New Beginning

I haven’t Blogged (if that’s the right word to use) for some time.  A lot has been happening with work and ill health.  I’m going through various medical procedures at present and the past few months have made me take a look at the direction of my life.  Full-time work is no longer really an option and I need to make decisions about this soon.  I don’t want to sit around vegetating.  I have signed up for a reflexology course which will take a year to complete. I might need to practice on some victims – watch out!  I’m really interested in alternative therapies and just felt the course came along at a time when I need to explore alternative to help me overcome my health issues.  I would also hope to do some work in this field when the course is finished and help others.  The one day course How to Order from the Cosmic Kitchen was a great way to affirm my future plans and it has helped me to be clearer and more determined to strive for what I want (but not at the expense of others).  I have also inquired about a local Cruse Bereavement course with prison training.  Hopefully my criminology lecturing will continue in the autumn.  

 

I am learning to take things easier and I no longer make endless to do lists.  

Theory Versus Reality

I spent 3 days at Queen’s University, Belfast at the Critical Legal Conference.  I felt like a fish out of water.  Why?  Well firstly I was there on my own.  Secondly all the attendees were either Phd students, university lecturers or professors.  Then there was me among all the academics.  I’m not saying that I don’t have an academic background but I would hope that I am putting my academic work to some practical use.  Over the 3 days there were lots of lofty theories presented about law and justice.  However I was struck by the thought that these were just theories dreamed up in some institution.  I’m not saying that I disagreed with the theories it’s just that I had difficulty seeing their practical application in the ‘real’ world.  I remember presenting theories of why people commit crime to a group of ex-prisoners and frankly they tore the theories to shreds.  A lecture I had spent ages preparing was ripped apart in minutes.  Initially I was offended and thought, they just don’t get it.  The truth was that I didn’t get it and it took me a few weeks to realise this.  I was coming at the topic from a different perspective, namely theories written in books which I naively had taken to be true as they had been written by seemingly important people a long time ago.  The ex-prisoners were looking at the theories from the perspective of having lived through many of the experiences the theories try to find reasons for.  So for me it is a question of theories versus reality.  

The conference brought up some interesting questions – What is Justice?  Is the law just?  What is restorative justice (is it possible to restore things to the way they where before the harm was caused?)  

I enjoyed the conference but I’m glad to return to the real world, learning from those who have been at the receiving end of ‘justice’.  I was not awe struck during my time at the conference even though I was surrounded by so many professors , but I was, am and continue to be awe struck by human being who have been in prison and who are trying to rebuild their lives.  I feel privileged to know them, even if at times they feel irritated by all my questions about their experiences.

One paper which interested me during the conference was one which dealt with alternatives to prison and community initiatives in dealing with crime.  This is one aspect of the conference where there was discussion of something that is really happening and I hope such work can continue to flourish.

 

 

Continuing to learn

I’m really looking forward to the Critical Legal Conference at QUB (5 – 7 September).  I’m particularly interested to hear what has to be said on the topic of Law and Resistance – law as a means of resistance.  I also hope to have the chance to attend other seminars on Reconciling Space: The Role and Design of the Urban Environment

and Being Social

• The social bond and in relation to questions of ontology
• The relationship between “the social” and “the political”

I’m sure the 3 day conference will be useful.  I just hope it isn’t all above my head, but I was assured at QUB that I would be most welcome.  I’m not attending the big dinner on the Saturday evening or the drinks reception on the Friday – it’s not really my thing (back to the old networking which I’m not comfortable with).  

Preparation for my autumn courses is underway.  I’m doing lots of research and of course reading lots of blogs!  Thanks to the bloggers for some great online debates and insights.

Thoughts

There is so much going on in my head right now.  Really?  I hear some say.  I have material to prepare for 3 courses.  Two of the courses will be at QUB (hopefully).  One of these courses will be a one day seminar on Hate Crime.  I’ve been doing a bit of networking and managed to get lots of material to work with.  I’m not comfortable with networking but I’m getting better at it (I think),  Thanks to a push in the right direction from one or two people who shall remain nameless.    I’m looking forward to putting all the material together.  

Then I have to prepare a course on Crime and Punishment for QUB.  I’ve already piloted this course with a group on a voluntary basis. God help them!  There was me trying to teach ex-prisoners about prison.  I can be really daft at times!  I was the one doing the learning instead of the teaching.  Still all good experience.  They have invited me back to volunteer in the autumn with a new set of victims (as someone from my class said – very funny!).

There is lots to think about and so many topics I could cover. I’ve even thought ,why should we meet in the formal setting of a classroom?  Would alternative meeting places work?  Could we go on a class outing?  OK I’m probably getting carried away.  

The Crime and Punishment course at QUB will have to be a lot more formal and I suppose I’m hoping to have a bit more fun with the voluntary group, although fun doesn’t really seem the right word to use when talking about forms of punishment and crime statistics.  

 

Inspiration

I have been inspired to write because of something that happened recently.  It is strange because in the past I have only taken to writing when something traumatic is happening in my life like almost 28 years ago when my father died.  So I am kind of surprised that I feel motivated, even compelled to write now.  I can only say that I have been deeply affected by a recent conversation.  

Recently I agreed to meet someone for coffee, I had only met them once before.  This is not something I normally do.  I wanted to pick their brains and discuss ideas for teaching a class.  (They know who they are – thanks!).  We talked about lots of things and as I wrote down some contacts and ideas I could hardly spell with excitement.  I got plenty of food for thought.    

During the course of the conversation I realized that I had been starting out with too much ambition.  Saving the world and eradicating crime is not going to happen – what was I thinking!  That’s passion I suppose – getting carried away.  Lesson 1 – start small.  Lesson 2 – not everyone had a positive education experience and will hate sitting in a classroom listening to me.  Lesson 3 – follows on from 2 – students won’t want to or be able to attend all the classes and I mustn’t beat myself up about this.   Lesson 4 – you can’t teach people something they already know (surely this is obvious doh!).  So onwards and hopefully upwards with redesigning my hopefully new and improved course.

Through this recent conversation, reading articles and talking to ex-prisoners I am slowly learning about the harsh environment of a prison.  Yes punishment is necessary but what about the reforming element of a sentence?  It seems to have been forgotten.  There is so much wrong with the system and this makes re-integration so difficult.  As someone said if an ex-prisoner does not have a family on the outside to support them, what then? Prison leaves people unable to trust others, resentful, angry and unable to respond to even the smallest kind gesture.  

I hope I will not be breaching a confidence when I say that I have witnessed this anger, resentment and hurt.  Once I brought a packet of biscuits to share with my class and one of the students wasn’t sure how to react.  I know this was not rudeness.  I quickly realized that for a time they had not been used to such a simple gesture.  I found this really sad.  It is good to see people out in the world and trying to put their lives back together.  I just hope that everyday they get stronger and know that there are people out there who do care.