Students visit correctional institution

By Victoria Cruz 

Contributor 

Students of the sociology department recently visited York Correctional Institution with the Fredrick Douglas Project. Students spent the first half of the visit touring the facilities including the dorms and commissary. 

The second half of the day students each spoke with one or two incarcerated women. Led by Venezia Michalsen, a professor of sociology and criminology, the trip gave the students the rare opportunity to directly engage with the realities of incarceration.  

“This was unique because we got to see parts of the facility you don’t usually get to see,” Michalsen said. 

Kristina Cooper, a senior psychology major described the trip as “an incredible opportunity” that she is grateful to have been part of. 

“The experience was profoundly eye-opening and transformative. It provided invaluable insight into the realities of incarceration and the power of human connection,” Cooper said. “It was a life-changing experience that deepened my understanding of rehabilitation and justice and I greatly appreciated the chance to have been involved in such an extraordinary project.” 

 Sociology major Karina Ayanna, a junior, shared a similar sentiment. 

“Overall, it was truly a life-changing experience,” Ayanna said. “It was inspiring to see such ingenuity and ambition in the women there.” 

Ayanna also said the experience fostered a sense of empathy and connection for those behind bars.  

“There is nothing further from the truth than the fact that they genuinely are people just like us—they are our neighbors and our community. It could’ve been either one of us on the other side of the table,” Ayanna said. “We laughed together more than anything, with the conversation flowing so naturally as if we were at brunch.” 

It is easy to think of inmates as the worst of us, but it is not always the case. 

Students have seen a lot of media surrounding prisons and it is important for future criminology and sociology students to see it for themselves and make their own judgments. 

Prison shows up in our media constantly and it is not always accurate. Michalsen stressed the importance of experiential learning for college students.  

“You really should supplement your classroom learning with direct experiences with the people who are experiencing what we are learning about,” Michalsen said. “Reading and consuming media is one thing, but experiencing it is different.” 

The sociology department plans to host these trips multiple times a semester. 

Michalsen believes these experiences to be crucial in the education process of incoming sociology and criminology majors.  

“There is nothing like having a conversation with someone who’s in a different life circumstance than you are,” Michalsen said. 

Any student interested in attending a future trip is encouraged to reach out to professor Michalsen directly. 

Whether you arestudying sociology, criminology or simply want to broaden your perspective, the opportunity is open to all.  

“Criminology is here,” Michalsen said. “We have opportunities at SCSU and we are working towards maximizing our ability to give students experiences in the community.”