices that require first-hand service and leadership in the community (in other words, recognizing complex ethical issues)
/
  • Midterm essay

  • Develop an understanding of diversity through engagement with people who are different from you
/
  • Reflection papers
  • Service learning component
  • Journals

  • Exposure to a breadth of correctional literature
/
  • Midterm essay
  • Final essay
  • Reflection papers

  • Create lesson plans and deliver life skills classes that have practical applications for the inmates during their period of incarceration and upon their release
/
  • Service learning component
  • Class participation

  • Produce a final product to give back to the inmates at the detention center
/
  • Brochure assignment

  • Share the SL experience with peers, faculty, and members of the detention center staff through a formal final presentation.
/
  • Final presentation

“Reality Check”

The goal of this course is not for you to enter the detention center and savethe inmates from a life of crime. Throughout the semester, you will need to remind yourself that you are not responsible for the inmates and their choices. Similarly, you are not expected to have the life skills training yourself to counsel the inmates in a professional capacity. You are there to communicate and provide some useful tools/resources to the inmates, to assist them in understanding how they can help themselves,and to learn from their experiences.

High Point Detention Center

The inmate population at the HP Detention center is approximately 325-350 at any given time. Most inmates are awaiting trial. Approximately 90% of the inmates are male, and most are under age 40. Approximately 29% are white and 69% African American. Their offenses range from DWI and burglary to kidnapping, sex offending, and murder.

The inmates incarcerated at the detention center will benefit from this course in several ways. Because convicted jail inmates (as opposed to those awaiting trial) have relatively short sentences, they will be returning to the community where they will be expected to integrate back into their families, find and maintain employment, abstain from controlled substances, and make positive life choices. Unfortunately, many of these individuals are ill-equipped to engage in healthy lifestyles and are at risk for recidivating. The classes that you will deliver to the inmates will provide them with practical tools to help increase their likelihood of success upon release.

Directions to the HP Detention Center/Parking(507 East Green Drive)

  • The jail is in the building adjacent to the court house.
  • Directions:
  • Go west on Montlieu Avenue and turn left onto N. Centennial St.
  • Turn left onto Commerce Avenue
  • Make an immediate right and pull into the parking garage on the left
  • If you cannot afford to pay for parking, please see me!

Expectations

When you enroll in this course, youare expected to…

  • Consent to a criminal background check (through the detention center) and complete the volunteer application form.
  • Inform Dr. Ahn-Redding if you have an encounter with law enforcement during the semester that could exclude you from the class.
  • Sign and adhere to the following documents:
  • SL Program Code of Professional and Ethical Behavior
  • Service Learning Partnership Agreement
  • HPU waiver
  • Statement releasing the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department from “all responsibility for any adverse experience” that may occur at the detention center (found on background check consent)
  • “Security Guidelines” outlined on detention center volunteer application
  • Thoroughly read through the syllabus and sign each page indicating that it has been read.
  • Provide your own transportation to the detention center.
  • Attend an initial mandatory orientation at the High Point Detention Center.
  • Maintain a weekly time sheet to verify service hours.
  • Adhere to the safety/conduct guidelines described below, discussed in class, and identified at the mandatory orientation.

Safety Issues

  • The HP Detention Center has an excellent safety record among its volunteers. However, neither HPU, the detention center, nor I can fully guarantee that an incident will not occur. Safety issues will be addressed at the mandatory orientation.
  • While unpredictable events may occur in any correctional setting, the detention center staff will take great precautions to ensure that you will only be interacting with inmates who are deemed fit to participate in the classes. Inmates who have a history of disruptive behavior within the jail and who exhibit mental illnesses rendering them incapable of participating will be excluded.
  • Dr. Ahn-Redding will attend some of the classes at the jail, but may not be with your group on any given week. You should not assume that she will be with you in the classroom at the jail.
  • You have the right to be and feel safe and the right to leave the detention centerif you feel uncomfortable for any reason.You will not be penalized for doing so.
  • Any concerns you have throughout the semester regarding physical or emotional safety should be brought to Dr. Ahn-Redding’s attention immediately. Concerns can also be shared with the jail administration. If, after the drop/add period is over, you are uncomfortable going to the detention center, we will attempt to find an alternative service component for you to complete.
  • The class will be divided into smaller groups at the jail, and each group will work with a different group of inmates. You will never be asked to deliver a class alone and will always be with at least one other student.If your partner(s) fails to show up at the jail, you will NOT be asked to teach a class alone. Do not attempt to teach a class alone!Notify me or the jail staff should this occur.
  • The “rooms” in which the classes are to take place at the jail are adjacent to the pods in which the inmates live. A correctional officer will notbe physically present in the classroom, but will be stationed outside the clear glass walls of the room. The door to the classroom will be locked during the class.The jail staff can’t guarantee that the students will be in the line of sight of the floor officer at all times.
  • Male students are only permitted to work with male inmates; female students may be asked to work with male or female inmates.
  • If an inmate becomes disruptive during the class, you have the right to notify the officer and ask him/her to be removed (as long as you can document the reason).
  • If any of the above makes you uncomfortable, you should consider withdrawing from this class.
  • Please re-read the “Security Guidelines” listed on the volunteer application.

