After reading many of the comments from the previous blog post about deep reading as counterculture, I felt many people did not fully understand the concept as a whole. The two ideas of deep reading and counterculture are intertwined. There is no one without the other, and so in order to experience one, we must be willing to participate in the other. On page 29 of Chapter Two in Waxler and Hall’s book Transforming Literacy (2011), they state, “for us, deep reading is about slowing down, but it is also about creating your own pace and environment for thinking. It is about gaining focus while working within a context; and it is about moving forward and shaping a future.” I feel this quote is meaningful. This idea proves in order to participate in deep reading as a counterculture we need to purposefully slow down, be aware of, and be present for the activity we are about to partake in, and, finally, make meaning out of it. When people state that deep reading is now more of a challenge than ever because the technological distractions or the pressures of daily life, people should recognize that deep reading IS a kind of counterculture. If we want to experience deep reading we must be aware of, and prepared to re-prioritize, the way we live our daily lives.

If we look further into deep reading as a concept we can say that it is the moment when you are reading and you forget you are doing it; instead you are experiencing. The book is no longer black ink on a white sheet, but becomes what you and the author collaboratively make it. You are no longer inside your house, at the bus station, or in the doctor’s office waiting room. You have departed from your surroundings and are now enveloped inside the book’s environment. Waxler and Hall make the argument that “deep readers constantly move from the story being read to their own self, and they create meaning in the gaps which they experience in that movement.” Deep reading is an experience that stays with you after you have finished reading and allows you the opportunity to reflect upon yourself and grow as a human, using experiences otherwise unimaginable or unattainable to you.

Those that have experienced deep reading understand how this can effect us and what repercussions, positive and negative, it can have on our lives. For those that insist that deep reading is no longer a viable option in our digital technological age with the “hustle bustle” mentality of the United States cannot forget the concept of counterculture. This idea has an immeasurable amount of definitions, but, in this regard, for the connection with deep reading it is simply living life in an alternative method to the masses. Today’s mainstream culture has us focused on productivity, multi-tasking, and instant gratification. We are fast-paced and always living life and making decisions based on the next moment as opposed to the present moment. You participate in counterculture every time you fight that insatiable urge to check your Facebook feed, every hour on the hour, when you wake up at 5am to get to the gym because it’s the only opportunity you’ll have throughout the day, or in this case, you pick up a book and dedicate time to lose yourself inside it.

There will always be an excuse, a reason, or an opportunity to not do something. We as a society need to realize that we are the masters of ourselves, and while we may have numerous uncontrollable aspects of our life, we do have some that we can and should control. So live in the moment, live for your friends, your family, and for yourself. Life is what we make of it, and to get the most out of it we must be mindful to prioritize what is truly important to us within it and modify accordingly.

Bryan Hellkamp is currently pursuing an MAT in History at UMass Dartmouth. He received his Bachelor’s degree from UMass Dartmouth in Political Science. He is very interested in the educational system as a whole, and would like to continue his education past the MAT in order to be involved with changing and adapting the system to better accommodate our students’ needs in this current technological age of instant information. He can be reached for comment here.

By Kerrin Willis and Carolyn Gomes Vieira

English teachers have been teaching students how to decode language and literature in classrooms across the country for generations. If we are advanced, we also teach them how to decode visual forms of literature. In academia, we call this practice “unpacking the text”. But times are changing fast and there are now so many other forms of literary and visual stimuli that need unpacking or decoding. In a digital age, “decoding” and ultimately learning how to switch between codes are becoming increasingly important. In the late 90’s this term became popular when talking about teaching inner city kids how to switch between Ebonics or slang and Standard English. Today this can be translated to “text language,” “screen media,” and academic language. In the digital age, the task of teaching students how to decode has become a job for all teachers.

One code that today’s students are intimately familiar with is the so-called “text language” most often used in emails, texting and social networking sites. The point of text language is to get something across as quickly as possible, boiling words down to their most essential letters, such as u for you and srsly for seriously. In text language, the words are not fully present. They are simply a representation of larger words with deeper and more complex meanings. Likewise, the users of text language are not fully present either. Rather, they are often multi-taskers, devoting only a fragment of themselves to the communication they are attempting to achieve. The result is a facsimile of a relationship between people. This issue is discussed extensively in chapter six of Robert Waxler and Maureen Hall’s book Transforming Literacy. Without either the words exchanged or the individuals exchanging them being fully present, the resulting conversation cannot be deep or meaningful. Teaching students how to switch between superficial and academic language is vital to shifting from the impersonal electronic conversations to the full-bodied conversations we expect in the classroom.

