Module 1: The Carceral State & Educational Justice

The PGP's National Pre-Service Training is oriented around group discussion. The texts below will help you prepare for and get the most out of Day 1, Module 1. Please note that some texts are recommended and some are supplemental. You may use the questions to guide your understanding of the text and do not need to read each piece in its entirety.

1. "The Underlying Causes of Rising Incarceration," Jeremy Travis and Bruce Western (Recommended; 27 pages, read time: 20 minutes)

• What is mass incarceration?

• What are the multiple causes for the rise of incarceration rates during the late 20th century?

2. "Review of Carceral State Studies and Application," Kayla Marie Martensen (Recommended; 11 pages, read time: 20 minutes)

• What is the carceral state?

• What is the relationship between mass incarceration and the carceral state?

• What is carceral capacity?

• What is carceral humanism?

3. “Supporting the Freedom Dreams of Incarcerated Learners and Volunteer Tutors,” Maco L. Faniel (Recommended; 6 pages, read time: 10 minutes)

• How does the PGP approach educational justice?

Want to Learn More?
Supplemental Resources

• "Mass Incarceration, Visualized," The Atlantic (2:33 video)

• Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2022, Prison Policy Initiative

• "The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration," Ta-Nehisi Coates

Return to The Context of Education in Carceral Spaces >>