Students who have taken Inside-Out courses, from both sides of prison walls, are often profoundly affected by their experiences and desire to continue to engage in dialogue, critical reflection, and activities related to issues of social concern. There are several ways to stay connected:
- Participate in one of the nearly two dozen Inside-Out think tanks around the world (or work with an instructor to create your own). Think tanks are composed of Inside-Out instructors and course alumni who meet regularly inside a jail or prison to work on and carry out their own locally-informed projects. Think tank membership space is limited and participation is determined by individual think tanks. To learn more about think tanks, click here.
- Over the years, there have been clusters of Inside-Out course alumni who have met periodically to develop local projects and programs in their respective communities. They have organized public workshops on topics such as race, gender, and the school-to-prison pipeline. In one locale, alumni organized a book club for at-risk youth. Although the Inside-Out Center does not formally organize alumni activities, former participants of Inside-Out classes are invited to submit their contact information via our Alumni Google Form.
- Inside-Out alumni are among the strongest supporters of the program. To find out how to contribute financially, visit our supporter page.
“What a motley crew we made in that little program room at [the prison]. I often think about the incredible dynamic of our group and wonder what we must look like to the people outside that room. People of different colors, sexes, ages, education levels, social classes and opinions in a circle, laughing, talking, arguing and respecting each other for hours at a time. It has to make it difficult for anyone who watches to hold on to the status quo. The status quo says that doesn’t happen. It says that people are different and that some things are never going to change. For two and a half hours every Thursday this semester, we proved that untrue.”
“[This class] has acted as the catalyst in my passion for life and human rights, and was the pivotal point where I realigned my own path. This program has brought me to a new understanding of life, not just in prison, but in my own life. I have acquired the concrete knowledge of the true inter-workings of the system, and at the same time come to realize my own captors in life. I have heard the stories, felt the smiles, and seen the tears of women who have been to hell and back and with them I have found a voice.”