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Durham University Students Studying in Prison

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31 January 2016

By Bronwen

If there’s one thing you’d hope to get from a £27,000 course in criminology at Durham University, it’s hands-on experience, and that’s exactly what they’ve been getting.

3rd year students of the course study alongside criminals who’ve chosen to take part in the scheme for ten weeks, attending lectures and completing group projects.

The students aren’t told anything about the inmates except their first names, and the professors at Durham found that some of the criminals actually did a lot better than many of the students.

The scheme is inspired by a similar one founded in Philadelphia, USA, at Temple University. They recognised that the best way for students to understand criminals is to work alongside them and that educating inmates can make them less likely to re-offend. It can also offer them a brighter future if they can leave prison with a degree under their belts.

Durham University is the first European uni to offer the scheme to its students and many others plan to follow suit.

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