Narrative Report of the Irish Component of the Grundtvig Project “A Sense of Being”
Irish Mobility – Grundtvig
June 6-10 2011
“A Sense of Being”
Participants and context.
Participating in the Grundtvig visit to Ireland were people from different working areas of prison life, including Governors, Deputy Governors, Head Teachers, Prison Officers, psychologists, teachers as well as people who are, or have spent time, in prison. The purpose of the visit was to create the conditions for as truthful a picture as possible of the experience of the learner in prison education and in the post-prison learning environment to be communicated. Much of the visit was centred on dialogue with smaller groups of prisoners, with people involved in the PACE project and with staff. The secondary purpose was to create an opportunity for learning for all parties about the approach to prison and education in the European Union. This was conducted in an unmediated atmosphere of openness and transparency which allowed for the organic development of informal conversations between parties. The visit afforded the opportunity for informal interaction, dialogue and engaged learning to Grundtvig participants, staff in both organisations and to students and trainees on the programmes. This took place through activities, workshops and discussion groups in PACE and by shadowing VEC teachers in Portlaoise Prison, through a cookery workshop and participation in a range of class activities. The third day consisted of a symposium at the National College of Art and Design which was opened by Professor Declan McGonagle and at which there was input from a range of parties: Dr Aislinn O’Donnell (MIC (UL)), Jonathan Cummins (UU), Professor Brian Maguire (NCAD), Mark Kavanagh (VEC), Pat McNamee, MLA, and Eddie Cahill. This day also offered the opportunity to participants to reflect upon NCAD’s programme in education in Portlaoise prison (which closed in Spring 2011), as two of the men had been involved in the NCAD programme. Other perspectives were offered by representatives of the VEC and Mary Immaculate College. It also afforded the opportunity to Jonathan Cummins to present and reflect upon his work with men in the prison as part of the NCAD programme.
Organisations
The Irish component of the Grundtvig mobility was centred on two organisations. The first, PACE, is Ireland’s largest voluntary organisation offering education, training, support and accommodation for a range of participants including prisoners on day release, people who have finished their custodial sentences and community clients who are ex-prisoners. The second, Portlaoise prison, is Ireland’s only high security prison offering a range of educational options through the VEC [Vocational Educational Committee] and other education providers. The Grundtvig team’s presence in Portlaoise and in PACE was made possible through the efforts of Samantha Kennedy, Project Manager in PACE in Santry and Mark Kavanagh, Head Teacher in Portlaoise Prison. The symposium was held in the National College of Art and Design on the final day.
PACE June 7th 2011
Context
The first day was spent in PACE’s project in Priorswood House in Coolock. Aislinn O’Donnell travelled with the Portuguese governors and deputy governors and the Spanish teachers to the project in advance of the main group. Priorswood House is a large detached house which has been converted into administrative offices and two large rooms for non-specified use as well as a large kitchen area. Upstairs are rooms offering high support to trainees whilst also affording them privacy and autonomy as they have their own keys and can choose to decorate the rooms to their taste. To the back of the house are a series of workshop spaces for art and computers and a large garden area dedicated to horticulture, hens and small animal care. There are also spaces for woodwork, for potting and a polytunnel. In this way, a range of activities related to horticulture are developed. Links between the horticulture project and the metalwork and woodwork workshop in the Santry project are well developed. In both projects, access to traditional areas of second level study and vocational education, including literacy, are offered, alongside a strong foundation in craft including wood burning and carving and art. Key workers work on an individual level with the trainees. Between the garden and the main house are small apartments providing support for people in a period of transition from prison until the time at which they have minimal support needs. The aim of the project is to offer holistic provision to the person, including support for specific needs that people may have, such as addiction. A programme has also recently been initiated in PACE providing activities and a forum for interaction to women. Accommodation is for men at present in PACE although women participate in the day programme in both Santry and Coolock. Over time, trainees are given opportunities to skill up and take on responsibilities. Significant autonomy is offered in this respect. As such, the opportunity is given for people to take responsibility for their own learning and their work and to become self-motivating, important capacities to develop in the transition to life in the community and/or employment. There is sensitivity to and awareness of the immeasurable elements that often allow for a shift in someone’s experience, well-being or outlook that extend beyond the more readily measured and prescribed outcomes of programmes. The point was made a number of times in previous mobilities by the Norwegian participants who suggested that ‘moments’, whilst not perhaps leading to immediate and tangible transformation, can allow for the re-orientation of someone’s life. In this respect, the commitment to the holistic development of the human being is clear.
Grundtvig visit to PACE
The first group were welcomed by the project manager, Paul Hughes and Samantha Kennedy. Lisa Cuthbert, the Director of PACE, joined the larger group later. Paul explained the structures of PACE, the profile of people who are taken on to the project and the opportunities for progression and re-integration. A visit to both the high and low support accommodation gave the group a greater understanding of the nature of the project and the commitment to pre- and post-release needs of people who have been in prison. The trajectory of the project’s service delivery indicates the commitment to fostering the capacity for autonomy of people in a way appropriate to their material, educational, social and emotional needs. The visit of the first group to arrive was guided by one of PACE’s trainees. His humour, openness and respectfulness was reciprocated by the group creating an atmosphere of equality and fun. The informal, relaxed and non-hierarchical atmosphere that was cultivated by both staff and trainees allowed for ease of discussion and a dialogue of equals. This in turn helped the Grundtvig participants and the participants from PACE and to build a picture of the approaches to prison and education’s role within it in different countries. Without the good will of both those welcoming the Grundtvig group and the group itself this would have proven impossible. Indeed, the positive spirit and openness of the atmosphere provided as much an opportunity to learn and to encounter others as the information communicated. This resonated with the conclusions of the group in the Valencia mobility that relationships are at the heart of both education and security within the prison system and it showed the importance of relationships and creativity beyond the walls of the prison in wider society.