Another code that students are familiar with, but not well versed in decoding, is “Screen Media” such as film, TV and internet. While students access these mediums on a daily basis, many are inept at analyzing them and ultimately decoding the messages that they are receiving. Students feel that watching the movie is the same as reading the book, and yet, most are disappointed when the movie ultimately falls short. That is when you can get them to read the book first. This practice of only watching the movie or worse, only understanding the movie version is very damaging to the student. For example, an implied sex scene is played out in detail on screen and other liberties are taken with the written word to make it more marketable to an audience, not to enhance understanding to the narrative. Usually the film version becomes the director or producer’s version of the story removing many details that could be used to form the student’s individual analysis. This becomes a problem because the students believe that there is a “right” answer in literature and we have to re-teach them to think independently. According to Waxler and Hall, although the use of film in the classroom can “enhance learning” and “often provide expansive dialogue in the classroom,” there is no substitution to reading a novel.

Because they are bombarded by the images on the screen, some have become handicapped in creating those images when reading a narrative. It is now the job of the teacher to re-teach the students how to visualize the words on the page and to decode the visuals on the screen. Also, students have come to believe that the internet is infallible, not realizing that everything on the internet needs to be critically evaluated. This leads to misconceptions and problems in decoding. First, because they believe that the internet holds all the answers and the ultimate short cut, they can become misinformed and by using shortcuts, they lack the comprehensive researching skills needed to complete most high-level assignments. Our job, as teachers, has become more difficult as we navigate through the different types of “screen media” and now have to teach a resistant population how to evaluate and use this type of media in academia. For example, the difference between a blog, an academic site, student-generated information and so on all have varying levels of validity, but because these are all searchable, students believe that they are all valid sources. Some teachers find teaching researching skills difficult because they aren’t as versed as the students in using the internet, in particular, and some are resistant in the idea that this is even part of their job, thus many only allow print as valid sources. But as we continue to go further into this digital world, we must change our view and learn how to teach the students how to use the screen culture in a meaningful way instead of being used by it.

That is not to say that text or media language does not have a valid use. A code that can be expressed and read quickly is valuable when one is trying to relay one-dimensional messages such as “b L8 4 dnr” or “r u coming?”. Texting, film and the internet are all effective ways to communicate in some instances. The problem arises when people attempt to use codes in situations where they are not appropriate, or properly decoded, such as academia. As high school English teachers, we often see students who are confused about what language is appropriate for academic use, and it is our job to provide them with the tools they need to recognize the difference between codes that they might use over the internet and with their friends, and codes that they should use to write and speak in the classroom. The classroom is a neighborhood in which students should be fully present physically, emotionally, intellectually, etc. Their language should reflect this presence, and be a vehicle through which they are able to express it. Teaching them how to code switch between standard or academic language, slang, text language, the visual image, is teaching them to be able to think independently and to evaluate evidence effectively. If they are unaware of the difference between formal and informal language, they will be unable to evaluate whether an internet source is valid or not, a film is an accurate portrayal of a narrative or even lead to problems in interpersonal relationships.

All codes are valid and helpful in their own arenas, and the better we are at learning to use them appropriately and switch between them, the better educated we will be.

Kerrin and Carolyn are both High School English teachers currently working on getting their initial licensure at UMass Dartmouth.  Kerrin can be reached by email here and Carolyn can be reached by email here.

]]> http://cltlblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/2b-or-not-2b-that-is-the/feed/ 2 cltlblog cltl10 http://cltlblog.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/deep-reading-as-counterculture/ http://cltlblog.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/deep-reading-as-counterculture/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:15:14 +0000 CLTL http://cltlblog.wordpress.com/?p=2009 ]]> By: Stephanie Gardella and Brandon Strickland

“By contrast, deep reading requires human beings to call upon and develop attentional skills, to be thoughtful and fully aware. It teaches humans to be thankful for, and to celebrate, their full capabilities. It makes people, in other words, feel good about being fully human.” – Robert Waxler and Dr. Maureen Hall 

The digital age has drastically transformed the way we think, feel and communicate. No longer are the once cherished stories of such great authors as Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe evoking strong feelings and deep thought that they once did. Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are replacing them and consume a majority of some people’s day. Sitting by the fire for hours reading a novel is a past time that is unlikely to be a part of the digital generations’ lives. The gravitational pull by technology is too strong for most. People may be reading more than ever on these social networks, but it is on a superficial level.

In Changing Lives Through Reading and Writing by Robert Waxler and Dr. Maureen Hall they argue that reading on these social network sites “does not require full thinking, full awareness, or full presence.” When it comes to reading, “quantity over quality,” certainly appears to be the maxim for the digital generation. In a time where people are more concerned with what someone is writing on their social network page, deep reading is definitely something that should be emphasized in the classroom. Sven Birkerts coined the term “deep reading” and defines it as, “the slow and meditative possession of a book.”

Although, students may claim they are doing some sort of reading while following Facebook or Twitter, they are not “deep reading.” Reading hundreds of posts about friends and families play-by-play of their mundane daily activities doesn’t exactly conjure about the same type of emotional reactions and deep thinking one would get from reading a novel such as Ernest Hemingway’s “Farewell to Arms.” It is the constant need to be connected to others through an electronic medium that prevents people from losing themselves in a novel instead.

