In January 2023, fifteen Honors students embarked on a unique educational journey. Along with their professor, Dr. Marie Dallam, they spent the spring semester meeting with fifteen women incarcerated at the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center studying "Death, Dying and Religion" for their Honors colloquium. The class was part of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, which OU has been connected with since 2008 through the department of Sociology. This was the first time OU offered an Honors course through the program.
Inside-Out, founded by Dr. Lori Pompa of Temple University, began in 1997 as a small project that brought together incarcerated individuals and college students for a semester of study focused on criminal justice. The motto of the program is: "Social change through transformative education," and it encourages honest conversation across both real and perceived social barriers. In the ensuing years, Inside-Out has grown to become an international program involving more than 150 colleges and universities, and the subject matter of classes now spans a wide range of fields and disciplines. Potential instructors must apply to participate and, if accepted, complete a 45 hour training course that involves pedagogy, curriculum, ethical principles, and safety. Dr. Dallam completed the training in summer 2022, making her one of four OU professors certified to offer Inside-Out classes.
To earn a seat in the class, OU Honors students had to interview with Dr. Dallam, pass a background check, and sign a contract agreeing to follow a strict set of rules. Included among the contact information, and they would only ever use first names. These rules and others are part of the Inside-Out program and are intended to protect each person's safety. Mack, a sophomore majoring in the history of science, said that "The most intimidating part of the course were my preconceptions before walking through the security doors and into the first class. But there was never a time I felt unsafe. The interview process with Dr. Dallam broke down everything that would be required of me, both for my safety and the safety of the Inside students."
Each week Outside students arrived 30 minutes before class time so that they could be processed through security. They walked through the prison yard and met the Inside students at the front door of the chapel, where class was held. The 2 hours of class time was typically split between large group discussions and small group activities. Small groups deliberately mixed Inside and Outside students in order to facilitate more focused conversation across the carceral divide. Destiny, an OU junior majoring in criminology, said, "This class provided me with a new outlook on life itself. The interactions among students gave me new perspectives on things I had not given genuine thought to. Never have I been so grateful for the experience a class has brought me."
Although day one of class started off as socially awkward, by the end of the evening people started to warm to each other. This was due in no small part to the program's ice-breaker activity that mixes the groups and gets them talking to each other, which students jokingly referred to as "speed dating." Grace, a junior majoring in psychology, recalled that "On the first day of class, all I could think about was that I was sitting and talking to incarcerated individuals. But soon I didn't see that difference at all, and it just felt like I was going to any other class." Over the span of the semester students built collegial relationships and intellectually connected with each other through discussion of issues and ideas. Although Inside students were not earning college credit, they expressed that the class was an opportunity to engage in intelligent conversation that was not focused on prison, and for that reason it offered them a valuable change from their daily routine.
Brennan, a sophomore, took the class because he felt it would contribute to his preparations for a career in law. He said, "It was a positive experience that shined light on the prison system in ways that cannot be replicated on the outside." Graduating senior Megan, who plans a career in medicine, summed it up by saying, "This class will take you out of your comfort zone and expose you to a variety of new perspectives, ideals, and experiences!"
Dr. Dallam expressed that she was grateful for the opportunity to teach under such unusual circumstances. "The Honors College is a wonderful learning environment, but I appreciated the unexpected challenges this class frequently put before me. It helped me rethink why and how I teach, not only in the prison setting but at OU more broadly." Dr. Dallam will teach the course again in spring 2024. More information about Inside-Out can be found here: www.insideoutcenter.org