Personal Conduct

In addition to the code of conduct and security guidelines set forth through the HP Detention Center, you must adhere to the following:

  • Do not disclose any personal information to the inmates (e.g., last name, campus address, home/mailing address, email, cell phone number, home phone number, etc.).
  • Do not agree toor actually do any personal favors for the inmates (we will discuss refusal strategies).
  • Do not visit, contact, or write to any of the inmates beyond the scope of the established SL class time.
  • Do not visit, contact, or write to any of the inmates’ friends or family members for any reason.
  • Avoid discussing the following specific topics with inmates: sex,sexuality, prostitution, and politics.
  • Follow the rules/security/dress code guidelines set forth through the detention center at all times.
  • Avoid all forms of physical contact with inmates.
  • Males are not permitted to go on the Female floor.
  • If you have a friend/relative who is incarcerated at the Detention Center, you must notify me and the jail staff.
  • Act in a respectful and professional manner at all times while at the detention center (e.g., no vulgar or sexually graphic language).

Legal Issues

  • You will be required to bring a driver’s license/ID card upon entrance to the HP Detention Center.
  • Bringing contraband (e.g., tobacco, over-the-counter or prescription drugs, money, cell phones, pocket knives) into the detention center is a criminal violation. If you bring contraband into the jail, you will be subject to criminal prosecution.
  • Do not give anything (e.g., mail, money) to the inmates aside from class materials that have been approved (e.g., handouts).
  • Do not bring in pens/pencils to the inmates. Pencils will be supplied by the Detention Center.

Dress Code (during site visits)

  • You will be asked to go through a metal detector upon arrival at the detention center and may be subject to a physical pat down.
  • Casual dress is permitted, but you must adhere to the following restrictions:
  • No belts, heavy jewelry, watches, cell phones
  • No items that would be considered contraband by prison staff
  • No revealing, tight, provocative clothing (e.g., tank tops, low cut shirts, skirts, tight fitting tops)
  • Tennis shoes are recommended
  • All other restrictions discussed during the mandatory orientation must be followed.

Syllabus

This syllabus is a general outline of the class and my expectations for you. It is your responsibility to read it thoroughly to make sure you understand each aspect of this course and all of the policies I have set forth for the semester. It is also your responsibility to ask for clarification. By enrolling in this course, it is assumed that you fully understand and agreeto all aspects of the syllabus (e.g., test taking honor policy).

Required Reading:

  • John Irwin. (1992). The Jail: Managing the Underclass in American Society.
  • Gary Cornelius. (2007). The American Jail: Cornerstone of Modern Corrections.
  • Allen & Bosta. (1981). Games Criminals Play: How You Can Profit By Knowing Them.
  • Please read over the summer!
  • 1” spiral notebook (for in class journal entries)
  • (BB): Blackboard reading

Schedule

The following schedule is tentative and is subject to change throughout the semester. You are responsible for reading the material by the date under which it is listed.

