A Country Called Prison: Intergenerational Letter Writing

Syllabus Proposal for dual enrollment class at Skyline High School, the College of Alameda, Central California Women’s Facility and California Coalition for Women Prisoners.

Teachers: Ms. Awele Makeba (Skyline), Professor Wanda Sabir (COA & CCWP), Ms. Natalie Demola (CCWF)

Start date: January 2017-June 2017

Critical Thinking, English 5/211, 3 semester units, about 6000 written words, develops the ability to analyze, critique, and advocate ideas. Critical thinking looks at the relationship between language and logic, introduces rhetoric or persuasive writing and tools students can use to evaluate information based on facts, perceptions, assumptions, evidence, reasons, inferences, judgments, induction, deduction and conclusions. Vocabulary is introduced so that students have the proper tools to discuss faulty thinking or flaws in the reasoning process and name the more common fallacies.

This level composition assumes competency in prose writing and reading ability so that more attention can be devoted to ideas rather than to grammar and mechanics. Students who will most likely succeed in this course passed English 1A with a “B” or better.

English 211 does not have the English 1A prerequisite which is why we will use it to run the Independent Study Course: “A Country Called Prison: An Intergenerational Critical Response.” Each one (1) unit will require three (3) hours of work, which includes instruction and homework. 3 units is 9 semester hours study per week of coursework.

This course examines the role of language and semantics in critical thinking, social communications and propaganda. Students will also look at the fundamentals of problem solving, including considering and evaluating alternative solutions and perspectives. The course which will use letters from women prisoners and students as the basis for analysis, along with critical readings on the topic will culminate in a critical documented research essay (6-10 pages) discussing the project, pedagogic process, as well as a performative element where students will write scenes and skits for public performance.

In this course we will use the epistle form to explore, write and analyze: Definition, Aristotelian, Rogerian, and Toulmin models of argument. We will cover deductive and inductive reasoning along with logical fallacies. Given our topic: Women Convicted as Children, now serving Life without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP), students will be encouraged to investigate and debunk prevailing misconceptions surrounding imprisonment, especially imprisonment of girls (children), children serving life without the possibility of parole, rehabilitation, slavery, crime reduction and safe communities and interrogate the widespread acceptance of this propaganda.

Discussion and written topics will come from the student/prisoner correspondence, three texts, films, current event topics, fieldtrips, and historical issues with current relevance. Some of the work will be assigned as homework given the short meeting time in class (30-45 minutes per week).

What is unique about the project is that all the women were convicted as teens and are now serving Life without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP). The new legislation is helping some of the women get another mandatory parole hearing; however, not all women qualify. Natalie Demola, the teacher at CCWF, is one such woman.

The final essay will include minimally 2-3 scholarly articles on the topic and a works cited and bibliography page(s) which is not counted as part of the 6-10 pages. Assignments are typed (when possible). When the assignment is not typed, please write double spaced or every other line and number pages. The typed essays use academic headings and a header (top left side of page).  See Purdue OWL: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/13/

Student Name
Professor Sabir
Independent Study Course: Critical Correspondence
Day Month Year
Assignment

The header (top left side of page) is the student’s last name and the page number. It is created through the MS Word Insert taskbar.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Apply tools of understand inferences to community, workplace and family situations.

Evaluate materials/data in terms of accuracy as well as relevance to home and workplace situations.

Identify logical fallacies in communication.

Conduct research identifying relevant and accurate materials from a variety of sources, including databases, professional publications, and other applicable materials.

Identify personal bias and other filters in order to evaluate community, family and professional materials objectively. 

Texts:
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Burning down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison by Nell Bernstein
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated by Nell Bernstein (optional)

Suggested Prompts for Letter Writing (8 weeks):[1]

• I Am From – Poem • Purpose – What I hope to do with my life…
• Why I’m here? (school / prison)
• What’s gone wrong in my life? (struggles, hardships, secrets, harm, crime,…)
• I take responsibility for…
• I need help with…
• Advice I want to give to parents…
• What is love?
• Who loves you and has your back?
• Who did you leave behind? Who’s missing you? (women)
• Who do you need to leave behind/that’s holding you back? (students)
• What do you need to find your best possible self?

Goal: College Credit: 3 Units Independent Study
A passing grade would be based on, Students/Participants:

1. Correspondence eight (8) letters minimally.

2. Develop or write one (1) scene or monologue, collaborate with another student(s) on another scene or monologue as tech or performer, participate in the production as an actor.

3. Participate in performances (3): College of Alameda, community venue (TBA), prison*

4. Final: Reflective research essay (6-10 pages) on the project. Due after the first performance, before the last performance and/or visit to Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF).

5. Read 1 book: The New Jim Crow; Burning down the House; All Alone in the World; Just Mercy; watch 1 film, Read three (3) articles; Annotate one article (4+ pages) on the topic (incarcerated girls; life imprisonment for youth; rehabilitation).

For the Adults in Prison the requirements are similar. For college credit we need a sponsor to pay for unit credit and for books.  We have sent a set of the books to CCWF for the women to share, but more copies are needed (at least 5-6 copies of the four titles.) We also sent copies of the articles to the women to share. 

*The performance is based on institutional requirements. Ms. Natalie DeMola is the liaison between COA, Skyline and the prison officials.

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[1] We would like letters going out weekly. It can take up to two weeks for the letters from outside to get into the prison.