On Thursday, March 27, criminology students and community members gathered in the Hartung Theatre for a panel on education and destigmatization of incarcerated individuals. The event was hosted by the Prison Education Initiative 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in the Hartung Theatre.
The six panelists from the Idaho Correctional Institution – Orofino were Joey Chavez, Alex Cowan, Anthony Trammel, Sean Carnell, Skyler Cowan and Rob Wilde, introduced by criminology professor Omi Hodwitz. They were accompanied by Warden Terema Carlin and Deputy Warden Kent Shriver.
Over the two-hour discussion, the men shared their stories and experiences with the criminal justice system. The speeches shed light on how they got where they are, as well as how education initiatives have affected them.
“We are more than just the sum of our crimes,” Chavez said in the introduction. “We are fellow Vandals.”
Each of the members mentioned the positive effects and opportunities PEI brings. Through Inside Out, Moscow campus students, primarily from the Department of Culture, Society and Justice, take a weekly three-hour class at ICIO. ICIO members can earn college credits through these classes.
“Higher education has changed my outlook and perspective on life,” Chavez said. “The stigma between incarcerated individuals has changed. We are able to learn just like you. … It makes us more than just what the paper says.”
The panel members each came from a variety of backgrounds and have a variety of goals today.
“Each and every one of these people share a different story, a different path,” Wilde said. “We’re trying to change the way the world looks at prisoners. … We are people and [the staff] look at us as people, and if it wasn’t for them, this wouldn’t be happening. … Ultimately, the lives I want to change the most are the youth.”
Some programs that are most impactful for the residents include mental health and PTSD programs. “It’s become apparent that, as inmates, we need to provide our own recovery,” Trammel said. “There’s these obstacles that are in our way.”
Programs don’t just stop affect those inside. Wilde mentioned his appreciation for the Furgiving Foundation, a dog training program. Participants primarily teach pit bulls in an effort to make the animals more adoptable. ICIO has partnered with a few local animal shelters, including Lewis Clark Animal Shelter in Lewiston.
Wilde is also grateful that the ICIO staff allow residents to create programs such as Furgiving. “The wardens are so open to allowing us to do what we need to do to get it going.”
Carnell is most interested in CONtrast, a video podcast produced entirely by people incarcerated. “We bring on counselors, we have outside community come and talk.” He appreciates the opportunity to develop media skills like editing and sound design.
ICIO is also currently working on a partnership with the Idaho Department of Labor to allow residents to complete trade apprenticeships, creating opportunities for jobs right after release.
Criminology and criminal justice studies are a big part of what PEI offers. Chavez mentioned that the program teaches about the power of restorative justice versus punitive justice. “We know what it’s like to put ourselves away and to live for the community,” he said. “The key in ICIO is restorative justice, and that’s all about community.”
Chavez is studying fitness and health performance and criminology, and his favorite topics have been the Inside Out program and conflict resolution. Skyler Cowen is studying communication, while Alex Cowen and Carnell are studying communication and organizational science. Alex Cowen most enjoyed a recent class on freedom versus security and Carnell’s favorites were communication, Inside Out and statistics.
Wilde is studying business administration through Lewis-Clark State College. Trammel is studying business management. He said that, despite the business management class being the “most boring” in his opinion, the crisis management aspect has tied the most to his own and others’ experiences. “I’m seeing that as probably one of the most beneficial classes I’ve taken,” he said. “Opiates is a crisis.”
“What they’re doing has changed the trajectory of my life,” Trammel said, before ending with a “go Vandals!”
Dakota Steffen can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu.