KIE Leads Ethics Seminar at North Kern State Prison

During the 2018 Spring Semester, Dr. Michael D. Burroughs led the KIE Ethics Seminar at North Kern State Prison. The Seminar was attended by 25 inmate-philosophers, each of whom participated throughout the semester in co-developeding class dialogue and readings with Dr. Burroughs. Seminar readings included Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Plato’s Apology and Crito, and Jiddu Krishnamurti’s “The Function of Education,” among many others. This program will continue at North Kern State Prison during the 2018-19 Academic Year and beyond.

In the words of one of the seminar members, “I’ve been in prison all of my adult life…All other experiences that I’ve had were in negative settings. Now that I’ve been able to share with the different men on this yard I can appreciate the different points of view that each man has. The way we are similar, the differences we each have can be discussed and not have to result in negative actions. Being able to understand who I am gives me the time and experience to share and listen to other people and their views on life…”

For those interested in prison education programs, you might also want to take a look at the Inside Out Prison Exchange Program and Project Rebound.