Marcus Butler
28 September 2016: Experts in education inside the prison system from the University of Cambridge joined University of Canberra law academics to discuss the importance of building partnerships between prisons and universities.
Dr Ruth Armstrong, research associate at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Law, and Dr Amy Ludlow, lecturer in applied criminology, penology and management, designed the Learning Together program which they have been delivering in the United Kingdom, and by early next year there will be 20 prisons participating.
This project creates opportunities for collaborative learning with the aim of dismantling stereotypes and offering prisoners a meaningful vision for the future after release.
Dr Lorana Bartels, University of Canberra’s Head of the School of Law and Justice, who will join the international academics, says the visit is an opportunity to learn from the benefits the initiative has already had in the UK.
“The Learning Together program brings together students in prisons and universities to study university-level courses with each other,” Dr Bartels said. “The program in the UK had students learning criminology together in eight-week courses, led by academics from Cambridge.
“Results from Learning Together already show that it can overcome the prisoners’ own pessimistic feelings that they cannot achieve a higher education. At the same time, the program helps university students break the stereotypes they hold about people in the justice system.”
Dr Armstrong said they had visited Canberra’s Alexander Maconochie Centre during their visit and it was interesting to see a prison environment which was designed with a focus on human rights.
“Our research has interesting parallels with the theoretical foundations of the AMC; our program is centred on helping students, including prisoners, realise they have potential and it allows them the opportunity to grow and realign the path their life is taking in the world.
“It helps to show those prisoners that they don’t need to be defined by their crime or conviction, it encourages them to think about how they can change themselves,” she said.
Dr Ludlow recounted how the experience has helped Cambridge students challenge and shift their own perspectives particularly in regards to criminology.
“We found in review of the program and by speaking to participants that they gained insights into how institutions, such as prisons and the justice system itself, and social forces or history can shape and influence ideas, actions and people.
The academics discussed the potential for the Learning Together program to promote individual, institutional and social transformation and inclusive growth among people in prison.
Dr Bartels said it's an interesting program and there may be opportunities for Australian universities to increase their reach and engagement into prisons where they can become part of the rehabilitation process.
“We hear a lot about the transformational potential of education, and in the case of the justice system, it’s worth considering how the changes it can bring could be a turning point for people in Australian prisons,” Dr Bartels said.
