Grad students go behind bars: 'It's a different world'
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MONROE, Wash. - Some local criminology graduate students got a unique perspective on crime - from behind bars at the Monroe Correctional Complex.
The group, from Seattle University, went there for a criminal justice course in creating ways to implement restorative justice in the prison systems and throughout the community.
"It's very interesting. It's a different world," says Seattle University professor Madeline Lovell.
"This is the first time we've ever done a class like this," adds Jacqueline Helfgott, criminal justice professor at Seattle University.
While there, the students shared a classroom with murderers and other criminals.
On the final day of the course's eight-week session, prisoners and students engaged in mock presentations on how to help victims and criminals - and restore justice wherever it can be restored.
"I came away with a different perspective, and I've learned a lot about restorative justice," says graduate student Nichole Tucker.
"It's been really inspiring to see how well they get along together and how creative they can be together," says Lovell.
The idea turned out to be so creative and so practical that there is now talk they could become a reality in the prison system - all done with no books, but rather experiences from one another that will go far beyond their college days.
The students earn university credit for the course, and college officials hope to do the program again in the near future.
The inmates are also getting continuing education credits for their help with the program.
The group, from Seattle University, went there for a criminal justice course in creating ways to implement restorative justice in the prison systems and throughout the community.
"It's very interesting. It's a different world," says Seattle University professor Madeline Lovell.
"This is the first time we've ever done a class like this," adds Jacqueline Helfgott, criminal justice professor at Seattle University.
While there, the students shared a classroom with murderers and other criminals.
On the final day of the course's eight-week session, prisoners and students engaged in mock presentations on how to help victims and criminals - and restore justice wherever it can be restored.
"I came away with a different perspective, and I've learned a lot about restorative justice," says graduate student Nichole Tucker.
"It's been really inspiring to see how well they get along together and how creative they can be together," says Lovell.
The idea turned out to be so creative and so practical that there is now talk they could become a reality in the prison system - all done with no books, but rather experiences from one another that will go far beyond their college days.
The students earn university credit for the course, and college officials hope to do the program again in the near future.
The inmates are also getting continuing education credits for their help with the program.
sounds like someone peeing on my neck and telling me its raining.
What a dud article. Why not put the students in undercover side by side with the inmates where they could really learn something. Whatever the students learned is useless because whatever we have done is obviously not working. Washington State prides its self on not locking property crimes convictxs so txhey can continue to prey on society.
I agree the article didn't really say anything and I read it twice. Exactly "what" happened other than putting some people in a classroom and calling it creative?
This article was super vague. Did the students live there? What did they do?Â
So glad to learn that a murderer will be getting continuing education credits. My cousin was murdered; he was a college professor and educator with USAID. He contributed a lot to society. So nice to know that the man who stabbed him to death will be getting these credits.
This seems like a media stunt.
Monroe is the margarine of state correctional facilities.
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I guess the school should be recognized for trying,
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But now its caveat time.
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This is a completely orchestrated and unrealistic "experiment".
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Washington has some of the tamest prisons in the nation. Â That being said, every last one of these student would have been subjected to repeated assaults and rapes in any real prison facility.
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prison is the only thing america does well.
get.
it.
straight.
 @Mesh Tell that to Jamie Biendl.
My question is this do the students spend the whole eight weeks locked up with the prisoners.?
I wonder if they will expand this to Clallum Bay or Walla Walla?