NCJ Number
90392
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 25 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1983) Pages: 295-308
Date Published
1983
Length
14 pages
Annotation
After an outline of the history of post-secondary education at Canada's Matsqui Institution, the theory and curriculum of the program are discussed, and the development of an alternative community at the prison centered in the higher education program is reviewed.
Abstract
During the first 2 years of the program's operation (1973-75), the program retained much of the character of an experiment. Believing that the prison administration was opposed to the continuation of the program, students developed a cohesion that contributed to the quality of the program. Both the prison staff and the inmates came to view the university program as their achievement. The university staff was largely responsible for this, as it maintained its independence from the prison administration without becoming totally identified with the inmates. Based on the belief that cognitive and moral development as well as attitude change are best accomplished by the humanities disciplines, the program focused on English literature and history from the beginning. After a few trial third year courses were offered, funding was secured to mount a regular series of advanced courses. By the end of 1977, the first Bachelor of Arts degree was awarded. By 1981, nine students had earned degrees inside the prison, and several more had completed degrees outside. The program also aimed at establishing an alternative community in the prison centered on the university program. This community would establish rules, customs, and expectations which would provide a forum within which behavior commensurate with more advanced levels of thinking and acting could occur, thus reinforcing the effects of the educational experience. The university community has passed through three stages in its evolution, from paternalism to consultation to a rough form of representative democracy. The Matsqui experience offers at least a potential model for prison education and perhaps for programming in other sectors of the criminal justice system. Thirteen references are provided.