Coe College recently issued the following announcement.
What are prisons for? What should happen to people when they are incarcerated? Since most incarcerated individuals in the U.S. eventually are released, vocational training, GED and higher-education programs were long seen as a way to help them work toward lives that would keep them out of jail. However, tough-on-crime policies have resulted in more punitive sentences and the dismantling of many rehabilitative programs. This four-week forum will explore national and local programs that promote education and the arts in prisons. The first session will introduce college-in-prison programs, including the pioneering Bard Prison Initiative, and the debate about prison education. In week two, we will take a closer look at the Liberal Arts Beyond Bars college-in-prison program at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center (IMCC) in Coralville and hear from incarcerated students and those who work with them. Week three’s session will focus on Shakespeare prison programs; we will view excerpts from the documentary “Shakespeare Behind Bars” and learn about the presenter’s experiences teaching a linked Coe and IMCC Shakespeare course. The final session will examine other kinds of prison arts programs. We will view and discuss artwork by incarcerated individuals and consider the potential and pitfalls of arts, college and other rehabilitative programs in prisons. As we consider the challenges and opportunities of teaching and learning in prison, this forum will work to come to a better understanding of what college-in-prison programs offer incarcerated individuals and the society of which they are a part.
Thursday Forum will resume in-person lectures during the 2021-2022 season.* In-person forum sessions are held in Kesler Lecture Hall of Hickok Hall on the Coe campus. Each session begins with registration and refreshments from 8:45-9:15 AM, followed by the class until 11:30 AM. The sessions blend lecture, media and discussion. In the event of inclement weather, consult local media outlets to find out if the day’s forum will take place.
Admission to each four-week course can be purchased for $30 on the first day or in advance. Admission to individual lectures is $10 per week. Payment can be made in person on Thursday mornings by cash or personal check. Credit card payments can be processed by registering in advance. For more information about registering in advance, paying by credit card or ordering gift certificates, call 319.399.8523 or visit www.coe.edu/thursday-forum.
*Thursday Forum will follow Coe's Safe Campus Initiative guidelines for in-person gatherings. Thursday Forum programs may pivot to an online format should campus or community health conditions require. Any such changes would be announced on the Thursday Forum website.
Original source can be found here.
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