This is why deep reading is such a great addition to anyone’s life. Deep reading, being in their own world when they read a piece of great literature, can help people to form a reconnection with individuals on a different level that they could find on their computer. When someone participates in deep reading one could say they are immersing themselves in a counter-culture. They are separate from what they would normally be interacting with in society and their classrooms, work places, and personal life.

A counter-culture is characterized as a culture with values and ideals that run counter to those of an established society or alternative culture. This counter-culture is where they can find their inner self. When individuals, specifically students, are involved in deep reading they are put into a counter-culture that improves them as thinkers and learners.

Deep reading, according to Robert Waxler and Maureen Hall, “holds possibilities for helping people make meaning and journey towards full understanding of self” as well as helping them to connect to their text. Once they have a connection to their narrative they can begin to connect it with their lives on a personal and emotional level. Then they are able to connect better with others.

When students are in an environment where deep reading is utilized, they are able to get more out of the classroom. Furthermore, the counterculture they participate in when they practice deep reading can go beyond the classroom and their class work. It can help them improve as individuals, improving their life and their relationships with others. As a future educator I feel like reading of any kind is an important part of every student’s education, but especially the act of deep reading. We’re not only trying to help them be better learners but better individuals and better human beings.

Stephanie Gardella has a BA in English from Rhode Island College and is currently enrolled in the Post Bac Licensure Program at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to gain certification in teaching English at the secondary level. She begins her student teaching in the Spring. She enjoys baking, singing, and spending time with friends and loved ones. She can be reached by email here.

Brandon Strickland is applying to the MAT-I Program at UMass Dartmouth with a concentration in middle school science. He currently has a preliminary license in general science 5-8 and works at the Stone Therapeutic Day Middle School as a permanent substitute. 
He can be reached by email here.

On November 2, I sat in on a session of Changing Lives Through Literature led by Professor Waxler and held at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth campus. A senior in the English department at Princeton, I’m writing my undergraduate senior thesis on the role that literature plays in prison and in alternative sentencing programs, with a specific focus on CLTL.

The participants that week were to discuss Walter Mosley’s Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, the story of a man named Socrates Fortlow who is trying to negotiate his role as both a human being and as a member of a community after spending twenty-seven years in prison. After reading the text, I was excited to hear what the participants in the program would have to say about it. I had researched the evolution of literature programs in American prisons beginning in the 1940s and their tendency to restrict certain literature out of a fear of the reader’s identification with the criminal, or even a resulting glorification of crime. Would the participants identify with Socrates? With his struggles? Would they like the book? Would they want to talk about their own stories in relation to it?

Although I tried to avoid having any expectations, I couldn’t help but be surprised. As a college student, I’ve grown pretty adept at discerning when a student hasn’t read the text for seminar or precept. The uncomfortable avoidance of eye contact with the instructor, the enigmatically vague comments about some general idea conveniently found on the back cover—such are the dead give-aways (not that I’ve ever exhibited these behaviors myself, of course). It was clear from the start, however, that these participants had all read Mosley’s work. There wasn’t a single awkward silence, nor was there a moment when Professor Waxler had to encourage the participants to speak. Rather, Professor Waxler acted as mediator for the animated conversation that ensued.

As the discussion progressed, I realized that I also hadn’t been prepared for the passion the participants demonstrated with respect to the text. Some had read it multiple times. Others drew parallels between Mosley’s work and the text they had read for the last session, Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Another participant had written notes beforehand so as not to forget key insights. It was unquestionable that they all cared about the text. Even as an English major who participates in countless seminars discussing works of literature, I was refreshed and inspired by the participants’ engagement with the text. And though their opinions could not differ more—one participant loved the book, another absolutely despised it—the dialogue remained respectful. That in itself was an impressive feat; with eight men, one woman, Professor Waxler, several probation officers and judges, a defense attorney, and a priest participating in the session, the diversity of opinion around the table was immense.

One of the aspects of the program I was most curious about was the interplay between reading and collective discussion. Throughout the session I began to understand that the two exist in a kind of crucial symbiosis; one without the other would simply not allow for the deep engagement and struggling with the text experienced by every reader in the room. The participants generally refused identification with Socrates. One participant declared that he had “hard feelings for the book,” because Socrates “hasn’t earned redemption.” Another observed that Socrates “did a poor job at trying to redeem himself.” Although each reader came into the session with their own reading of the text, shaped by individual experiences and perception, those readings were called into question by the exploration of other interpretations. At one point, Professor Waxler chuckled, explaining, “before this session I always thought of Socrates as much more heroic.”