Cooking
Three of the first group were assigned to help the team in the kitchen to prepare a lunch for approximately sixty people. The Head Chef on this occasion was a trainee in PACE and was also from the Training Unit. He had worked hard over the weekend with another man in the Training Unit to prepare much of the food in advance and was well capable of delegating work to ensure that lunch would be ready on time. He was organised, efficient, good-humoured and encouraging in supporting our Portuguese Governor and Deputy Governors in their new role in the kitchen. They responded to the challenge with equivalent gusto and worked in collaboration with other participants in the PACE project to provide a fantastic lunch. Four PACE trainees worked in the kitchen alongside the Portuguese participants. The purpose of this activity was not simply a practical one – to prepare lunch – but also to provide an opportunity for shared activities and conversations. The day in PACE was centred upon these opportunities for sharing and discourse rather than formalised encounters consisting of questions and answers. It was felt that by creating the conditions for more symmetrical relations it would be more likely that all participants would open up to one another and that trust might be developed. Indeed, a number of people commented on the sense of a shared humanity that emerged. It was testament to the success of this that Grundtvig participants were not able to determine the status of individuals but rather encountered each person as an individual in his or her own right. The main group arrived at about noon and were offered a guided trip of the grounds and house. While this occurred Brian Maguire offered a portrait-painting workshop to a mixed group of twenty trainees, staff and Grundtvig participants.
Painting Workshop
The intention of the portrait painting workshop was to engage each participant in an equal art action which they would critique using an imaginative response. The afternoon discussion in group B built on the engagement and trust established in the morning session. Everyone participated on an equal footing. Good quality acrylic paints and sets of brushes (60) were given out so that each person had a pallet of Red, Blue, Yellow, Black and White on one paper plate, two jars of water, a second plate for mixing and paper towels, together with water-colour paper 135 gm sized A2.
People were paired off sitting opposite each other. There were ten pairs. They were shown an example of using black and white to create tone and another system where the tone was created by the pure colour - the latter being more expressive and they then proceeded to paint one other. All but one did the painting as requested. One man painted a relative as a skull which did not conform to the instructions.
As the works were completed they were posted on to the walls of the room with masking tape. Brian then led a debate in which the group was asked a question of each painting which presupposed that the images consisted of a group of people at a late night bus stop and from which we needed to borrow a bus fare. This simple game allows the group to examine each work without stylistic prejudice and try to find the clues to the personality of the image. The participation by the trainees was at a very high level in this process. They offered some comments on the accuracy of the fictional personalities. The atmosphere was one of humour and engagement.
Discussion Workshops
After lunch, the group was divided into two in order to have a dialogue about education and the prison. In Aislinn O’Donnell’s group [Group A] were two men who are currently completing their sentences alongside representatives from each of the other countries. Brian Maguire’s group [Group B] included the original group who had participated in his art workshop alongside men from the Santry project and a representative selection of Grundtvig visitors. Members from PACE’s staff also participated in each group. In the afternoon in Group B, there were approximately 10 trainees, a similar number of delegates and approx 6 staff. The atmosphere in Group B was serious with conditions of imprisonment being the primary topic. The trainees asked the following questions:
1. What are the conditions for intimate visits? The Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian delegates responded and there was some surprise at the very different provision offered for both intimate visits and family visits in other prisons.
2. What are the methods for dealing with violence? The Romanian delegate responded by describing the change of regime that is imposed following violence by a prisoner. (loss of association and free time, reduced to one hour, through forced removal to a more restrictive system). In his view, this works because of the harshness of the system.
3. What peer support is available to prisoners upon release? In some
countries, supports are in place post-release with a buddy system facilitated by ex-prisoners.
4. How can the issue of drug use and addiction be dealt with creatively and humanely given the significant number of prisoners who have problems with substance abuse? In Spain there is a mixed rehabilitation facility within the grounds of the prison. A needle exchange service is offered by an independent provider, whilst also providing broader community support for drug users, such as consumption rooms, to enable people to engage with services as appropriate for them. Portugal has begun seek to find ways of dealing with drug users, other than criminalization, and there has been a shift in practice whereby people are not imprisoned for sentences of less than a year.
Group A’s discussion centred upon the themes that emerged through descriptions of the different approaches to prison education in the different countries including Ireland. Each participant was afforded the opportunity to introduce him/herself and to give a brief précis of his/her work or experience of learning. The outcome of the discussions is described below.
