On Thursday 7th October, our Psychology students took part in a one day conference about prison and ‘Life Behind Bars’
By Ms Hadley, Head of Psychology
The event started with students designing what they believed would be the ideal prison. With the prison population increasing yearly, students were challenged with thought-provoking questions, which helped them consider whether prison is an effective strategy for crime reduction. They then heard individual stories from a range of ex-offenders, who candidly described the crimes they had committed and their experiences within the criminal justice system. Whilst learning about the different jobs that prisoners can have whilst serving their sentence, students were able to dress up in a range of prison clothing. Details of a true-life case were then presented and students had to decide as though they were the jury - murder, manslaughter or self-defence? Guilty or not guilty?
In the afternoon, students relished the unique opportunity to conduct group interviews with each of the speakers, where they learned more about what led to their convictions and the effects of a lifelong stigma, once released from prison.