Phidd, Katrina

Prison University: Higher Education in a Maximum Security State Prison

Katrina is originally from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. She has been organizing around issues of educational inequity and mass incarceration for several years. Since moving to Chicago, she has served as Co-President of Students Against Incarceration, a student organization that fosters an environment for students interested in fighting against issues in the American legal system. In this role, she has lead a #banthebox campaign to remove barriers to higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Major: Sociology

Minor: Geography

Senior, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

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Abstract

The benefits of corrections-based education have been well documented, reducing rates

of recidivism and preparing individuals experiencing incarceration for reentry. While

corrections-based education has social and economic utility for individuals upon release, it also has inherent value. The aim of the present study is to examine the ways in which incarcerated individuals construct meaning through the pursuit of higher education in prison, especially when serving a life, or near life, sentence. This research is situated in an Illinois state prison, relying upon interviews, observations, and document analysis of individuals who have participated in higher education while incarcerated. The ways in which the men construct meaning through participation in educational programming and the social processes occurring will be analyzed.

Thesis Director: Dr. Christina Rivers

Department: Political Science

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Eulalie Laschever

Department: Sociology

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Project Poster

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Presentation