"We challenge the way crime and correctional problems are traditionally represented
and discussed by researchers, policymakers, and politicians."
The "New School" of Criminology
CONVICT CRIMINOLOGY
Convict Criminology College Courses Convict Criminology is now being taught in
universities and prisons. The “convict criminology perspective” may be used as part or all of
a course. Selected works of the group may be used to teach an entire course. The perspective
is especially well suited for undergraduate or graduate programs doing research on prison,
community re-entry, or placing student interns in correctional facilities or parole service
agencies. Intellectually, the reading introduces the prisoner view-point as preparation for
students who might be interested in careers in corrections.
Free college level courses entitled “Convict Criminology” or “Inviting Convicts to College” are
being taught by undergraduate student teachers inside a number of medium and maximum-security
prisons (Rose et al, 2005; Richards et al, 2006; Richards and Ross, 2007). The courses are free
as there is no reassignment of faculty. Instead, all the classes are taught by pairs of
undergraduate criminal justice students. The university students receive internship credits and
learn to teach, writing their course syllabi, giving lectures, exams, and grading their own class
of prisoner-students. Meanwhile, the faculty supervise student intern teachers at multiple prison
sites.
The book Convict Criminology is used to inspire prisoners. The convict students read the
autobiographical stories of prisoners becoming criminology professors. The book demonstrates how
prisoners can use their time in prison to prepare for college, by reading serious books and
planning a new future. The courses serve as a bridge for prisoners to exit prison and enter
college. In the final weeks of the course the student teachers help prisoners complete college
admission and financial aid forms.
The new model includes a number of innovative ideas. The classes are free, because undergraduate
or graduate students can teach them. University departments that include student internship
programs may find our model an attractive idea for placing students as classroom instructors in
prison. Deploying students in this fashion means universities do not incur the expense of
reassigning faculty to teach the courses. The faculty members, in turn, are free to supervise a
number of internships, including multiple placements of student interns in different prisons.
The model can spread and be employed easily at no expense in many prisons across the country
(Rose, et al, 2005). To watch an introduction to "Inviting Convicts to College" start the viewer below.