Through the collective discussion, some readers seemed to change their minds about their initial reading of the text. Others maintained or even defended their own readings, but recognized opinions they hadn’t considered before. The interplay between reading and collective discussion generated participants’ reflection on their own experiences and the text itself. Professor Waxler guided the discussion by pointing to specific situations in the text and acknowledging the different decisions characters could have made. For example, in a later scene in the novel Socrates rats out a man who has been setting fires. Although some participants initially expressed a desire for consistency, even for absolutes—such as snitching is always wrong—the discussion complicated this understanding of right and wrong. What if you have to choose between being loyal to your community, and being loyal to your brother? All of the readers in the room grappled with the complexity inherent in making such decisions. Right and wrong didn’t seem to be the crux of the issue, especially when characters (and people) sometimes have to choose between two options that may seem “right.”

The participants were not shy about drawing connections between the text and their own lives. One participant’s experience as a reader really gets to the heart of my opinion, that after the session participants see both their own experiences and the text a little differently. When the participant first read the text, he overlooked a paragraph in the very beginning that described what Socrates had done that put him behind bars. As he read the book, he found that he really respected Socrates and the efforts he made once he was out of prison. However, when the participant discovered what Socrates had done, he wanted to throw the book down. “I respected everything he was doing until I found out,” he said. Another reader interjected—isn’t that the type of judgment society makes? The realization that we are all susceptible to making those judgments—as readers, as employers, as members of society—was critical.

After sitting in on the session, I made plans to return next month to watch other sessions on the UMass Dartmouth campus and at Middlesex Community College, led by Professor Jean Trounstine. I’m overwhelmed by the amazing work of those who make CLTL possible, and by how helpful they’ve been in my research thus far. I believe that one of the reasons why CLTL is so meaningful is its avoidance of a rhetoric or goal of catharsis, even of therapy in some sense. Literature is not significant because it fixes problems or because it somehow “treats” its readers. Literature, if anything, makes things more difficult; it makes us more aware of the complexity, arbitrariness, and at times injustice in our own lives and society. It’s this awareness that is key.

One participant observed that even though “you do your time and pay your debt to society,” once you get out of jail, you’re still paying. Socrates embodies this constant struggle—the process of being haunted, finding peace, and having that peace shaken. Mirroring Socrates’ struggle, one participant explained, “the hardest part is forgiving yourself.” CLTL engages participants in a constant dialogue with the text and with diverse interpretations and readings of it. As the participants construct themselves as readers, they recognize that they aren’t alone in this struggle.

Tara Knoll is a senior at Princeton University where she is finishing her undergraduate degree. Her interest in how literature affects inmates and offenders led her to the decision to concentrate on Changing Lives Through Literature as the subject for her senior thesis.  She can be reached by email here.

I worked at HMP Low Newton – a women’s prison on the outskirts of Durham City in the North East of England – for twenty five years. I began as a teacher; became an Education Manager and finally a Senior Manager in charge of Learning and Skills development. I never meant to stay that long – somehow the place just grew on me. Or perhaps more accurately it was the women who grew on me.

UK prisons are full of women who shouldn’t be there, women in need of therapeutic care, women who would be best helped in their own community. There are of course, some seriously damaged women from whom the public needs protection but they are a very small minority.

By and large the women I met in prison were ordinary women whose lives had gone wrong. They were great survivors. They were often victims of crime themselves, particularly sexual abuse and domestic violence. Many, very many, were heroin addicts.

They didn’t make excuses for what they’d done, or feel sorry for themselves, or blame other people. They relished the educational opportunities on offer, having missed out on schooling – they were often carers from a young age or had been expelled. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the women was how much they laughed and made you laugh with them. Humour is, of course, a great shield for adversity. In prison it also serves as the acceptable face of rebellion and helps preserve dignity in a world where prisoners are disempowered.

The women were immensely kind too. Always concerned for you and quite protective of prison staff or teachers they liked.

There are a lot of things about working in prison I don’t miss. I don’t miss the gates, keys, bars, impossible windows, or the time it took to just get in and out of the place. I definitely don’t miss the way you never really knew what kind of a day it was until you got out through the gate in the evening; where the air always tasted different. Not long after leaving I had a day out with my lovely friend Carole, who, like me, worked at Low Newton for many years. More than anything that day we were imbued with a sense of freedom, like kids playing hooky: we had escaped and the sun was shining and we were certain that we appreciated being out in the open far more than anyone else could. After all, hadn’t we spent what felt like a lifetime behind bars?

Sometimes when women came back into prison for the third or fourth time (in some cases women were back in and out many times) they would see me and say, Are you still here Mrs Joy? Once, before I left, when a woman asked how long I’d been at Low Newton and I said twenty five years, she looked at me with genuine pity and said, God bless you miss – poor thing!

Of course it wasn’t like that. If it had been I couldn’t have stayed. There was much laughter, caring, hope and comradeship at Low Newton and I worked with many great colleagues and some very enlightened Governors. But I won’t deny there were times when working in prison was tough. It took it out of you and there was a deal of heartache and pain. From time to time, no matter how used to it you became, the pain seeped in, under your skin, and inhabited you.