Primary themes
The primary themes that emerged included the different policies in respect of conjugal rights in different prisons, including the right to ‘conjugal’ visits between male and female prisoners in Spain and Romania. In addition, we learned about a structured scaffolded approach to temporary release in Portugal that began in the second year of a person’s sentence rather than remission and temporary release being concentrated at the end of a sentence. This is part of facilitating the integration and re-socialisation of people in prison. A series of concrete suggestions were made in respect of the needs of life sentenced prisoners, including a peer mentoring system that is initiated upon imprisonment led by life sentenced prisoners who have experience of how to cope with the regime and how to deal with one’s sentence. This issue came up in both groups, although group B focused more on the need for mentoring as the completion of one’s sentence draws close. Initial peer mentoring was seen as important in terms of adaptation, emotional well-being and the practical nature of learning about prison life. Other comments were made about the ways in which different regimes are appropriate for different people and some people may not be ready for move to an open regime so the process of re-integration may take time and involve a series of steps. Another participant who is a trainee suggested continuing to develop individualised plans to cater for the needs and interests of prisoners in particular in respect of re-integration post-release.
A number of different perspectives emerged that mirror the Council of Europe’s commitment to providing a wide array of work and educational opportunities. One man suggested developing apprenticeship models, in particular for long-term prisoners, and building more links with local employers, although he commented that there are now increasing difficulties with health and safety regulation. Ensuring that sufficient places are available for prisoners to engage in workshop activities was a matter of priority.
A considered discussion took place in respect of the forms of learning appropriate for prisoners. Although basic skills and literacy training may be valuable for people when approached through an adult education approach, a number of people, including the two PACE trainees, felt that educational provision needed to match the interests and capacities of prisoners. A number of comments have been made by prisoners that the FETAC system does not necessarily always meet their needs as they felt it can tend to be more assessment and product oriented than centred on the learning experience – although one may produce a folder, one may not have engaged in deep learning and often does not remember because of the product oriented nature of the learning experience. Moreover, prison environments make it difficult to import mainstream models of schooling – prisoners don’t only get sentenced in August in time for the beginning of the school year. Being afforded the opportunity to pursue Leaving Certificate and other certified exams was considered important and could demonstrate commitment and responsibility on the part of the person in prison who might wish to continue to third level such as Open University courses, whilst in prison.
The Spanish Grundtvig participants were surprised to learn from one of the trainees that he would have the opportunity of accessing a grant and fees to attend third level post-release as this provision would not be available in their country although it was explained that any individual who is a mature student or without means is supported by the State in pursuing further education. The Norwegians indicated that there is a national guarantee of assistance post-release to prisoners which is seen as part of the rights of the prisoner. Another point of discussion was the lack of resources for addiction in the prison system in which many prisoners are or become addicted and addiction is a primary motivation for crime. In Picassent Prison in Valencia, a rehabilitation service is available to prisoners, both male and female, whilst serving their sentence. It was felt by a number of people that drug users are not best served by a prison sentence and there may be more creative and supportive ways of dealing with the issues that lead to addiction and to offending behaviour. In Group B, the question of violence in the prison was discussed as this is a problem endemic to any regime and it emerged that different countries had very different responses to violence within the prison. One of the Norwegian participants in Group A commented on the shared nature of the ideals and principles of the Grundtvig participants in respect of education and the prison, although some reservations were expressed about the differing capacities within systems to actualise those ideals.
Another important issue in respect of education concerns the long summer holidays. The men said that the summer months can be a very difficult time for prisoners. This statement was supported by the Governor of Sciacca prison who said that suicides, attempted suicides and violence increase during the period in which no activities are available to prisoners. A range of suggestions were made in respect of this, including changing the nature of VEC contracts so that holidays could be staggered through the year. The Spanish participants said that during the summer months local voluntary organisations come to the prison so that a range of sporting, creative and other activities are provided to prisoners. It was also felt that opportunities ought to be given to teachers within the prison system to spend time teaching outside in order to ‘re-charge’, so to speak, as it was acknowledged that it is a difficult work environment and presents teachers with an array of challenges that are not faced in other educational contexts.
In respect of broadening access, the suggestion was that more creative approaches needed to be developed in respect of education in order to draw in those most resistant to the structure of the institution and the school. This could involve locating and ‘hooking into’ the passion of the person be it for woodwork, or art, or science and working with this subject matter to address a range of other capacities such as literacy. It was felt that maintaining the informality of the engagement with the subject or practice with which the prisoner felt comfortable would provide a positive set of conditions for developing confidence and ability in other areas such as literacy and numeracy. Approaching classes with an adult education ethos, whilst developing a more creative approach to integration in teaching, might improve motivation to address, for example, problems with literacy. Some of the ideas and methodologies suggested were similar to those in critical pedagogy, however, the element of criticality was not exclusive of other elements such as passion for subject that might engage people. Education was also seen as a way of ‘normalising’ life, for example in terms of access to the company of women.
The post-release system evidenced in PACE impressed one of the Spanish participants who felt that although there was a lot of talk about the idea of ‘rehabilitation’, far more needed to be done in respect of post-release work. However, this was questioned by the other Spanish participants. What was clear from this discussion, however, was the importance of meaningful activity, the importance of supportive relationships, authentic forms of education, and of post-release support programmes.
