Universal Teaching in Carceral Spaces: Toward a Critical Prison Pedagogy

Abstract

Drawing from first-hand experiences teaching political theory at two California, USA state prisons—Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) and Valley State Prison (VSP) — this paper offers an alternative pedagogical approach that frames students as equal participants in learning. It critiques hierarchical educational models such as the “banking method,” which positions teachers as the primary source of knowledge and students as passive recipients. Instead, drawing from the work of French philosopher Jacques Rancière, this paper invites prison educators to adopt a pedagogical commitment to “universal teaching” that fosters an environment where students—treated as intellectual equals—engage critically with texts and ideas, connecting them to their own lived experiences within and against the carceral state. The paper proposes four key lessons in building a critical prison pedagogy. It encourages current and future educators to reassess their teaching practices to empower students to challenge the power structures that confine them.

Keywords: college-in-prison programs, universal teaching, intellectual emancipation, critical prison pedagogy

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/16-5-16

Publication date: May 30^th 2025