"Inroads to understanding criminal justice and social change emerge when people talk to one another. I never imagined dialogue as such a potent force until I experienced it in our class. Nor was I confident that my experience could bring to bear a collective reimagining of a more just system. Dialogue is the opportunity to recognize ourselves and our stories in one another. It challenges us in ways we may not otherwise be challenged. When people lean in, they learn.”
(Former Inside Student)
“My brain never stopped processing information as each student was able to add a piece to the steadily growing mosaic. For me, this is what a college class is all about. I left class with my mind racing to place all of the pieces discussed into their proper places.”
(Inside Student)
“After this course, I realize fully that my theoretical knowledge is only as good as what I do with it. The struggle for me is often frustrating – seeing injustice, trying to change things, sometimes failing and wondering whether anything I can do will make a real difference in people’s lives. This course did not eliminate my frustrations. It intensified them. It forced me to look closely at things I may never be able to change. But in facing that, I was able to move past my frustration, to clarify my interests and abilities, and to imagine different ways of being and moving and speaking this world.”
(Outside Student)
“This whole experience has had an enormous effect on me. The issues that were addressed in class seeped into every inch of my being. The issues have consistently reinforced my desire and need to work for social justice.”
(Outside Student)
“I have learned so much about so many different issues, including everyday life. This class has been more than ‘just a class.’ It was [a] process of getting to know and understand the issues that so many [people] have to deal with every day of their lives. It was also a process of getting to know myself and realizing who and what I am.”
(Outside Student)