Category: prep note Page 17 of 24

Reading about the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center’s Post-D Program was enlightening because I learned about the different services offered to those in the program. It also discussed how there are certain criteria a person must meet to be in the program, and the approval process they must undergo. The video about the Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Facility provided even more information about juvenile incarceration. Watching it made me realize the cold hard reality of being incarcerated at a young age. Everything in your day is structured, and staying connected with family is so difficult because Bon Air is the only juvenile facility in Virginia, so the commutes are often far. I found it atrocious that there is only one juvenile facility in Virginia, so I was happy to find out that some people are advocating for a new one to be built in eastern Virginia. 

As for the reflections on the class syllabus and Endeavor values, I found myself thinking about my progress so far in this class and program. In terms of the class goals, I think I have made some progress on communicating orally. In high school, I often didn’t raise my hand to speak because I was afraid of being judged if I said something I perceived as unintelligent. In this class, however, I am more comfortable with expressing my ideas because it feels like a safe space to say things and move the conversation forward. Also, I have started to become aware of narratives that drive society, specifically, stereotypes about incarcerated people. From the texts we have read and the conversations we heard from our lunch visit, I have been able to debunk negative stereotypes that permeate society in relation to incarceration. For the Endeavor goals, I think I’ve made progress on ethical understanding because I’ve started to realize that my ideas and actions have ethical consequences on the people around me, so I have to be mindful about this.

Lastly, I haven’t thought much about my learning philosophy statement before. If I were to narrow it down into a sentence, I’d say that I value finding meaning in what you learn. If you try to memorize information just to regurgitate it during an exam and forget about it later, that’s not learning to me. I like thinking about how my learning relates to my own life and the world around me.

Question for McConnell: How do correctional facilities prioritize connecting youth with their families and communities?

The lunch visit was different than I expected because we didn’t get the chance to ask all of our questions. It took longer than expected to get each question answered, which was not a bad thing because we got some really in-depth answers from our guests. I also didn’t expect the conversation to go as in-depth as it did. At one point we were discussing how the government works and getting down to the roots of society. This visit changed my understanding of the book by showing me that these stories are absolutely real, and there is a real person attached to each story. Reading a book can give you the false assumption that these stories are a work of fiction, that such a thing can never happen in real life. Upon hearing Kelvin and Terence speak though, it felt so much more real in the saddest way. My understanding of the book was also changed because I realized that so much time has passed since the project began and even when it was published. I think Terence mentioned that they’d been involved in this for 16 years or so, since 2007. That’s a long time to be writing and reflecting and sharing their experiences to audiences like us. To know that all this started in this exact city also changed my understanding of the book. It happened not very far from us, and that in itself is surprising to me. I do wish that this talk was longer though because there were so many questions left unanswered, and I felt like I could listen to them talk forever. But I am grateful for what they offered to us regardless because I learned so much from them. I considered things I never would have thought about, like the word “habilitation” as opposed to “rehabilitation.” Upon Googling, I have discovered that “habilitation” refers to the attainment of skills needed for daily functioning that haven’t developed, whereas “rehabilitation” means gaining back these skills that were lost.