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“Nothing About Us Without Us” : Analyzing the Potential Contributions of Lived Experience to Penological Pedagogy
Antojado, D.
Antojado, D.
Author
Abstract
This paper explores the necessity and considerations of integrating Lived Experience Criminology (LEC) into penological pedagogy. It critically analyses the underutilized, yet transformative, potential of lived experience of the CJS to enrich academic curricula and further inform student understanding, particularly in Australia. Drawing on initiatives such as the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, Learning Together, and Walls to Bridges, the paper highlights how such programs operationalize LEC’s dimensions—particularly Persistent Experiential Narratives (PEN) and Common Experiential Narratives (CEN)—to build criminological knowledge. However, the need for cautious and ethical expansion of these programs is emphasized, considering potential objectification of people with lived experience of the CJS. The paper advocates for greater inclusion of lived experience perspectives in criminology curricula, underscoring the value they could bring to the preparation of future practitioners, the design of robust research, and the advancement of penological epistemology. Additionally, it stresses the importance of context, locality, and specialization within LEC, and the ethical considerations inherent to these pedagogical approaches. The paper concludes by calling for a stronger commitment from academia towards inclusion and empowerment of individuals with lived experience of the CJS, echoing the maxim “Nothing About Us Without Us” from the disability rights movement. The paper posits that significant strides in the CJS and academic discipline are achievable only through meaningful and sustained involvement of these individuals.
Keywords
Lived experience, criminology, penological pedagogy, criminological curriculum, persistent experiential narrative, common experiential narrative
Date
2023
Type
Journal article
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Education
Book
Volume
Issue
Page Range
1-18
Article Number
ACU Department
Thomas More Law School
Faculty of Law and Business
Faculty of Law and Business
Collections
Relation URI
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY
File Access
Open
Notes
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.