Conference: Peace, Prisons, and Compassion

Katie D.

May 23, 2011 - 3:37 PM

Last weekend I attended a conference entitled "Peace, Prisons, and Compassion." It was hosted by the UNESCO Chair in Transcultural Studies, Interreligious Dialogue, and Peace. This effort is part of the Compassionate Action Network, and brought together members of the initiatives working for more compassionate and effective incarceration policies in the Northwest.

In case you're wondering why "peace" and "compassion" belong in the same title as "peace," here's an introduction from the letter welcoming us to the conference:

"The Global Peace Index ranks countries around the world according to how much each is deemed to contribute to world peace. The USA ranks very low, and this dismal showing is the direct result of the USA's incarceration rate, which is the highest in the world. American has only 5% of the world's population and 25% of the world's prison population. Thus, the scandalously high incarceration rate is a peace issue." --Steven Shankman

This meeting took place outside of Mount Vernon, Washington, and brought together some of the most creative thinkers for compassionate prison change in the Northwest. As someone who works in education in prison, it can be easy to become discouraged, and feel that you are fighting a losing battle against a massive bureaucracy that will not change in your lifetime. Yet, I met staff and administration from Cedar Creek Corrections Center, who are committed to the idea that changing prison policies will keep the country safer and better serve to rehabilitate the incarcerated population. I met members of the Sustainable Prisons Project, who are working to bring sciences into prisons through seminars and other creative projects, such as training inmates to raise endangered species of grasses, butterflies, and frogs.

The weekend also featured a display of beautiful crocheted and other artwork from the "Crocheting 4 Community" program from the Oregon State Correctional Institute. Through this project, a group of men at OSCI meet three nights a week to crochet, and produce beautiful hats, scarves, blankets, and artwork to donate to charities on the outside. They contribute to local daycare centers, hospitals, and disaster-relief organizations. Their projects were completely beautiful, and challenged some of the ideas of what projects might interest some hardened criminals. Quite the juxtaposition.

The weekend involved presentations, discussions, art, workshops, and efforts to organize and act as a group to support each other in our efforts, and to improve incarceration practices generally.

I was inspired by this conference. I believe intensely in the importance of education in prisons, and my conviction is backed up by research indicating that programs like Inside-Out not only reduce re-incarceration rates, but they also change the culture within prisons to reduce violence and rule-breaking. Through the weekend, I heard from stakeholders in the prison system who are calling for transformation, and stating their need through both a place of statistical grounding in efficiency and public safety, as well as from a human stance of compassion and empathy.

I am so grateful to have been a part of this conference, and to be a member of this community. Whether it's crochet, science, re-entry programming, or college classes inside we are not alone in what we are doing to improve the lives of those incarcerated in Northwest prisons. I hope we can continue to work together over the next three years of conferences and programs related to prisons and peace to effect some real change in our communities and our world.