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Inside-Out Prison Exchange

The Inside-Out Prison Exchange brings 15 people incarcerated at the Columbia River Correctional Institution and 15 undergraduate students together in courses taught by Lewis & Clark College faculty.

Inside-Out courses have been a part of Lewis & Clark’s undergraduate offerings since 2012, after Associate Professor of History Reiko Hillyer received training from the nationwide Inside-Out Prison Exchange program in 2011. Thanks to a grant from the Mellon Foundation, the program has expanded to include five more faculty members who are trained to offer courses, with one course available per semester. The Inside-Out program advocates for a critical reexamination of the criminal justice system and encourages students to educate themselves about America’s booming prison population and the actions that they can take to combat its expansion. Whatever the topic or discipline, the integration of incarcerated and free students creates a space for diverse perspectives, the shattering of stereotypes, and the possibilities of human connection across boundaries. For both students and faculty, the experience is powerful and transformative. “None of us will ever look at the world the same way,” one student said.

Curriculum

Crime and Punishment in U.S. History, taught by Reiko Hillyer, associate professor of history
Cry of Freedom: Reflections in World Literature of the Longing to Be Free, taught by Molly Robinson, associate professor of French
Performance From the Inside/Out, taught by Rebecca Lingafelter, associate professor of theatre
Portraiture Expanded, taught by Dru Donovan, assistant professor of art with term
Poetry 1, taught by Jerry Harp, associate professor with term of the humanities
Testimonio: Literature Justice in the Americas, taught by Magalí Rabasa, associate professor of Hispanic studies

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“This class has been a beautiful lesson in community care. Even in a prison, we have each individually and collectively shown what we can do when we honor each other with love and intention and respect. I can never replace the experience I have had the last three months, and I wouldn’t want to. I want to build the world we deserve with the people I met in Columbia River Correctional Institution.”

–Alicia BA ’23, outside student
“One of the things that gets taken from you when you go to prison is your voice. Taking this class, I’ve gotten to experience kindness and respect in ways that make me feel human again. We learn a lot from each other.”

–Ben, inside student and teaching assistant, 2019
“Hope holds eternal, and we as a class embody that statement well. Inside student, outside student, it makes no difference. This class has shown the potential of humanity and goodness that can come from simple dialogue.”

–Justin, inside student and teaching assistant, 2023
“This course not only provided me with an in-depth critical analysis of the U.S. penal system and its history but it changed me as an individual. It made me confront my own biases and, more importantly, it demonstrated the importance of being vulnerable with others in order to achieve a mutual understanding.”

–Hanadi BA ’23, outside student
“This has been, hands down, the best experience of my time at Lewis & Clark. The class is a uniquely powerful, experiential way to learn about the history of the justice system in this country.”

–Peter BA ’19, outside student

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Interning at Inside-Out: Six Questions for Molly Gibbons

With funding from the Mellon Foundation, LC student Molly Gibbons completed the inaugural Inside-Out Internship over Summer and Fall of 2022. Molly is a History major and Hispanic Studies minor from Missoula MT who plans to graduate in Spring ’24.

“This internship was one of the most informative and valuable work and educational experiences I have had,” she said. Read on to find out why.

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Faculty book release: “A Wall Is Just A Wall: The Permeability of the Prison in 20th Century America” by Reiko Hillyer

Please join us in congratulating Professor of History and Department Chair Reiko Hillyer on the upcoming publication of her latest book, A Wall is Just a Wall: The Permeability of the Prison in 20th Century America (Duke University Press, February 16, 2024). Influenced by her work teaching in the Inside-Out program, Hillyer traces the decline of practices that used to connect incarcerated people more regularly to the free world.

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Spring ’24 Prison Exchange Class Performance from the Inside-Out

This is a 200-level Theatre class held at Columbia River Correctional Institute exploring the techniques and applications of autobiography to performance. It is an integrated class of 15 undergraduates and 15 incarcerated students who will learn together as peers.

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I Think of You performance at Portland Center Stage.

Inside-Out Prison Exchange Piece Performed at Portland Center Stage

Professional actors, in collaboration with faculty and students from Lewis & Clark, presented I Think of You, a variation on the final theatre project of students in the spring Inside-out Prison Exchange course.

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I Think of You: Illuminating Mass Incarceration from the Inside Out

I Think of You was created in collaboration with students from Lewis & Clark College and Columbia River Correctional Institution. It was developed in the History: Crime and Punishment in the United States, an Inside-Out course taught by Dr. Reiko Hillyer.

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L&C students and CRCI Adults in Custody stand in a circle and stack their hands together.

The History of Incarceration Turned Inside-Out

In late April, 15 students from Lewis & Clark and 15 students from the Columbia River Correctional Institution performed an original theatre piece as the culmination of their Inside-Out history course, Crime and Punishment in the United States.

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Molly Robinson, Associate Professor of French

Cry of Freedom: New Inside-Out Prison Exchange Course

Prof. Molly Robinson will be teaching a new course this Fall at Columbia River Correctional Institution as part of the Lewis & Clark College Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program.

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From the Inside-Out: 5 Questions for Molly Robinson

In Summer 2022, Molly Robinson, associate professor of French, completed Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program’s Instructor Training thanks to a faculty grant from the Mellon Foundation and the Center for Community and Global Health.

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VIDEO A Celebration of Voices: Inspiring Stories from the Inside-Out

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VIDEO: How the Humanities Can Save Humanity

In celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month (#NAHM), Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation, moderated a wide-ranging discussion with artists Mel Chin and Allison Janae Hamilton and writer-photographer Emily Raboteau about how the humanities are tackling the interconnected challenges of climate change, public health, and racial injustice, among other pressing social justice issues.

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VIDEO: Social Change through Transformative Education

Meet Lori Pompa, Founder and Executive Director or the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. Find out how L&C is expanding our presence at Columbia River Correctional Institute and get involved.

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VIDEO: The Flows Between Education and Incarceration

The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the pattern of pushing students out of educational institutions into criminal legal systems. This panel examined the school-to-prison pipeline’s disproportionate effect on BIPOC students and explored efforts to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. Hosted at the 17th Annual Ray Warren Symposium on Race and Ethnic Studies.

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