Accepting the Terms and Conditions: An Evaluation of a Parole-Based Experiential Assignment
Abstract
Degrees relating to criminal justice issues are growing in popularity as more students seek to understand the cultural, societal, personal, and situational precursors and solutions to criminal behaviour. As experiential learning is a natural extension to the criminal justice field given its applied nature and focus on understanding complex societal problems, many instructors are keen to adopt these practices to enhance student experience and understanding. However, concerns about student safety, respect for justice-involved persons, and resource limitations are among several hurdles in organizing such an experience. What is needed are flexible, scalable opportunities for students to easily engage in protracted activities that provide first-hand experiences of criminal justice system involvement. The current study presents an evaluation of one such activity where students abided by a set of parole conditions for one week, documenting the impact it had on their daily lives. Results indicated that students enjoyed the assignment, believing that it provided real-world experience, transformed their perspectives, and helped them better understand course material.
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