Avril Joy is publishing a series of prison stories –Beyond The Mask. The first, When You Hear The Bird Sing, is available for download now on Amazon Kindle – 99p. She hopes to share profits with a charity that helps prisoners. You can visit her website/blog (with links to the book) here.

“Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.” – Richard Feynman.

Patterns are everywhere we look, from the smallest DNA particles to the wings on a butterfly, to the human experience of following time, schedules and routines. We get set in our ways and repeat similar actions and behaviors only to get similar results. While these results may or may not always be desired or intentional, the art of mindfulness can help us stay in touch with the life that is going on within us as well as around us. To be mindful is to be present, to reflect, and to be aware and thoughtful. Mindfulness can be applied to many areas of our lives to help us gain perspective and to help us take a step back and observe without subjection. This allows us to make needed changes that break us free from old habits, which can lead us to improved mental clarity and physical health. Taking a look at mindful eating and mindfulness as it applies to literacy will help us take a closer look at its benefits.

Mindful eating can positively affect our emotional and physical state. In the U.S., the lack of mindfulness in our diet and eating has caused many health problems. These problems range from diabetes, anorexia, heart disease, liver overload, obesity, stress, bloating and indigestion to name a few; not to mention that our immune system and nervous system are supported by a healthy relationship with food.

Mindful eating can be achieved by knowing what you are eating. You can start having control of what you are putting in your body by keeping yourself aware by checking the packaging label. Your body will react positively to avoiding unnecessary additives such as chemicals and preservatives. Selecting natural and fresh products from a local vendor is a great way to get more food and fewer ingredients. An economical advantage to this is that local farm stands are often much more affordable than the grocery store price since you are purchasing directly from the source. Another advantage is that local farm stand produce is usually sold within twenty-four hours versus the seven to fourteen day journey other produce can take to arrive at the grocery store. Being aware of the process that your food takes to get to you is an important part of mindful eating. This requires extra thought when eating at a restaurant where you are not preparing your own food. Getting your chicken grilled instead of fried will make a major difference in keeping more nutritional value to your food.

Another part of having a healthy relationship with food is giving yourself time to enjoy it. Eating with the company of others is a tradition that has occurred over centuries which validates that food should be enjoyed and can even be joyful and celebratory. Eating slowly allows you to take in the flavors, textures, aromas and presentation. Learning about your taste buds and how you experience taste through your tongue is an enriching way to sort through flavors, making eating an experience. On the very tip of your tongue you will taste salty and sweet flavors. On the sides of your tongue you will taste sour flavors and on the back of your tongue you will taste bitter flavors. Having a bite of food and deciding what you taste first allows you to truly have a mindful eating experience. Eating slowly also allows the food to reach your stomach in a timely way so that you are able to more accurately judge when you are content with the amount of food you’ve consumed. The key to eating a healthy amount is to stop eating once you are no longer hungry, not until you are full or on the brink of feeling like there is no more room in your stomach.

If you are still unsure of the effectiveness of mindful eating, why not ask your body how it feels? Experiment with eating more nutritional foods such as raw fruits, nuts and vegetables and see how your body reacts. How does your stomach feel? What is your energy level like after eating? What is your stomach telling you about the food you ate? Compare your results with more processed foods such as a bag of chips or fast food. Mindful eating does not mean to deprive yourself of food but rather to allow yourself to have a balanced life, eating more of what makes you feel healthy with more energy and less of what makes you feel bloated and drained. Having a mindful relationship with food will lead to a healthy mind and body.

Mindfulness skills are useful in an educational setting. Teaching children about eating mindfully will make them healthier and give them more mental clarity. Mindfulness can also be applied to improving literacy. Practicing mindfulness exercises such as breathing and memory games can strengthen focus and concentration, enable an ability to see a new perspective, reduce stress and increase metacognition. A student’s well-developed metacognition can influence self-monitoring skills, which would build their scaffolding toward independent reading. Having the mindfulness skills of breathing, noticing thoughts, noticing feelings and letting them all go are coping mechanisms that will help a stressed student remain calm. When students are able to keep their feelings, thoughts and emotions in check they will be equipped with the tools that will help them develop further academically. These tools can also be carried into their everyday life to help them with their relationships, job performance and over all well-being.

The idea of reading and mindfulness can be interchangeable because mindfulness can help a reader and reading can help with mindfulness. Reading is actually a way of being mindful. In a world where we are motivated by sensations, literacy is a great alternative that can broaden our awareness in a positive way. When you read a good book, it traps you in its pages. You can become engaged with the characters, the scenes and the atmosphere. You can gain wisdom from the words that you read while leaving behind your own personal judgment and worries. You can gain an outside perspective that you never would have had by meeting characters in a story. You can also experience and connect with feelings and emotions through another’s words that can transform and enlighten you. Reading can take you to a place in your mind where you can self-examine your own acts and reactions.