DATE / TOPIC / READINGS (due by Monday of each week) / Assignments / Jail Visit / Week
Aug. 21,23 /
  • Complete necessary paperwork
  • Review syllabus
  • Discuss appropriate conduct at the jail and safety guidelines
  • Ethics and service learning
/ Cornelius Chapter 1
*Complete “Games Criminals Play” book for next week / Review syllabus
Reflection paper #1 due Friday
Syllabus quiz on Friday / Mandatory Orientation at Detention Center on Wednesday, August 21 (6:30-8:30) / 1
Aug. 26, 28, 30 /
  • Refusal strategies
  • Discuss assigned readings and develop classroom rules/expectations for inmates
  • Discuss “Games Criminals Play” book
/ (BB):“Incarceration and Crime”
(BB): Pollock reading on ethical systems (chapter 2 ) / Reflection paper #2 due Aug. 30 / Fri.
August 30
No jail visit / 2
Sept. 2, 4, 6 /
  • Topic: “Introduction to Anger”
/ (BB): “Criminological Theories Summary”
Cornelius Chapter 2 / Reflection paper #3 due Sept. 6 / Sept. 6
Jail Visit 1 / 3
Sept. 9, 11, 13 /
  • Topic: “Where Does Your Anger Come From?”
/ (BB): “Video Visits for Children Whose Parents Are Incarcerated”
(BB): “The Collateral Costs of Short-Term JailIncarceration: The Long-Term Social andEconomic Disruptions” / Reflection paper #4 due Sept. 13 / Sept. 13
Jail Visit 2 / 4
Sept. 16, 18, 20 /
  • Topic: “Before You Get Angry”
/ *Listen to “Bail Burden Keeps U.S. Jails Stuffed With Inmates” (
*Listen to “Inmates Who Can't Make Bail Face Stark Options” (
Cornelius Chapter 4 / Sept. 20
Jail Visit 3 / 5
Sept. 23, 25, 27 /
  • Topic: “How to Keep Out of Fights”
/ (BB): Excerpt from “The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison”
Cornelius Chapter 3 / Reflection paper #5 due Sept. 27 / Sept. 27
Jail Visit 4 / 6
Sept. 30
Oct. 2, 4 /
  • Topic: “Handling Provocations”
  • Discuss Irwin’s “Jail” book
/ *Complete “The Jail” book by Sept. 30 / Reflection paper #6 due Oct. 4 / Oct. 4
Jail Visit 5 / 7
Oct. 7, 9, 11 /
  • Topic: “When You Need to Express a Complaint”
/ Cornelius Chapter 8 / Midterm on Oct. 9 / Oct. 11
Jail Visit 6 / 8
Oct. 14, 16, 18 /
  • Fall Break
/ Oct. 18
No jail visit
Oct. 21, 23, 25 /
  • Topic: “Conflict Resolution Practice”
/ Cornelius Chapter 5 / Oct. 25
Jail Visit 7 / 9
Oct. 28, 30
Nov. 1 /
  • Topic: “Introduction to Stress Management”
/ (BB): “State-Level Estimates of Felon Disenfranchisement”
(BB): “Race, The War on Drugs, and the Collateral Consequences of Criminal Conviction” / Reflection paper #7 due Nov. 1 / Nov. 1
Jail Visit 8 / 10
Nov. 4, 6, 8 /
  • Topic: “Stress Management #2”
/ Cornelius Chapter 7 / Nov. 8
Jail Visit 9 / 11
Nov. 11, 13, 15 /
  • Topic: “Coping Skill – Warning Yourself”
/ Cornelius Chapter 6 / Jail brochure assignment due Nov. 11 / Nov. 15
Jail Visit 10 / 12
Nov. 18, 20, 22 /
  • Topic: “Breathing Skill for Relaxation”
/ (BB): “Rethinking Sentencing” / Nov. 22
Final Jail Visit 11
Presentation of jail brochure to inmates / 13
Nov. 25 / TBD / Cornelius Chapter 11 / 14
Nov. 27, 29 /
  • Thanksgiving break
/ Nov. 29
No jail visit
Dec. 2, 4 /
  • Reentry
/ (BB): “When Prisoners Return to the Community:Political, Economic, and Social Consequences”
Cornelius Chapter 12 / Reflection paper #8 due Dec. 4 / No jail visit this week / 15
Saturday,
Dec. 7
4:00-7:00 / See Final Exam Schedule / Presentation to CRJ department to be scheduled during finals week / No jail visit this week

Attendance Policy