The atmosphere at the beginning of a Slippery Rock University criminology course taught in a nontraditional setting with people who have first-person perspectives was tense and filled with anxiety.

By the end of the 15-week course, the SRU students wished it would have lasted longer.

“No college student says that ever,” said Sarah Kuehn, an associate criminology professor at SRU who taught the course to a combined class of students and Butler County Prison inmates at the prison.

“Inside-Out View of Criminal Justice Issues,” dubbed CRIM 370 in the SRU course catalog, is an elective for juniors or seniors pursuing a major or minor in criminology.

Kuehn said she previously taught the course at SCI Mercer, but approached the county prison about conducting the course there because the state prison stopped allowing visitors and ended programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning Sept. 8, 13 SRU students, who were referred to as “outside” students, gathered once a week on Wednesdays from 8:30 to 11 a.m. with 14 inmates, referred to as “inside” students, as classmates.

Since the course ended Dec. 1, three of the SRU students applied for jobs at the prison and at least two have been hired, Kuehn said.

“At the end, it was actually quite sad to leave. Some of the students said they wished the class had gone longer, which is something I never heard before in teaching,” she said.

Prison officials asked inmates who were awaiting trial if they were interested in taking the course. Participation was voluntary, said Jennifer Passarelli, deputy warden.

“They both did great,” Passarelli said, about the inmates and students. “The interaction was very positive. A little apprehensive at first, but the adaptations were pretty quick. A few of the outside students were apprehensive being inside a prison, but it was a safe environment. We quickly helped them get more comfortable, so they could focus on the academic part.”

Matt Clayton, the prison's re-entry coordinator who sat in on each session, said the inmates and students sat in a circle in alternating chairs for discussions.

Like the SRU students, the inmates were required to write papers and complete course work, he said.

“They did a great job of participating in discussions. They completed the same work as the outside students. It gives them confidence that they can accomplish goals and hope for the future,” Clayton said.

The class was an eye-opening experience for both groups of students, Passarelli said.

“Each group is just now more aware of the different lifestyles of each other, how they grew up, different environments and socioeconomic classes,” she said.

Kuehn said the unease between the groups of students began to fade after two or three class sessions.

“By the end of the term, everyone was participating really well. Neither set of students wanted to insult or offend the other. Then the discussions grew more in-depth and more controversial. Students became more comfortable expressing opinions.

“The discussion was more in-depth than a typical class because of the different groups. It makes for way better discussion because you have way different viewpoints,” Kuehn said.

She said she wants to teach the course again in the fall term of the 2022-23 school year at the county prison or SCI Mercer.

“Whoever takes me, gets me. It was the best teaching experience I've ever had — far beyond what I see in other college classes in terms of the level of engagement and commitment to the class and course material,” she said.

Ayslyn Duffy, a 20-year-old junior from Slippery Rock working on a major in criminology and a minor in social work at SRU, said the course turned out to be the best one she has had in college after the initial tension in the class dissipated.

“It was definitely my favorite class I've taken in college so far,” Duffy said

Having inmates as classmates provided a perspective not found in textbooks, she said.

“A great opportunity — instead of reading information from textbooks, actually being able to talk to them I felt brought me a completely new perspective and prepared me to enter the field.

“It was my first expose to prison or inmates. Being able to speak to them on a one-on-one level and put a face to them and know their stories prepared me to have a more sympathetic and understanding approach when I enter the field. It was definitely touching. It was something moving to me and everyone else as well,” Duffy said.

She said she wants to work in a youth facility after she graduates, and she is considering pursuing a master's degree.

Class discussions focused on why prisons exist, issues within prisons, racial discrimination, government policies, deterrents to crime and restorative justice, she said.

“The whole class was a big brainstorming exercise from different perspectives. We talked about ways the justice system can be improved and finding ways to keep people out of prison, avoiding repeat offenders and issues in society like sociological issues to be addressed to keep people out of the system,” Duffy said.

Rachel Becker, a 27-year-old senior nontraditional student from New Mexico who served in the Army and now lives in Sandy Lake, said, “When you walk in there, you're in a completely different place. You're on their terms.

“By the end, we were sad to see each other go. We learned a lot about each other.”

She said she learned about the inmates' families, the communities where they grew up and what they want to take back to those communities when they get out.

“It is different from the way a lot of us students grew up,” Becker said.

She also said the atmosphere was strained at first, but improved quickly.

“We had to learn to talk without offending them. I'm going to say this and hope it doesn't rub someone the wrong way. They had to learn to talk without getting in trouble,” Becker said.

The class was equal parts curriculum and interaction, she said.

“The curriculum is designed perfectly. The interaction is the icing on the cake. You're working with people who are living it,” Becker said.

Among the favorite parts of the course for all of the students was a discussion about “Just Mercy,” an autobiography by Bryan Stevenson, an Alabama lawyer, who spent his career representing disadvantaged clients.

“They were anxious to talk about it. The novel was made into a movie. The inmates asked us to watch it and tell them what we thought. I watched the movie after reading the book,” Becker said.

She said she hasn't decided on her post-graduation plans.