Mindfulness is so important because our thoughts are the cause of our actions and interactions. Thinking permits us to make sense and interpret the world in ways that are significant to us. Reading can expand our mindset and allow us to experience life in new ways. By reading mindfully, we are opening a door in our mind that connects new information to our own personal experience and gaining a new outlook. This gives us the opportunity to admire, discover and see the broader picture. To have a complete awareness of reality you have to transcend from the personal and leave aside ambitions, fears and old perceptions in order to be able to perceive the truth in front of you. A book does can do this for us. Like a good book, life requires you to be aware of your sensations, thoughts and most importantly, aware of the present moment. Mindfulness can be applied to many other areas in our lives besides eating and improving literacy. It is up to the individual how they can best maximize mindfulness to help them reach their fullest potential. So be full, be light, and be mindful.

Jedly Paredes, originally from Puerto Rico, is studying Spanish at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. She is enrolled in the Dual Degree to get the education license to teach Spanish at secondary level. She likes to cook and enjoys swimming. She has a part time job at a tire shop, where she loves the contact with customers. She can be reached by email here.

Katelyn Twardzik is currently working as a Paraprofessional with the 2nd Grade team at Atlantis Charter School in Fall River. Her undergraduate degree is in Fine Arts from Bridgewater State University and she currently attends the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth where she is taking classes toward becoming an Elementary School teacher. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, music, yoga, and arts & crafts. She has a webpage where you may view some of her arts & crafts.

One of the main purposes of the criminal justice system is to keep criminals off the street so that the public will remain safe. What people tend to forget is that another major goal of the criminal justice system is to rehabilitate criminals so that when they’re released the public will still remain safe. Rehabilitation isn’t an easy process and isn’t always suitable or possible for every inmate, but with the right techniques, it can be accomplished for a great many. Typical rehabilitation practices include therapy, spiritual guidance, community service, and education.

Research shows education is one of the most effective ways to rehabilitate criminals. It gives inmates a new purpose in life and may change the attitudes that landed them in prison in the first place. It also makes it a lot easier for inmates to find jobs upon release, a major benefit considering former inmates have a terrible time finding work after prison due to employers’ unwillingness to hire workers with criminal records.

Often the chances of finding a job can be greatly increased by proving one was disciplined enough to pursue education while still behind bars. The skills and knowledge acquired also give inmates the ability to work in a larger variety of positions. Released inmates who are able to obtain employment are far less likely to return to prison than those who remain unemployed. According to University of Missouri policy analyst Jake Cronin, inmates who earned GEDs in prison were 33 percent less likely to return to prison. These numbers may be even higher for inmates who earncollege degrees through online courses or prison-based programs.

One surprising benefit of college courses in prison is that they actually save taxpayers money. This research flies in the face of the objection that providing education to prisoners wastes money. A 2009 report from the Correctional Association of New York revealed that the 1,200 inmates then taking part in 69 prison programs across the United States were far less likely to return to prison. Since it costs as much as $40,000 annually to house an inmate in prison, any measure that will prevent former inmates from returning to prison is a worthwhile endeavor.

Unfortunately, college education is not available in all US prisons. Some people believe criminals forfeit their right to education when they break laws. Some facilities simply don’t have the necessary resources for providing college-level education to inmates. GED prison programs are far more common than college programs, as they tend to be less expensive to run. Some prisons allow inmates to pursue college degrees online, but usually under close supervision.

On the other hand, some schools themselves offer programs specifically designed for getting inmates educated. Boston University has a prison education program, from which over 200 degrees have been granted to inmates from MCI-Norfolk, MCI-Framingham, and the Bay State Correctional Center. Other notable schools with prison education programs include Harvard, Bard College, Georgetown University, and Wesleyan University.

The overwhelming body of research shows providing college education for inmates is one of the most effective means of lowering recidivism rates. Nevertheless, at present most inmates don’t have access to college-level programs. As more research comes out highlighting the benefits of college education in prison, chances are politicians will find providing these opportunities more worthwhile.

Marina Salsbury planned on becoming a teacher since high school, but found her way instead intoonline writing after college. She writes around the Web about everything from education to exercise. She can be reached by e-mail here.

I read a sad story on the Internet a few months ago: A 16-year-old student in East Java gave birth at school. It was not the unusual labor and birthplace that concerned me (well it was, a little), but rather the fact that the new mother was expelled from school.

The headmaster of SMK II Madiun, a vocational high school where 99 percent of the students are female, said the girl had to be expelled for breaking rules signed during registration forbidding students from marrying and getting pregnant.

The girl, identified as R by newspapers, was known to be a good student. She was described as a smart, active young woman who participated in extracurricular activities and sports. 

Like other female students, she wore a hijab and loose clothing in class — nothing that could be called “naughty.” R seemed to be another normal student, until she delivered a premature baby at the school clinic, which led to her expulsion. Given the regulations the girl agreed to, the punishment might have seemed appropriate. But was it?