The discussions at PACE raised a number of important issues, particular in the climate of transition in Ireland as public institutions are made more accountable and transparent, in particular in light of institutional abuse in the past. It was felt that it is important for a democracy that all our public institutions are both accountable and can operate autonomously of public opinion and media intrusion. Decisions need to be made in response to the individual case rather than public officials being put under pressure by politicians. It was acknowledged that the case of the prison can be a political football in particular when failures in the case of a singular individual may lead to a reactive response in dealing with the cases of other prisoners rather than judging each prisoner on an individual basis. The issue of unhelpful media intrusion was raised a number of times including the release of information into the public domain. It was felt that public officials need to be given the autonomy to make these decisions in respect of individual prisoners rather than issues around parole and release becoming politicised.
In respect of this, it was felt that it would be helpful to ensure that the system is a humanising one. When prisoners are treated as human beings, and when there is a consistent relationship of trust, many prisoners will respond positively to this, although not all. It is felt that it is not only unfair but damaging to make policies on the basis of the exception. In this respect, a system that attends to the prisoner and the broader set of relationships that are impacted upon by imprisonment is one that would be favoured. There need to be greater efforts to help the public to understand the process of release and the conditions of imprisonment.
Initiatives that could support this could include uncoupling participation in programmes like the Alternatives to Violence programme from parole review boards and the Courts as this would mean that people engage voluntarily rather than feeling that they should for the sake of presentation. This is an issue that traverses activities in the prison, including education, when prisoners engage for the sake of presentation. Ensuring that prisoners have access to independent counsellors and psychologists from outside the prison who do not report to the prison regime was also seen as important as again it allows for a process of self-transformation without undue concern about sanctions or extrinsic incentives to participate. It was noted that prisoners with substance abuse problems have access to counsellors from organisations like Merchants Quay. It is the voluntary nature of commitment to these activities that gives them real value. Tapping into the intrinsic motivation of the prisoners rather than a system of rewards and punishments was seen as being more beneficial, although it was admitted that incentives could be offered to draw people into educational activities, such as extra visits, phone calls and so forth.
The issue of trust arose constantly for both the Grundtvig participants and the prisoners and ex-prisoners. It was a real issue for prisoners on day release, who can feel that there is an inconsistent approach in terms of trust and that even when one shows oneself to be trustworthy this may not be recognised. There were perceived inconsistencies in respect of trust which made it difficult for prisoners to negotiate the transition to life beyond prison because of the desire to avoid sanctions. At times it was felt that more common sense could be applied to policies and procedures, in particular in the period of transition. Lack of trust contributed to the sense of de-humanisation that prisoners identified in themselves after years of incarceration. Whilst there was understanding that there will always be those who fail to meet the demands of the system, the concern was that policies were developed on the basis of the exception and that it was important for decision-makers to resist being risk-averse as trusting someone always involves an element of risk. Rather ordinary gestures could make a significant difference to prisoners’ lives, helping to stem the process of dehumanisation and ‘humanise’ the atmosphere of the prison somewhat. Saying a kind word or saying hello to a prisoner can make a big difference to someone’s day and can slowly shift attitudes over time. It was suggested that prison officers, in particular those in training, should be encouraged to incorporate positive practices into their day as being acknowledged as a human being rather than simply a prisoner can make a significant difference to someone in prison. It was also seen to be important to be given more opportunity to challenge and question without feeling one will be sanctioned if one does so. It could be argued that cultivating this disposition will be more likely to develop the kind of critical citizenry that educational policy makers are keen to promote.
Another point made regarding the complex nature of institutional life in Ireland. It was suggested that there was probably a high correlation between those who were, or whose fathers were, in industrial schools and the rates of imprisonment. The shame experienced as a consequence of abuse led to problems of alcoholism and violence in families and has contributed to a cycle of inter-generational imprisonment in which multiple members of the same family might find themselves in prison. It was felt that understanding the wider context and situation of imprisonment in light of the history of the experience of closed institutions in the State could help in informing policy but also in educating a general public which was perceived as being broadly speaking punitive and vengeful and tempering the sensationalism of the media.
One of the psychologists from Portugal said “It was a very healthy atmosphere in PACE where we could share the artistic space and to see the artistic expression, feel the ease of communication and explore feelings about the art. The afternoon sessions were very productive because of the range of questions asked by people from different countries, the sharing experiences and coming to understand better what are our differences what do we share in common”. One of the Portuguese deputy governors commented on her experience, saying “In PACE I had an extraordinary experience. I got to share rewarding experiences with people. These people have shown me with pleasure the efforts they are doing in order to re-integrate into society. I could see their eyes shining! They showed me feelings because they are human beings! I want to stress the importance of some issues that are key to work in the area of prisons: mutual respect, confidence, serenity, life experience, maturity, healthy interrelationship, belief in change, self-esteem ... These can perform miracles in working with prisoners and make a better world!”.
