Federal prison tour changes student's life

Speaking face-to-face with a convicted sex offender wasn’t the kind of experience Allyson Bailey expected when she enrolled in a first-year Criminology class at Malaspina University-College.

But it’s an experience that changed her life.

Bailey, along with 23 other first-year students, toured three federal prisons on the Lower Mainland as part of professor Lisette Patenaude’s Criminology 131 class.  The tour to Kent, Mountain and Pacific federal prisons, and a stop at the Pacific Regional Training Centre for the RCMP, was Patenaude’s way of supplementing her students’ classroom learning and exposing them to some of the “harsh realities” inside federal correctional facilities.

Students met and talked to inmates at Mountain prison, including offenders in jail for robbery, murder, unlawful confinement, importing narcotics and sexual assault.

“The experience completely changed my outlook and made me think about things in a different way,” said Bailey.  “Now I have absolute clarity about my future career. Working in corrections, eventually as a parole officer, is exactly what I want to do.”

For Bailey, a jaw-dropping moment on the tour occurred when an inmate asked how she expects to make a difference in his life or the lives of other inmates.

“I was completely lost for words,” said Bailey. “He’s been in jail for 30 years. I had no answer or any idea how I would make a difference. Maybe as time goes on and I remain at Malaspina learning about the criminal justice system and Criminology, I will figure that out.”

Bailey was surprised to discover that most inmates look like any other person you would pass on the street. “They seemed normal and well-spoken,” she said. “I guess traditionally we get a bad impression from TV that everyone in jail is a psycho. This was not the case.”

Patenaude’s goal in organizing the tour was to broaden students’ perspective by giving them a brief glimpse of life inside a prison.  “Working in corrections can be stressful and intense,” said Patenaude, a community parole officer for two years. “It’s definitely not for everyone. There’s no point having a student complete a two-year diploma program or a four-year Criminology degree and then realize this isn’t the career they want. I want my students to clearly understand what they’re getting into.”

Patenaude uses personal stories from her work experience and tours to enhance students’ education. “It’s important to take theoretical information from books and put it into a practical perspective,” she said. “I can tell students a thousand times about what it’s like to work in corrections, but unless they see some of these facilities themselves they really have no idea. Tours also help dispel some of the myths people have about offenders and our prison system.”

Professors like Patenaude bring classroom learning to life, said Bailey. “This is the first time I’ve gone to school and absolutely loved what I’m learning,” she added. “Lisette makes you want to come to class. The way she teaches makes it interesting.”

Bailey’s desire to work in corrections is a huge shift in focus since she moved to Parksville from Saskatchewan in 2005. She came to Malaspina specifically to upgrade her education through the Adult Basic Education program, with dreams of becoming a nurse. “My mom encouraged me to come to Vancouver Island to go to Malaspina,” said Bailey. “ABE  was great. I took some general courses and fell in love with Criminology. It set me on a whole new path.”

Bailey is enrolled in year two of the Criminology degree program next September, and in the meantime, hopes to gain practical work experience this summer. 

“Many of my students will enhance their education by volunteering or working for criminal justice agencies including Nanaimo RCMP, the John Howard Society, Haven House, Samaritan House and the Crisis Line just to name a few,” said Patenaude. “Relevant work experience is something we strongly encourage for students in our program.  The job market for criminal justice agencies is incredible for students coming out of school with a related degree and experience,” she said. “Our fourth year practicum students are being hired before they even complete their placement hours.”

Bailey hopes to volunteer for a newly created Community Adult Mentoring program with the Nanaimo Parole Office. “It’s a program which helps federal offenders reintegrate back into the community,” she said. “I like the idea of helping inmates get a second chance.”

Editor's note: Malaspina (now Vancouver Island University) offers a Bachelor of Arts, major in Criminology and a two-year diploma program.  For information about these or other degree, diploma or certificate programs visit www.viu.ca.