When asked if every rule offender deserves to be punished, my answer is usually yes. But should the punishment be alienating and traumatic? I believe that the idea of sanctioning is to correct people’s behavior — so we should unfailingly seek a better, more humane and, if possible, compassionate way to do that. After all, everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance.

Almost two decades ago, Robert Waxler, a professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, came up with the idea that prisoners could be rehabilitated through reading. His program, Changing Lives Through Literature, has enjoyed widespread success in the United States since 1991. The reading course has become an alternative to jail time in many states.

In Texas, where the imprisonment and death penalty rates are the highest in the world, 597 prisoners completed the course from 1997 to 2008. Of those, only 36 prisoners, or 6 percent, went back to jail after failing their probation, but they committed less serious crimes. Most of these prisoners, however, now see the world from a different perspective, and some even want to get a college education.

The reading course is taught with the belief that human conduct starts with the mind. Crime and criminal behavior stems from many causes, including ignorance and narrow-mindedness. By having the convicts read books, CLTL tries to broaden prisoners’ views of life, enhance their minds and create wiser, critical-thinking people.

Education essentially aims to enlighten students, and CLTL has shown that broadening pupils’ minds is achievable. Schools, of course, should facilitate “enlightenment.” 

In class we learn, read, make friends, and raise hopes for a better future. If those are not the things that change lives, nothing is. At this point, we may question the decision of the school to expel its student for immoral but harmless conduct.

Expelling the girl from school will not solve any problems. It seems more like an effort to save face by those who want to stay untainted: the school, the headmaster, teachers, and other students.

The punishment has nothing to do with rehabilitation. I’m sure that giving birth unexpectedly at 16 was physically and psychologically painful. The girl may also be shunned and held in contempt by her neighbors.

Going against society’s values is wrong, as is failing to give a person a chance to fix a mistake. Programs such as CLTL have been giving prisoners a chance. The 16-year-old girl is certainly not a “criminal,” and should have the opportunity to move on from her mistake. To do that, she needs to have hope, which is why she should stay in school.

I dream of the girl’s friends and teachers visiting her home to see if she is OK, of her partner staying beside her, of the community supporting and helping to raise the new child and of the girl being allowed to go to school again. I’m not alone.

Sadly, we live in a country where some people think that fornicating is a worse offense than assaulting an innocent person, and where people like to hide behind hypocrisy. While becoming a parent before marriage might be one of the worst things that can befall a girl, ironically (and unjustly), the same is not the case for boys.

My life has been touched by addicts.

Although I don’t know anyone who has gone to jail or been through an alternative sentencing program like Changing Lives Through Literature, I know many people who have found solace for their addictions in different forms of literature. AA and NA have their own “literature”, mostly with vaguely or blatant religious overtones. There are daily meditations and articles about the various steps used in these programs. To people who follow 12 Step Programs, these writings can have a profound impact on the recovering addict.

However, there are other novels, articles, and various writings that may also have such an impact. Different people find solace in different places – church, support groups, therapists, friends, and “secular” literature. Some of the writers and works that I have found to have a particular impact include the following:

Self Reliance and Other Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson: The pivotal transcendentalist’s major work encourages the reader to trust him or herself and to work hard to achieve difficult goals. The writing is accessible to all; it’s easy to follow and the lyrical prose is easy to lose yourself in. The goals outlined in these essays are directly related to the addict’s journey – although many 12 Step programs teach the addict to rely on the group and to trust in God, finding inner strength to begin and continue the healing process on their own is also important to recovery. The entire collection is fairly short and each essay can easily be read in one sitting, which makes it an ideal read for someone in early recovery who may not have the attention span to become engaged in a larger work.

Madness: A BiPolar Life by Marya Hornbacher: Although I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone in early recovery (it can get pretty harrowing at times, and detailed descriptions of drinking may be a “trigger” to someone who is not well-set in his or her recovery), it is a great book for someone with a ‘dual diagnosis’ (a diagnosis of addiction coupled with a diagnosis of an organic mental health disorder). Hornbacher is a gifted writer with an amazing attention to detail, and while her account may be difficult to read and may hit very close to home, I have found that many addicts find comfort in other addicts. Reading about someone else’s experience can help the addict to see that not only are they not alone, but other people have had similar experiences and survived and even improved because of them. Hornbacher is also the author of two self-help books for people in recovery who are non-religious – Waiting: a Non-Believer’s Higher Power and Sane: Mental Illness, Addiction, and the Twelve Steps, which are particularly helpful to those participating in 12 Step programs who do not consider themselves religious and are turned off by the religious overtones these groups are famous for.

A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown: Another addiction memoir best suited for those later in recovery, A Piece of Cake tells the story of Cupcake Brown, who goes from a happy childhood to a world of abusive foster homes, drugs, gangs, and prostitution. What makes Brown unique is her journey from “trash-can addict” to law student. The first three-quarters of the memoir concentrate on Brown’s life as an addict, but the last quarter is solely about her journey to become a better person. Unlike Hornbacher, Brown does not suffer from a dual diagnosis, so her story may be more universally appealing to addicts, although it should not be read in early recovery due to some ‘triggering’ material.