Portlaoise Prison
Portlaoise prison is a high security prison that houses in separate blocks ordinary prisoners and Republican prisoners. There are three Blocks, C Block which houses ordinary prisoners and the main Education Unit which is only used by prisoners on C Block. E Block which houses Republican political prisoners who are separated into different groups. In this case classes take place on the landings and prisoners do not mix, which requires significant replication of the educational programme. A Block houses prisoners on punishment and two classrooms are available. At any given time, prisoner teachers could be any of the eight separate teaching locations. The average enrolment over 2010-11 was 225 from an average of 270 prisoners. A further 184 prisoners were enrolled in education at some point before being released or transferred. Within a year of release, prisoners who wish to engage in further education or training can be transferred to the Training Unit. This is decided on a case by case basis. Prisoners in PACE on day release were based on the training unit. A range of certified and non-certified courses are offered.
The Head Teacher, Mark Kavanagh, and staff facilitated a smooth entry to the prison. Individual staff members took responsibility for visitors for the morning sessions of education and again for the sessions in the afternoon. Visitors were matched with teachers in accordance with their interests and skills and then shadowed teachers for their classes in the different areas of the prison. This afforded delegates the opportunity to witness the nature of the relationships between the men in prison and the teachers and officers, the approach to education in Portlaoise prison and to experience a variety of encounters with prisoners in small group settings. Education in the prison is provided primarily by the VEC and offers a range of certified and non-certified activities, including Leaving Certificate and Junior Certifcate. Prisoners also have the opportunity for further study at third level through the Open University and other institutions. For example, the National College of Art and Design had run a programme, initiated by Professor Brian Maguire, in the late 1980s which continued until early 2011. Dr Aislinn O’Donnell from Mary Immaculate College (UL) has been offering non-certified classes in philosophy to three groups in the prison since January 2011.
What follows is an indicative picture of some of the interactions that occurred within the prison.
A favourable comment reiterated by a number of participants made concerned the informality of relationships within the prison. Other countries, such as Spain, use more formal modes of address. In addition, the smaller class sizes allowed teachers to come to know the interests as well as the needs of students.
Activities
The Sicilian visitors from the Contessa Entellina project had sent a four course menu to the Home Economics teacher so this provided a focus for one of the workshops in which six Grundtvig participants and the HE teacher prepared and cooked a meal with six prisoners. There was some amazement at the enthusiasm of the young Sicilian men’s burgeoning capacity in the kitchen. Overall, the Grundtvig participants found this a very human and moving experience by the Grundtvig participants. They remarked that they almost forgot that it was a prison as they cooked together. This shared enjoyment around the preparation and eating of food was important in terms of developing a shared activity around which open discussion could take place and more ordinary forms of being-together could be facilitated. These mediating activities, which permitted of participation by delegates, were instrumental in communicating the quality of the educational experience and the nature of the pedagogical relationships within the prison. Two of the Sicilian group actively participated in the music classes. In the music class, as in Portugal, peer learning is encouraged so one of the Grundtvig participants was given a guitar lesson by one of the men. In the morning and in the afternoon music sessions, a series of spontaneous concerts took place with the full participation of the voice of Maurizio. Although, two of the Sicilian participants had never been in a jail before, they too said that they forgot the bars and gates as they sang and played together – a remarkable feat given the overwhelming experience of being in a prison, in particular a high security jail, for the first time. Music classes in the prison are led by the interests of the participants, who also have the opportunity to record their music. As others were drawn into the music class by the impromptu concerts, they spoke with huge enthusiasm about the joyful nature of the experience.
One of the differences remarked upon by Portugal was the lack of opportunity for prisoners to perform their music to wider audiences. In Portugal, they stage a music festival every year between the prisons in which prisoners can mix with one another and showcase their work. This includes prisoners from high security prisons and it is seen as very important for the prisoners to show to the other men what they do in their prisons.
The Norwegian participants praised the singing, commenting on the spirit, emotion and empathy in the room. The men involved in music classes have commented on their desire to master their instrument and indicate that their intrinsic motivation to learn is fundamental. Although certification is available, a prisoner may or may not opt for examination as the primary aim may be to develop their capacities in playing an instrument. This is something that they can then continue to practise within their cells and in their lives after prison.
One Romanian participant had the opportunity to shadow the gym classes and it was explained how the approach to sporting activities differs between the different blocks because of the variance in numbers. C Block allows for more team sports whilst the nature of E block means that men are worked with in smaller groups. The teacher does not simply instruct but is an active participant in the classes.
The two Romanian participants and a Norwegian participant shadowed the woodwork classes. Unlike the model of other prisons that follow a more industrial approach to woodwork and metalwork, the aim of these classes is to develop the apprenticeship model of craft, focusing on process rather than simply on end product. The learning and capacities developed in the apprenticeship to a craft can readily be harnessed in a range of employment contexts but the primary focus is on the development of skilfulness, decision making, responsibility, creativity and initiative on the part of the learner who will often make pieces for loved ones and for their own practical needs, such as shelving or even musical instruments. There are obvious limitations in respect of availability of technology given the high security nature of the prison but again since the focus is on craft rather than solely output this does not obstruct the learning experience. As with the music classes and other classes within the prison, this is in line with the Council of Europe’s principles of adult education as it permits the prisoner autonomy in what is a highly structured environment whilst also allowing them to witness their own progress as they move toward a finished product. As gifts, the pieces made are also a way of renewing and consolidating personal relationships and provide a sense of personal accomplishment. The model is, in this respect, similar to that of PACE, focusing on a wide range of skills and capacities fostered in an educational model premised upon apprenticeship. There is a difference in class size and a number of the Grundtvig participants commented favourably on the informal nature of the interaction and centrality of the learner in the educational process. In other prisons, the approach to education can be more curriculum-centred than learner-centred with larger classes and without a clearly articulated adult education ethos.
