Turning 180 degrees The Power of Prison University Partnerships to Transform Learners into Leaders @NinaChampionPET

Social Mobility Advisory Group (UK, 2016) ‘Universities transform lives. Going to university leads to new ways of seeing the world, to new horizons and networks, and to significantly enhanced job opportunities.

Types of prison university partnership ‘Inside’ & ‘outside’ students studying together

Types of prison university partnership Professors and former professors teaching in prisons

Types of prison university partnership ‘Outside’ students teaching ‘inside’ students

Types of prison university partnership ‘Outside’ students mentoring ‘inside students’

Types of prison university partnership Pipelines to university

Types of prison university partnership Staff professional development: ‘What if I’m wrong?’ Governor Alumni. Plug: PET annual lecture 4th June 2018!

Types of prison university partnership Advocacy and activism

Degrees of Freedom (USA, 2015) ‘College has the power to change lives […] College can break the cycle of recidivism and transform formerly incarcerated individuals into community leaders and role models’

Turning learners into leaders Social Change Model of Leadership Development, University of California, Los Angeles, Higher Education Research Institute (1996)

Individual leadership values Consciousness of self: an awareness of personal beliefs, values, attitudes and emotions. “If you educate yourself, you also discover yourself.” Congruence: individuals who are genuine, honest and live their values. “I became a person of value. I can go to any job now – look at who I am today.” Commitment: intrinsic passion, energy and purposeful investment toward action “I keep myself busy. I work hard and have long term goals. Earn your sleep is about working so hard that you deserve to sleep; you have earned it.”

Group leadership values Collaboration: generating creative solutions and engaging across difference. “It gives me other perspectives to bounce off. You can get more stupid in prison. It is paramount to build networks of students and see how other people think.” / “The Police and prisoners won and did a high five when they solved the case! ‘It was magic.” Common purpose: contributes to group trust and shared aims, values and vision. “It was a safe space” Controversy with civility: understanding and integrating multiple perspectives. “I have learnt that it is not necessary to have the same opinions, you can look at something in different ways.”

Community leadership values Citizenship: Working toward change to benefit others. “I want to help people. I’m an optimist. I hope to work for an NGO.” “I love giving back to folks in the same situation.” Change: Improving the status quo and creating a better world. “Don’t have conversation about us without us.” “Leadership is about building your own personal brand – your own narrative and story. It also taught me how to lobby. Politics is everything.”

DESISTANCE AS A SOCIAL MOVEMENT? Students who combine lived experience with leadership capabilities could most effectively lead the cause. ‘The next stage of this evolution will be the emergence of desistance as a social movement’ (Maruna, 2017). Universities should be at the heart of this movement both offering opportunities in custody and after release to build the human and social capital required. Prisons can support this by working to reduce the barriers to successful partnerships and through embracing collaboration.