Novels by Michael Palmer: Palmer is a Massachusetts native and a writer of medical thrillers. What makes him unique among the masses who make their living from writing in this genre is Palmer is a recovering addict. Although issues of recovery do not play heavily into his books, I have found that people in recovery are interested in reading his books because they are entertaining, easy to digest, and show that addicts can overcome their difficulties and become highly successful and functioning members of society. Those in 12 Step programs may also get a kick out of seeing “Dr. Bob”, the founder of AA, in the acknowledgements in all of his books.

Although these books are regularly read by addicts and seem to be encouraging for them, exposing addicts to any literature early in their recovery can be beneficial. Find out what the addict in your life is interested in and find books about the subject and authors who write about it. Some popular, entertaining, mindless novels can be just as beneficial as high-minded addiction specific works. Merely transferring energy an addict would normally spend on their addiction to a new hobby or interest can be enormously positive in any stage of recovery. Self-help, philosophy, and addiction memoir don’t have to make up the bulk of what changes an addict’s life – it might be Stephen King (who has also suffered with addiction), Jodi Picoult, or Mother Theresa. When the time is right, introduce a friend or loved one who is suffering with addiction to your favorite book. Start your own book club. Distraction can be a wonderful thing, and a distraction that has the added benefit of educating can be even more life-changing.

Anne O’Toole-Bolthrunis is the current editor of the CLTL Blog and a graduate student in the Professional Writing Program at UMass Dartmouth. She enjoys reading, writing memoirs, being a connoisseur of music, and, of course, Facebook. She can be reached for comment here.

There has been a disturbing trend in America’s prison systems since the early 1990s, when, faced with rising costs and an overloaded system, the maximum security prison became the catch-all option to house violent criminals. By 1997, over 30 states had at least one maximum security prison. These “Supermax” prisons, originally meant only for the “worst of the worst,” have come under scrutiny by human right groups in both the United States and Europe.

Much like the asylums and dungeons of much earlier times, “Supermax” prisons no longer house only the most violent criminals, but have become dumping grounds for overflow from overcrowding in regular prisons. Flooded with the mentally ill, young criminals who might have chances at rehabilitation, and repeat offenders, super prisons are under fire for alleged inhumane treatment and violation of basic human rights.

In 1986, a national study of over 400 inmates concluded that every two out of three attempted suicides in the study group came from prisoners under solitary confinement. Other forensicpsychology studies and reports have clearly shown consistent evidence that solitary confinement causes anxiety, depression, and increased violent behavior. Those without mental illness are far more likely to develop psychosis and other disorders during prolonged isolation, and those already ill are subjected to what amounts to psychological torture. Supermax prisons are notorious for their strict confinement of prisoners, and with an estimated 20 percent of criminals suffering from various mental illness, those kept alone for up to 23 hours a day in small cells, receiving no support or treatment, can only get worse.

Originally designed to protect the inmates from themselves and each other, Supermax prisons have taken isolation to the extreme. In facilities such as the PelicanBay maximum security prison, inmates are allowed very little in the way of personal property, entertainment, counseling, interaction, and outdoor exercise. Confined in small, barren cells that are lit 24 hours a day, the lack of external stimulus wears on the psyche quickly, creating feelings of extreme detachment and isolation from the outside world. This leads to anxiety as well as increased violence. Many inmates have claimed they cut or otherwise harm themselves just to feel something, and act out against guards as a means to make any contact with another human being.

Additionally, while super prisons do have doctors and mental health staff on call in each facility, “treatment” for many inmates includes being stripped and left in barren rooms for observation for indefinite periods. In many Supermax prisons, there is no air conditioning or air flow, limited shower allowances, and inadequate heating during cold months, leading to extreme temperature fluctuation that can have devastating effects on inmates’ physical and mental health.

Humans are social creatures and need interaction to survive. While criminals in super prisons have broken our society’s laws, they learn no coping skills and receive no rehabilitation support to learn to live once released. Many such criminals, a large portion of whom suffer mental illness brought on or exacerbated by months or years of confinement, are released directly back into the public at large. Needless to say, there is a high rate of repeat offense and suicide within this population once they face the overwhelming task of trying to reintegrate with society.

Fortunately, there is increasing awareness about the conditions in Supermax prisons. Activist groups, as well as some lawmakers, psychiatrists, news sources, doctors, and other officials are working together for more viable solutions to help deal with inmate overcrowding as well as help rehabilitate, educate, and prepare them to reenter society. There is no short-term solution, but it is becoming clear that Supermax prisons and their outdated and even barbaric methods better suited to a medieval dungeon are not effective.

For information on what some people are doing to reform prisons, visit:

Innocence Project

Prison Reform

Allison Gamble has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing with forensicpsychology.net. She can be reached by email here.