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On an evening in late October, eight University of Vermont (�պ�����) students, two �պ����� faculty members, and 13 incarcerated women at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility gathered to learn the dance moves to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” The class was part of the most recent offering in �պ�����’s Liberal Arts in Prison Program (LAPP).  

Kathy Fox, Ph.D., professor of sociology and director of LAPP, teaches criminal justice at �պ�����. She started LAPP in 2017 after having spent a lot of time in prisons conducting research. “I became aware that there were many talented and smart incarcerated people who could benefit from engaging in positive experiences that �պ����� could offer,” she says. Currently, the program offers enrichment classes in which �պ����� students and incarcerated women learn side by side at Chittenden, the local women’s prison. In the spring, a course will also be offered at Northwest State Correctional Facility, a nearby men’s prison.

“Students are very interested in understanding more about what prisons are like,” Fox says, “and they care about the criminal justice system in general. This program offers a unique opportunity for them to share space and find common ground with people with whom they might not otherwise come into contact.”

Last spring, LAPP offered a mural-painting class taught by Pamela Fraser, associate professor of painting. Olivia Eastman, a 2022 �պ����� graduate who double-majored in studio art and psychology, signed up immediately. “It seemed like a great opportunity to get involved in the community in a new way while also making a positive change. What has stuck with me the most was how creative the inmates were. They had beautiful ideas for the mural, and it felt like we were really creating something meaningful that everyone was excited about.” 

“The incarcerated folks always tell me that they love having �պ����� students come because they feel like they bring a youthful energy and a nonjudgmental stance,” Fox says. “I think one of the biggest benefits for the those inside is that it shows that we are aware of them and are trying to bring something positive, and also that we care about what happens to them.”

Grace Monti, who also participated in the mural class, graduated from �պ����� in 2022 with a degree in art education. “Our instructors really gave us a holistic experience by providing us with time to build relationships with the incarcerated women and having discussions about how we can help improve the lives of those in prison through the way we vote, community volunteering, and the way we bring what we’ve learned to our respective fields. I was able to learn how my daily teaching practices can support families affected by incarceration and help prevent generational trends.”

New classes usually begin with ice breakers, Fox says, “to ease any tensions—to minimize our differences and highlight our basic humanity. For example, when we were learning ‘Thriller,’ we started with something like, ‘If you could eliminate one food from the face of the Earth, what would it be?’ There were lots of votes for liver, and there was just lots of laughing, and then we started dancing.”

The dance class was taught by Julie Peoples-Clarke, a lecturer in �պ�����’s dance department. “The class is full of female-powered energy,” she says. “I thought it would be a perfect fit for the incarcerated women.” She adds that meeting the women broadened her perspective on how they exist day to day. “One of the things they wanted us to know about them is that they aren’t bad people. They are normal people who made some bad choices. It was very inspiring to hear their stories and see the projects they have created. Spending time with them made us all feel a sense of community.”

Annie Rudolph, who participated in the dance class, is a junior majoring in sociology with a concentration in crime and criminal justice. She says she is always looking for opportunities that increase her knowledge of the criminal justice system. “I was also excited about an all-female yoga and dance class where everyone lifts each other up and is able to express themselves in a place where those things are not typical. This class has given me the opportunity to actually see the system that I read and study about on a daily basis and has expanded my passion for criminal justice.”

 “I think that the more regular citizens have access to what goes on inside prisons and see that those inside are just people who presumably made some mistakes, the better,” Fox says. “My hope is always that my students will be changed by that. Maybe one day they’ll consider hiring a formerly incarcerated person if they’re in a position to do so. And as they tell people about this experience, I think it can serve a public education function as well.”

Fox says that the leadership at the prisons is very committed to having more community interaction. “They’ve bent over backwards to really make this program possible,” she says, “and the officers have been very helpful as well.”

LAPP is open to all students, not just those in sociology or criminal justice. “We only offer eight spots per course because it’s really difficult to bring people into a prison, so if we had a lot of students, it would be pretty challenging.” During the spring 2023 semester, the program will offer a debate course at Chittenden and a book-discussion group at Northwest.

For Fox, LAPP has been her passion project. “I don’t get paid extra for it—I just get a lot of satisfaction from it. The personal benefits are enormous to me.” She is currently in the process of transitioning the program over to the dean’s office so it will be sustainable after she retires. “The dean’s office is very committed to it,” she says. “�պ����� is a land-grant institution, and part of what we try to do is serve communities that are underserved, and certainly incarcerated populations fit into that.”

For more information, visit the LAPP program page.