However, whilst on the block, the Romanian Governor commented that as he looked out the window he could see men walking in a circle in the yard. He said that since he has allowed prisoners in his jail to go outside when they wish, they no longer walk in circles. The Romanians commented that they do not have the space to provide these kinds of facilities and working environments within their own jails. However, they also remarked that all prisoners in their jails are engaged in activities.
In the morning, a Portuguese deputy governor and Spanish teacher had the opportunity to participate in a yoga class on E Block. The room was carefully prepared by one of the men who laid out the mats in advance of the class. The room also serves as a music room. Before the class began, a spontaneous conversation began and eventually everyone slowly moved to a seated position around the table before beginning the yoga class. The Grundtvig delegates were curious about a number of questions relating to prison life in Ireland and to the status of Republican prisoners. The discussions ranged from the practicalities of phone calls and visits to the existence within the prison, the prevalence of suicide, conjugal visits, and the different nature of regimes. The Portuguese Deputy Governor commented on the similarities between Ireland and Portugal in respect of regimes. What emerged from the discussion was that support from people was vital in terms of the well-being of the person in prison. The Portuguese delegate said how good it was to see yoga in a high security prison as she had not previously imagined it possible to do so. The following are comments from Portuguese participants. One said “Regarding the Portlaoise Prison was an experience I will never forget, first by the conditions of the inmates, but the most important thing was about the good relations between the teachers and the students.” The other wrote, “Practicing yoga in a high security prison in Ireland along with a prisoner was an experience I will never forget in my life. I am eternally grateful to the Irish partners because giving me a moment of reflection about my existence as a human being. Regardless of the condition in which each person was in prison in that room, I felt that we are all so alike in essence as human beings, although we have chosen to walk in different directions in life. It was extraordinary to talk with the prisoner on topics as mundane but have an enormous importance in the life of each of us depending on the condition that each one is. Mutual respect between people created a climate of openness and created ideal conditions for the establishment of inter-relationships. It was magnificent!”. She continues to say of her experience on C Block,
“I also had the opportunity to share with a young prisoner a very rewarding musical activity. The pleasure with which he shared with me his musical experience touched me so much and once again this situation struck me as a human being. I was able to reconfirm that inside someone who committed a crime can exist art in its purest form and that contrasts with the image that society has of the people that committed crimes. Knowing how to do emerge from inside a person something wonderful and positive is an art form that should exist in the prison service worker. Initially the young prisoner was inhibited but as I went on praising and encouraging musical activity I could see he was getting more and more mentally and emotionally available to share with me what he felt he could offer. I feel it is this type of art that should have professionals working in the prison service to take inmates to discover the meaning of life.”
Both delegates emphasised the importance of seeing the human being and not just the ‘prisoner’ and the importance for the man to discover an activity that impassions him inside the prison. The description of the experience of this activity was echoed by other delegates as they commented on the importance of relationships and seeing the prisoner as a whole person as a requisite for learning and as a fundamental dimension of the learning experience.
Eight of the Grundtvig group participated in Aislinn O’Donnell’s philosophy classes. They were welcomed into the first group and quickly engaged in the discussions that ensued about the relationship between thinking, sensibility and the material conditions of existence. This class looks primarily to modern and contemporary European philosophers for guidance in respect of these questions. The classes are primarily discursive with a topic and/or text as the primary discussion point. As the classes proceed men are encouraged to respond in writing to texts, initially in short exercises, and to further develop the philosophical skills of conceptual analysis, argumentation, which involves actively examining a question or problem from a plurality of perspectives, dialogue, an ability to read texts closely, hermeneutical capacities, and to develop a deeper understanding of the rich philosophical traditions that shapes our beliefs, ideas and values. The curriculum, course structure and primary themes are co-negotiated between participants and teacher and an organic flow is built in so that should questions arise in discussion, there is flexibility for those questions to be pursued in further classes. Primary texts are used in the class rather than commentaries and secondary literature. The classes operate on the basis of the principle of dissent and disagreement. Philosophers seek out disagreement in order to broaden their own capacity to think, to view questions from the perspectives of others and to develop an ethos of questioning and contestation that values the input of alternative views. The feedback from the Grundtvig participants was that the group were interested and that the room was energised. This was not expected by the delegates who were surprised at the enthusiasm and the expectation was that even if prisoners on political wings engaged with philosophy that those on C Block would not. It was explained that the participation on C Block has been consistent and includes 7-8 men on a weekly basis.
