I also took a class at Monroe Correctional Center, working alongside prisoners in the Twin Rivers Unit (TRU) to create a proposal to better accommodate aging prisoners. It had been my goal to take a prison-based course since I had gotten into the LSJ major, and I was finally doing it. I found that it was very interesting and rewarding to take a class alongside prisoners (for reference, prisoners prefer being called this). My interactions at TRU did somewhat change my view of prisoners. As an LSJ major, I have already been quite sympathetic to the systemic injustices that plague the criminal “justice” system. I know that incarceration is ugly and hurtful. But I think that this class made me a bit more sad – it confirmed my beliefs that people are capable of change, and that pretty much every human being has goodness in them. It’s heartbreaking to think of the dichotomy between the brilliance of the TRU students and their conditions and length of confinement. It seems to me like there must be a better way!
However, I also found my interests straying more from criminal justice reform/abolition and more towards climate justice. This experience was instrumental in my discovery of my changing interests.
However, I also found my interests straying more from criminal justice reform/abolition and more towards climate justice. This experience was instrumental in my discovery of my changing interests.