A school visit to a prison can be a powerful learning experience for students. During our class trip to a local correctional facility, we saw firsthand how strict and controlled life inside is. Before entering, safety measures were carefully enforced. As one teacher, Katja Pieragostini explained, “—it was making sure that the students couldn’t be wearing any metal… that could be used as a shank or sold in the prison system.” The visit itself was organized through Garner Correctional Institute, a program that, as the same teacher, Pieragostini noted, “—they planned and designed the tour—based on their program.”
One of the most impactful parts of the trip was hearing about inmates’ lives and backgrounds. This occurred in bulk at the end of the visit, with a handful of inmates being taken in to speak with the students and to share their life experiences. Reflecting on this, a student named Hailey Vasquez, having attended the school trip, shared, “A lot of them, basically none of them (inmates) had a father figure.” This insight gave many of us a deeper understanding of the challenges some individuals face before ending up in prison. The insight also reflects on the belief held by many people in and out or associated with the incarceration system.
Overall, the visit helped students think more seriously about their choices and the factors that can influence a person’s path in life. It also set the stage for more complex discussions in classrooms about decision-making during adolescence and young adulthood.