In the second smaller class, the group was greeted by home made muffins, coffee and tea. The primary theme of the class was cultural identity as four of the participants were from an Albanian village in Sicily and two of the participants were Norwegian. The Grundtvig participants found it a very moving experience and spoke of ‘strong feelings’. Much of the class was spent discussing Albanian culture in Sicily, its relation to the Byzantine Church and the struggle to preserve the culture because one lives in this village – in this respect the sense of belonging comes from where one is from rather than tracing historical bloodlines. They spoke of the role of music in the preservation of culture and sang religious songs in Albanian and Greek that form part of the religious tradition. A discussion of the Irish story and relation to culture and language ensued. At a certain moment, one of the Norwegian participants asked these young men what gave them courage and hope in this situation to which they responded openly and thoughtfully. Sitting around a table, discussing these questions led one participant to say it reminded her of a Norwegian song ‘My thoughts are free’. She said, “I felt that in that room everything was allowed to be thought and to be said and everything was open to question”. This is again part of the ethos of philosophy classes – one has to be open to questioning and to being questioned. There was seen to be an atmosphere of mutual respect between all participants, of listening and “it was not easy to say who was the teacher and who was the student. It was a good discussion and it was important to be part of the experience”. The men described how in their philosophy classes we might begin with a topic of discussion and gravitate around it, circling the themes, and then perhaps later returning to them. Part of the process is simply to open up ideas, texts and questions which can be further explored independently. Both men engage in writing as part of the thinking process. This open and informal approach is welcomed as it is felt that a class focused on certification can detract from the process of learning by focusing on outcomes – a sentiment certainly shared by the teacher in her experience of negotiating students’ fears about assessment in a third level college that can obstruct genuine engagement in the learning process. Creating work and outcomes is then negotiated with students rather than imposed by the teacher.
Brian Maguire provided two painting workshops in C Block and E Block, in Portlaoise, similar to that in PACE, however the numbers were significantly smaller making it difficult to re-create the atmosphere of the workshop. It proceeded in the same manner of the PACE but never reached the engagement and humour of the Pace or indeed the Romanian and Italian workshops. For such workshops to function effectively a minimum of six trainees or prisoners is needed to establish a peer group. If the number is less it is better to operate a tutorial model and base the work on the trainees’ own work. Brian commented that it is difficult if painting is forbidden in the cells and can only be carried out under supervision by a teacher. Brian also carried out an individual tutorial with one long-term prisoner. In the morning, the other art teacher, Alan, engaged in a portrait painting session with one of the Norwegian delegates.
Another observation offered by a Spanish teacher concerned a comment made by one young man in the computer class who said that he was an addict and prior to imprisonment never knew that he could be interested in education. Since then, he felt that teachers saw out as a singular human being. Being seen in this way was central to his own motivation in continuing his learning as previously he had felt that nobody had seen him as a singular person, as an individual. Through the engagement in education, he spoke of discovering that he has indeed skills and the capacity to learn and that he has a future. This has given him enthusiasm engaging him further in his learning.
During the day, the visitors were treated to an Irish version of the Sicilian meal in the officers’ canteen and managed to get in a few rounds of pool before the afternoon sessions. Later they were invited to a local pub where they could continue the conversation with teachers and other prison staff before returning to Dublin.
Shanganagh House Community Group
A smaller group from COFHUR, Sicily had a meeting with
the Community Group that manage Shanganagh House in Rathsallagh,
Shankill. The meeting was facilitated by Denis O'Callaghan CLLR
Dunlaoghaire Rathdown Council. Both groups shared their experience of
working with youth in high unemployment areas. The outcome was that
the best hope for effective policy lay in the City Local Government - the professionals
and the community needed to come together in partnership and work together from their individual independent positions. This is a very different model than
the usual one where social services provide the professionalism
without connecting with the community groups or the city council.
NCAD symposium
The events of the final day took place in the National College of Art and Design. The afternoon session was focused on the material required for the final report. In his introduction, Brian Maguire, drawing from the observation of the man who felt he had been seen as an individual and how the engagement in this relation was foundational for the pedagogical relationship, said that every teacher has to help the student to discover the secret skill that each person has often unbeknownst to himself and herself. In the morning session Jonathan Cummins presented his work through film with prisoners pre- and post-release. Aislinn O’Donnell described the principles and practices in her approach to doing philosophy within the prison environment, and the position articulated by a number of the men that they come because they do not feel that they are being led toward pre-determined outcomes but rather are offered in a context in which they can evaluate different perspectives for themselves.
In the afternoon, three different perspectives on the prison were offered. These were Mark Kavanagh, the Head Teacher at Portlaoise Prison. Alternative perspectives were offered by one man, Pat McNamee MLA, who had been a political prisoner and another man, Eddie Cahill who had been an ‘ordinary’ prisoner in Portlaoise. Eddie also participated in the Grundtvig Mobility visit to Norway. Mark Kavanagh had to leave the session early to return to Portlaoise. His presentation centred on his approach to education and the importance of judgement and trusting oneself in those judgements in terms of what will work well educationally. Trusting one’s staff is also vital if a positive atmosphere is to be developed. This position has been supported in a recent study on further education in the UK that shows more success and a more positive learning experience for students and greater job satisfaction when professionals are given greater autonomy in teaching and feel that they are trusted. Mark added that the educational enterprise involves taking risks and that one should trust one’s intuition as the years of experience in education allows for a deeper understanding of the complex environment of education in the prison. Complex and qualitative modes of evaluation of programmes in terms of learner needs respond with sensitivity to context and learner.
