‘Redeem Your Past’: Teaching Challenges and Hopes Behind Bar
Abstract
Prison is often perceived negatively due to its purposes such as retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation for people who are legally held for a crime they have committed. However, the prison institutions are serving a larger-than-life mission to transform the inmates’ life which includes correctional education. This study investigated the challenges faced by teachers in prison schools. Utilizing a qualitative research design, this case study involved seven teachers from the prison Integrity School for young inmates. The interview data were analyzed based on Braun and Clarke’s thematic framework. Findings showed teaching challenges such as pedagogy, teaching and learning materials, policy and opportunities. Another emerging theme points to the hopes harbored to further improve educational attainment in prison. This has led to several suggestions such as (1) modules and skills-based course development to focus on young inmates serving short prison terms (minimum of 3 months); and (2) fluid and organic pedagogical approaches. Drawing upon Nelson Mandela’s famous quote, ‘education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world’, this study is addressing more insights to add value to the young inmates’ educational opportunities in prison school. Serving time in prison does not deter the inmates from pursuing their education because they deserve a second chance to reclaim their life post-prison term.
Downloads
References
Abdullah, Y. (2001). Konsep penjara islam: Tinjauan aktiviti institusi penjara dan pengalaman para banduan di Penjara Malaysia. Jurnal Syariah, 9(1), 117-140.
Altschuler, D. M. & Brash, R. (2004). Adolescent and teenage offenders confronting the challenges and opportunities of reentry. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 2(1), 72-87.
Amos, F. V. & Khairani, M. Z. (2019). Seni sebagai terapi banduan melalui program kreatif seni di penjara malaysia. KUPAS SENI, 7, 105-113.
Asmawati, S., Fathiyah, F., Lukman, Abdul, M. & Abd. Muhsin, A. (2018). Amalan pengajaran guru pendidikan islam dalam menerapkan nilai akhlak murid dasar, objektif dan halatuju pendidikan di Jabatan Penjara Malaysia. banduan muda: Satu tinjauan awal. International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counseling, 3(9), 17-29.
Chung, H., Schubert, C. & Mulvey, E. (2007). An empirical portrait of community reentry among serious juvenile offenders in two metropolitan cities. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34 (11), 1402 - 1426.
Coates, S. (2016). Unlocking potential: A review of education in prison. Ministry of Justice: United Kingdom
Creswell, J. W. & Clark, V. L. P. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Darussalam, B. (2014). Pendidikan juvana di Jabatan Penjara Malaysia: Dasar, hala tuju, pelaksanaan dan cabaran. Jurnal Hadhari, 6(1), 87 - 104.
Davis, L. M., Bozick, R., Steele, J. L., Saunders, J. & Miles, J. N. V. (2013). Evaluating the effectiveness of correctional education: A meta-analysis of programs that provide education to incarcerated adults. The Bureau of Justice Assistance. Rand Corporation.
Hasnizam, H., Norman, Z. C. J. & Rajamanickam, R. (2018). Program pemulihan di dalam penjara bagi pesalah jenayah: Kajian di Jabatan Penjara Malaysia. Journal of Law and Society (Special Issue), 72 – 85.
Intan, N. H. Z., Azlinda, A., Masarah, M. Y., Farhana, K. B. & Maslina, M. S. (2018). The needs deficit of pre-release juvenile offenders to be re-integrated into the educational system. International Journal of Asian Social Science, 8(8), 614 – 621.
Jabatan Penjara Malaysia (2009). Pekeliling sektor pendidikan Jabatan Penjara Malaysia. dasar, objektif dan halatuju pendidikan di Jabatan Penjara Malaysia. Penerbitan Jabatan Penjara Malaysia.
Jabatan Penjara Malaysia (2020). Sekolah Integriti Jabatan Penjara Malaysia. Jabatan Penjara Malaysia. https://www.prison.gov.my/en/profil-kami/profil-institusi/sekolah-integriti
Jasni, M. A., Abu Bakar, S. H. & Che Mohd Nasir, N. (2021). Tough life after prison: An analysis of 19 former prisoners in Malaysia. Journal of Community Development Research (Humanities and Social Sciences), 14(1), 24 – 36.
