Behind Bars Conference 2016
Can you be convicted of murder even if you don’t intend to take someone else’s life? Can an institution really be regarded as a prison if you have a key to your cell and go out to work during the daytime? Is it fair that female prisoners are allowed to wear their own clothes while male prisoners have to wear a uniform?
These are all questions that were considered by A level psychology students at the ‘Behind Bars Conference’ organised especially for our students. 100 students from the College got to meet ex-prisoners and a forensic psychologist. They heard about these people’s experiences of prison life and had the opportunity to ask them questions in small groups.
Students commented afterwards about how eye-opening the day had been, and they were especially surprised by what can count as ‘murder’. One of the student delegates, Jenny, said, “The conference was thoroughly engaging and I learnt a lot about the criminal justice system.”