In an age in which the primary focus is on quantitative forms of measurement, Mark spoke of an issue that is gaining increasing attention in educational policy in the wake of a quantitative turn in educational research and policy over the last fifteen years in the US and UK. This issue is the fact that education is an open-ended and unpredictable endeavour. Put simply, one never knows if one is right. This Socratic position that finds a virtue in circumspection and humility does not preclude action, but simply acknowledges the provisionality and need for re-evaluation of programmes and classes on an ongoing basis as one seeks to develop the best approaches in a manner sensitive to specific learning environments – a key issue when we are speaking about the prison which is a very particular learning environment. In such an environment in which there are many people doing many different things in different roles it is vital that an atmosphere of respect is created in which everyone gets along. This is why informal relations are developed and people call each other by their first names as it helps to build and consolidate relationships. Within Portlaoise prison, the experience of the prisoner is different depending on whether or not he is a political prisoner or a social prisoner. In a sense, political prisoners can rely upon collective support and solidarity which social prisoners often lack because each person is sentenced and does his time as an individual.
One of the interesting and complex issues that has been raised by Grundtvig participants, prisoners and again by Mark is that of the post-release engagement with education. This was also raised explicitly by Jonathan, implicitly by Aislinn and both explicitly and implicitly later on by Pat and Eddie. Mark noted that it can be difficult to evaluate one’s programme when one does not have contact with men post-release and cannot gather critical feedback about the role of education in the life of the person. The idea of an educational continuum embedding the prison as an institution within the community is an approach more developed in certain respects by the Norwegian model in which the prisoner is seen as a citizen whilst the Romanian approach to the prison is clear that the prison is part of the local community. The questions that arise in respect of the post-release support for prisoners and relation to educational provision within the prison is one worthy of further exploration.
The second man, Pat, described his first encounters with art in Brian Maguire’s classes in the late 1980s, in particular the idea of expression in art. When the opportunity is given for expression, be it through writing, music or the arts one senses something inside that one did not know existed. It is vital to develop this capacity for expression. A man may discover he can play an instrument yet oftentimes it is only in the prison that a man or woman gets the opportunity to discover his or her own creative capacities. Why does this not happen outside? Both Pat and Eddie spoke of the prison within the wider social and political context. The level of engagement in education by political prisoners was, and remains, very high in Portlaoise prison.
Eddie offered a different perspective describing the alienation experienced by people both inside and outside the prison, in particular because of endemic social inequality in Irish society. This drew into relief the need to figure the prison within the wider social context rather than isolating the institutional context of prisoner and the prison from wider societal forces. It was clear that certain institutions such as the school were symbolic of structures of authority that had been rejected within local communities and that there were men and women who would refuse to engage with any institution that they saw, rightly or wrongly, as part of the regime. The perspective articulated by Eddie showed the need for outside provision of education to meet the needs of all prisoners, in particular those who resist engaging with the school, and the need to understand prison within a wider community, local and national context. The failures outlined by Eddie included the domination of education by people from middle class backgrounds and he expressed a view that they would not educate working class children to take their jobs. In a sense people were being born and bred for social welfare and for low and unskilled jobs. In this respect, in the late 1980s and 1990s when the two men spent time in prison, the mentality on C Block (or its equivalent at the time) and E Block was very different in respect of education and it was difficult to engage people in education when their experiences of it had been often at best poor and at worst abusive. On E Block, political prisoners were very much engaged in education up to the time of the Good Friday Agreement with high participation in NCAD’s programme and a significant number of prisoners pursuing third level degree courses with the OU and with considerable participation in programmes offered through the VEC.
Eddie’s talk followed a different line describing the sense of powerlessness and despair that comes from feeling that one cannot escape one’s situation and that one is educated down to the level of social welfare creates anger, despair and frustration leading to attacks and robberies against those seen, rightly or wrongly, as part of the system. Although one can state one’s dissent as a nationalist at a political level, the sense was that daring to speak against one’s own government is like treason and that people feel forced into accepting their position in life from which they are not allowed to escape. Eddie’s position spoke to those most marginalised in society and least likely to engage with forms of education inside or outside the prison and indicated the need to continue to welcome and develop diverse and creative forms of educational provision that would engage those least likely to participate.
In the course of the discussion, key questions were raised about the role of expression and portraiture in the prison, the question of post-release, the role of trust, autonomy and relationships within the prison, the necessity to understand the prison and prisoners in a wider societal context and the need for diverse forms of educational provision to meet the needs and dispositions of learners. Unlike a lot of current language in educational policy, the emphasis was on qualitative forms of evaluation of programmes, the need to use judgement when developing programmes in significantly different contexts such as a prison environment (which questioned one-size-fits-all models) and the centrality of the learner in this process, the importance of cultivating the critical, expressive and questioning capacities of the person in prison, the importance of providing a variety of vehicles for expression and criticality, the importance of bearing witness to the voice and experience of the prisoner when evaluating educational work and the experience of the prison, the ethical relationship of attention that may be significant in engaging someone in education and a new experience for many learners, and the need for an educational continuum that caters for the whole person pre- and post-release.
Aislinn O’Donnell has consulted with the participants in PACE and with the teachers and the men in prison in Portlaoise when writing this final report. It is hoped that it reflects as accurately as possible the practices and experiences of those visits. At the invitation of the Head Teacher, she also presented a short talk on the report to the teachers in Portlaoise prison.
