Criminal justice policy inside-out: An initial case study in education among police and incarcerated men

Abstract

This project discusses the development and implementation of a three-credit graduate/undergraduate course, offered to police officers and incarcerated men, that would eventually become part of the city’s recruit training academy. The initial class consisted of six veteran officers and six men serving life sentences. The programme has the potential to integrate the fundamentals of restorative justice within the occupational culture of policing in order to produce direct benefits for public safety and may also be effective for building more authentic relationships between police and communities of colour. The article explains what went into creating this class, how it progressed and what resulted.