Learning with the Others: Perspective-Taking and the Future of Criminal Justice in the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program
February 28, 2025
Congratulations to Kevin Wright and Cody Telep, M.S. graduate Cassandra Philippon and doctoral student Olivia Shaw for receiving the 2024 Journal of Criminal Justice Education Article of the Year Award!
Their research highlights the powerful impact of the Inside-Out class on both inside and outside students.
Abstract
Alumni of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program declare their experience in the course as “life-changing.” If this impact holds true for all who have completed an Inside-Out course, the program will have transformed over 60,000 lives. We examine attitudinal change among Inside-Out alumni on factors expected to be influenced as a result of the ‘dialogue across difference’ critical to the foundation of the program. Across four courses representing 86 students, nonincarcerated “Outside” students reported higher post-course scores in support of the humanity of people incarcerated as compared to pre-course scores. Incarcerated “Inside” students reported higher post-course scores in support of the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system as compared to pre-course scores. Our findings build on the limited empirical assessments in support of the numerous anecdotal accounts of the transformative power of a program that has been taught over 1,200 times across 48 U.S. states and 14 countries.
