Montreal Conference Takeaways by Kristina Nguyen

"Prisons" around the world

knguyeningold — 2024-10-25 00:12:08 UTC

Restaurant in Turin, Italy run by those incarcerated
Norway Bastoy Prison
Utopia Papalotl - Mexico
APAC - No police - Brazil

International Leaners

knguyeningold — 2024-10-25 00:13:01 UTC

Do we offer enough books in different languages? How about our courses?

We are very cool

knguyeningold — 2024-10-25 00:15:56 UTC

Other jails seem to offer classes taught by officers - we have instructors with college affiliation and credibility

A lot of programs are offered federally, but few provincially - we have found a way forward even though provincial jails are usually overlooked

Future Drama Club/Class

knguyeningold — 2024-10-25 00:23:09 UTC

Monologues - so powerful!

Art = Resisting dehumanization

knguyeningold — 2024-10-25 00:23:34 UTC

Instead of "Inmates" -> People deprived of liberty

knguyeningold — 2024-10-25 00:26:11 UTC

Educational opportunities = Hope

2024-10-25 14:33:30 UTC

It's not about improvement but about affecting the future, positively affecting self-esteem, and inspiring hope.

Access to Information

lisaraeedgar — 2024-10-28 16:03:10 UTC

Access to information very important - we have a great library program that does a lot with this already - Case Law Requests (do all our learners know this is something we offer)

Also - very interesting to learn about the one-to-one tablet pilots in the states where the tablets aren't pay to use. ( I think it was the San Francisco public library providing tablets inside jails: https://sfpl.org/services/jail-and-reentry-services

Ithaka S+R Justice Initiatives

lisaraeedgar — 2024-10-28 16:05:13 UTC

Great place to read about research into what is happening in jails and prisons in the US

Incarcerated Scholars Conference

lisaraeedgar — 2024-10-28 16:29:25 UTC

This is the first conference of this kind - and looks really cool.

lisaraeedgar — 2024-10-28 16:32:00 UTC

Great resource to see what is happening in the US

lisaraeedgar — 2024-10-28 16:35:04 UTC

Interesting to see what other provincial correctional institutions are doing with art. This program publishes art online using initials only so that loved ones can see their art.

lisaraeedgar — 2024-10-28 16:38:58 UTC

Cool initiative in the states to connect artists involved in the justice system

Research into Art Preservation

lisaraeedgar — 2024-10-28 16:39:53 UTC

Work from outside the wound

lisaraeedgar — 2024-10-28 16:59:39 UTC

I liked the metaphor that Marisa Belausteguigoitia used in her presentation of working outside the wound rather than inside the wound. I think this speaks to a trauma-informed approach which is something that we aim for.

prison education is a human right

2024-10-28 17:10:36 UTC

similar demographics in Canadian prisons as other countries. e.g. poorly educated
U.S. highest incarceration rate in world and Norway the lowest
simulating prison as similar to outside civilian life is key to reducing recidivism, as done in Norway

Supporting Correctional Educators

lisaraeedgar — 2024-10-28 17:29:08 UTC

What can we (leadership) to do support you to prevent burnout?

Role of Adult Education

2024-10-28 21:32:21 UTC

The role of adult education is to enable inclusion!

Social
Physical
Economical
Political

Rights

2024-10-28 21:35:31 UTC

Prison Education is a right, not something that can be removed.

Rule 104: Provision shall be made for the further education of all prisoners

Rule 105: Recreational and cultural activities shall be provided in all prisons for the benefit of mental and physical health

2024-10-28 21:37:37 UTC

" If you want to know where a society is failing look at the prison system it is magnified there"
The institutions that Kristina mentions (APAC - Brazil) that have different models are interesting
Alternatively (for maybe longer classes) creating a collective agreement on the rules and on the way things will be handled for the classroom instead of having only our rules
Different views of approaching trauma (trying to be wound adjacent- not directly in the wound)
Finding/creating career pathways that are possible with criminal record, we seem to be very strict in Canada on this.

Hot Brown Honey

2024-10-28 21:44:16 UTC

This is an infomercial that was shared by Adelle Sefton-Rowston from Australia. She presented "Beauty in Negative Spaces". It was interesting hearing about art activities she used to bring beauty into jails.

Ex) Asking students to imagine a dark, concreate, hard wall. How would they trasnform it into something opposite. Then ask students to create a word map of different descriptive words on what makes Beauty to them. Finally, ask students how they would take their beauty and put it onto a canvas to share.

BEAUTY can be a story - Kissing their babies goodnight.

2024-10-28 21:49:49 UTC

"Indigenous incarceration is not the result of a colonial past but rather a part of the colonial process itself"

- Niki Chartrand

Prison-Less

2024-10-28 21:53:28 UTC

Create prison-less places (spaces) within the jail to show how useful the programs are to create/encourage humanity. This can be more of a frame of mind.

One of the tasks of an educator is to encourage hope

Can we go from total institution to social OR from pedagogy of oppression to HOPE?

Freedom through Education

stephensalloum — 2024-10-29 17:15:12 UTC

In the United States, statistics show that, with a 4 year degree, recidivism is cut down to 96%, and the remaining 4% is due to breaches of conditions and other non-criminal acts. Education is freedom!

Have the audacity to keep pushing officials for advancements in corrections education programs.

stephensalloum — 2024-10-29 17:40:09 UTC

It may not seem like change can be made right now, but we need to keep pushing and don't get discouraged. As leadership changes and as the times change, people may be more receptive to your requests. Remember too that we are not trying to sell a false product but one of the best, smartest, and most meaningful products and investments that can be purchased with government funds. It's an investment that will give our students hope and save the government money.

It makes ethical and financial sense.