The Prison Community

Catalog description

The Prison Community (3) Prisons are studies in adversity that reveal the depths of cruelty that human beings can inflict on one another in the name of justice. The prison is rooted in historical injustice and is arguably an extension of the institution of slavery. The community that arises in prisons is powered by the overarching human struggle of prisoners for survival and growth in the face of adversity that plays out daily behind bars, even on death row, where condemned prisoners are warehoused for death. Race, class, and gender emerge as central features of the prison experience, both historically and today. Drawing on historical and contemporary narratives, this course strives to provide an understanding of the existential forces that shape the prison community and offer cautious hope for reform. AU Core Integrative Requirement: Diversity and Equity.