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (2022). Senarai Sekolah Henry Gurney dan Sekolah Integriti. https://www.moe.gov.my/pendidikan/khas/sekolah-integriti-dan-sekolah-henry-gurney/senarai-sekolah
Klehr, D. G. (2009). Addressing the unintended consequences of no child left behind and zero tolerance: Better strategies for safe schools and successful students. Georgetown Journal on Poverty, Law, & Policy, 16 (Symposium issue), 585–610.
Lochner, L. & Moretti, E. (2004). The effect of education on crime: Evidence from prison inmates, arrests, and self-reports. http://www.econ.ucla.edu/moretti/papers.html.
Malaysian Prison Department (n.d.). www.prison.gov.my.
Mazzotti, V. & Higgins, K. (2006). Public schools and the juvenile justice system: Facilitating relationships. Intervention in School and Clinic, 41(5), 295-301.
Mohd Taufik, A. & Suhaila, Z. (2021). Arabic language learning among juvenile at Sekolah Agama (JAIM) Henry Gurney, Telok Mas, Melaka: Pembelajaran bahasa arab dalam kalangan pesalah juvana di Sekolah Agama (JAIM) Henry Gurney, Telok Mas, Melaka. Jurnal Islam Dan Masyarakat Kontemporari, 22(1), 36-52. https://doi.org/10.37231/jimk.2021.22.1.537
Muzium Penjara (2014). Jabatan Penjara Malaysia, Sejarah penubuhan Sekolah Henry Gurney. Penerbitan Muzium Penjara Malaysia.
Parkinson, J. G. (2017). Teaching creatively in prison education: An autoethnography of the ground (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation). University of Manchester.
Rafedzi, E. R. K. & Abrizah, A. (2016). Information needs of male juvenile delinquents: The needs to be met in a prison setting. SAGE Journal, 32(3), 592 - 607.
Reuss, A. M. (1997). Higher education and personal change in prisoners (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation). The University of Leeds.
Rosfizah, M. T. (2018). The institutional experience and lessons learned by young offenders in a Malaysian prison. International Journal of Business, Economics and Law, 17(2), 43-50.
Rosmilawati, I., Suherman & Darmawan, D. (2020). The benefits of prison education: Inmate students’ self-reflection. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 443, 592-595.
Schoch, K. (2019). Case study research. In G.J. Burkholder, K.A. Cox, L.M. Crawford & J.H. Hitchcock (Eds.). Research Design and Methods: An Applied Guide for the Scholar-Practitioner (pp. 245-257), SAGE Publications Inc.
Scholarworks, S., & Payton, D. (2021). Educators’ perspectives regarding the influence of prison educators’ perspectives regarding the influence of prison education programs on recidivism education programs on recidivism. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations
Siti Alwaliyah, M. & Ahmad Kamal, A. M. R. (2019). Penjara Pulau Pinang: Isu-isu dalam perkembangan pendidikan penjara, 1941-1957. Journal of Global Business and Social Entrepreneurship, 5(14), 93-112.
Sharifah Norshah, B. S. B. & Mohd Yakub, Z. H. M. Y. (2008). Perubahan personaliti kesan uslub tabshirdan indhar: Kajian kes di Sekolah Henry Gurney (SHG). Jurnal Usuluddin, 27, 41-59.
Steurer, S.J. (2020). How to unlock the power of prison education. Educational Testing Service.
UNESCO (2000). World education forum. Education for all global monitoring report. Dakar Senegal.
Vacca, J. S. (2004). Educated prisoners are less likely to return to prison. Journal of Correctional Education, 55(4), 297–305. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23292095
Winterfield, L., Coggeshall, M., Burke-Storer, M., Correa, V. & Tidd, S. (2009). The effects of postsecondary correctional education: Final report. The Urban Institute: Justice Policy Center.
Yin, R.K. (2018). Case study research: Designs and methods (6th edition). Sage.
