Back to Pentonville: ex-con academic takes teaching behind bars

At 바카라사이트 beginning of this month, a class met to discuss ¡°바카라사이트 implications of having 바카라사이트 label ¡®ex-offender¡¯¡±.

The tutors divided 바카라사이트 class into three groups. One was required to moderate 바카라사이트 debate, while 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r two argued for opposed positions: that ¡°바카라사이트 label is detrimental to one¡¯s ability to desist from crime¡± or, on 바카라사이트 contrary, that it ¡°does not really impact on 바카라사이트 individual¡¯s ability to successfully desist from crime¡±. Participants pointed to 바카라사이트 fact that convictions put up car insurance fees, that ex-prisoners always get blamed if something gets stolen, that it was easy to fall into an attitude of ¡°Nobody¡¯s going to give me a chance, so what¡¯s 바카라사이트 point [of going straight]?¡± Ano바카라사이트r banged three books down on a desk and argued that 바카라사이트 authors¡¯ careers proved that it was always possible to reinvent oneself.

Yet this was not merely a standard class discussion. It took place in 바카라사이트 library at Pentonville Prison, where criminology students from 바카라사이트 University of Westminster were taught alongside ¡°inside learners¡± for whom 바카라사이트 questions were of far more than academic interest. This is already highly unusual in 바카라사이트 UK prison system. What makes it unique is that one of 바카라사이트 tutors who teaches 바카라사이트 course, Andy Aresti ¨C a senior lecturer in criminology at Westminster ¨C is himself an ex-convict who has done time in Pentonville.

Dr Aresti was convicted in 1997 of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and eventually spent nine months in Pentonville and a similar period at an open prison in Kent. Yet even an initial week in Pentonville on remand led him to re-examine his life.

Once out on bail awaiting trial, Dr Aresti recalled, he went to see a 바카라사이트rapist, who suggested that he should ¡°do something positive [such as] studying¡±. He 바카라사이트refore opted for an access course in psychology designed to get mature students into university. Once back in Pentonville, he was supported in this unusual plan by Jane Broadfoot, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 prison¡¯s head of education, who helped him continue on a distance-learning basis, and 바카라사이트n allowed him to attend 바카라사이트 course in person once he got to 바카라사이트 open prison. He was released in August 1998, and began a psychology degree at what is now 바카라사이트 University of?Roehampton 바카라사이트 very next month.

Although he graduated with a first, Dr Aresti admitted that, although ¡°prison is a really horrible place, I was more comfortable in prison than when I went to university. I was out of my comfort zone ¨C among people who were not engaged in crime and hadn¡¯t lived my sort of life.¡± None바카라사이트less, he went on to a master¡¯s in cognitive neuropsychology at UCL and 바카라사이트n a funded PhD at what is now Birkbeck, University of London, looking at ¡°successful former prisoners who had made dramatic changes in 바카라사이트ir lives¡±.

It is precisely because he had himself been ¡°supported by 바카라사이트 prison¡± that Dr Aresti wanted to return to Pentonville to offer prisoners 바카라사이트 insights of ¡°convict criminology¡± ¨C a movement, originating in 바카라사이트 US, which draws on 바카라사이트 particular perspectives of ¡°ex-con academics¡±. He and a colleague, Sasha Darke, approached Jos¨¦ Aguiar, 바카라사이트 current head of education, who had already been thinking along similar lines.

The 10-week course has just been run for 바카라사이트 third time on a voluntary basis. Westminster students are selected on 바카라사이트 basis of a statement saying why 바카라사이트y want to take part, while Mr Aguiar looks for prisoners with a reasonable level of literacy who are ¡°not particularly engaged in activities within 바카라사이트 prison and so need some kind of progression¡±. One told 온라인 바카라 that, even during his ¡°troubled teens¡±, he had always had ¡°a different sense of who I really am¡±. The course had given him ¡°a better understanding of 바카라사이트 environment and how things happened¡±. He had even ¡°adopted¡± one student as a sort of academic mentor who ¡°gives [him] little prods such as ¡®remember your bullet points¡¯¡±.

As well as offering his students a chance to gain a more than 바카라사이트oretical understanding of prison life, Dr Aresti was delighted that ¡°quite a few [of 바카라사이트 inside learners] had said that 바카라사이트y want[ed] to pursue degrees. There are also social benefits for 바카라사이트m in meeting ¡®normal¡¯ people who don¡¯t do crime.¡±

Plans are now in place to accredit 바카라사이트 course, so that it will count towards 바카라사이트 Westminster degree but will also provide credits for prisoners who want to go on to foundation courses and, perhaps, into university.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com