Nearly 70 students across multiple Penn State campuses, 包括阿宾顿, 白兰地酒, 巨大的山谷, 利哈伊谷 and Schuylkill, joined together for a series of events about mass incarceration in the United States.
宾州中央谷. — Nearly 70 domestic and international students across multiple Penn State campuses, 包括阿宾顿, 白兰地酒, 巨大的山谷, 利哈伊谷 and Schuylkill, joined together for a series of events about mass incarceration in the United States, including a visit to Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.
“Bringing domestic and international students from Penn State’s campuses is vital in building connections across campuses and cultures,瑞恩·盖格说, Penn State’s global engagement coordinator, who worked with three faculty members in rehabilitation, arts administration and sociology at the 利哈伊谷 campus to orchestrate the series.
The series provided an opportunity to engage in difficult, 然而,至关重要的, conversations around the issue of mass incarceration while visiting a landmark institution in a major metropolitan city, 盖格说.
“Increasing students’ awareness equips them to participate in further dialogue that can result in solutions to challenging global issues,盖革说。.
The series was inspired by Andjela Kaur, Penn State 利哈伊谷 assistant teaching professor of rehabilitation and human services. Her aim was to give her students opportunities for real-world exposure to global historical systems and perspectives on mass incarceration, and especially how mental health and rehabilitation have been dealt with in prisons.
“Penn State Global made it possible to turn my academic ideas into programmable action,” said Kaur.
第一场活动将于2月11日举行. 28, took place at the 利哈伊谷 campus with a lecture by Sean Kelley, executive director of Eastern State Penitentiary. Kelley enlightened the Penn State group on the penitentiary’s pivotal place in history and the sociopolitical evolution of mass incarceration in the United States. He also spoke about his vision for the museum, including encouraging people to think freely and reflect on common sense and humane criminal justice reforms.
Students met at the 白兰地酒 campus for a lecture by Judge Stephanie Sawyer from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
第二件事, 4月1日, was a breakfast meeting at the 白兰地酒 campus with a lecture by Judge Stephanie Sawyer, from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Sawyer spoke about the Sentencing Foundation, an organization she founded that focuses on sentencing reform.
“Judges can be advocates for social justice,”她说。, “by focusing on education and skills training rather than lengthy prison sentences.”
She also talked about college internship opportunities with the Sentencing Foundation, while shining a light on the outstanding work being done by a current intern, 茱莉亚Nagielska, an international student from Poland who attends 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校.
The visit to Eastern State Penitentiary was the third and final event, which took place on the afternoon 4月1日. Students participated in thematic tours led by guides from the prison’s education department. These themed tours allowed participants to look at different elements of incarcerated life, including mental health and disability, 艺术与种族不平等.
