Cited by 0Criminal Justice and Corrections AnalysisCritical Race Theory in EducationHigher Education Research Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 12 of the 13 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 8 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Striving to Thrive: Black and Indigenous Women Reflect on Higher Education in Oregon’s Only Women’s Prison

Open access

Abstract

This collaborative and creative paper explores and documents the realities of Black and Indigenous transgender and cisgender women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Oregon in their pursuit of higher education. Through poetry, essays, personal narratives, and art, this paper reveals how Black and Indigenous students experience and navigate the structural and systemic barriers they face in engaging with higher education opportunities while in prison, and reflects on strategies for dismantling those barriers.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This collaborative creative paper documents how Black and Indigenous transgender and cisgender women at Oregon’s only women’s prison experience structural and systemic barriers in pursuing higher education, using poetry, essays, personal narratives, and art. It argues that representation, culturally relevant pedagogy, trusting relationships, and diverse leadership are necessary for prison higher education to be liberatory rather than oppressive.

Key findings

Black and Indigenous people are overrepresented at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility: as of August 1, 2021, the population included 4.78% Black and 5.6% American Indian, compared with about 2% Black and 1% American Indian statewide.

  • Lack of representation causes lack of motivation; Black and Indigenous students are reluctant to enter white-dominated educational spaces and must expend extra courage, resilience, and persistence, while many give up because of barriers.
  • Contributors identify needs including more instructors from diverse backgrounds, diverse leadership and faculty, culturally relevant curriculum, academic support, and trusted relationships; Tanuia Davis notes only two people in a prison of 1,500 provided academic support.
  • The Portland State University program reported that its original 2019 cohort was 15% Black, Indigenous, and other Students of Color, and that percentage doubled in the second cohort; it approved a reduced differential tuition of $100 flat fee per course and a scholarship fund covered all requested tuition assistance.

Methods

Collaborative qualitative and creative approach using an Indigenous and blended design: narrative inquiry, creative story-telling, and emergent design.

  • Data are poetry, essays, personal narratives, and art by five Black and Indigenous women currently and formerly at Coffee Creek, plus reflection by a white cisgender professor and program co-developer.
  • Analysis appears thematic and reflective, connecting personal narratives to scholarship on race and higher education in prison; no formal coding, sampling procedure, or systematic analysis is described.

Limitations

The paper does not state a formal limitations section. It acknowledges program gaps: the need to diversify leadership and faculty, that the $100 tuition amount can still be prohibitive, and that much more must be done to increase access for Students of Color.

  • Evident from the text: the sample is small—five Black and Indigenous women at one facility—and the creative/narrative design is not presented as generalizable.
  • Evident from the text: authorship includes a non-incarcerated white professor, and the paper itself notes that non-incarcerated academics cannot fully understand incarcerated students’ experience.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.15763/issn.2642-2387.2022.8.1.20-35

Cites

12 of 12 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

0 of 8 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingown data

    Black and Indigenous students in prison experience and navigate structural and systemic barriers in engaging with higher education opportunities while in prison.

    “Through poetry, essays, personal narratives, and art, this paper reveals how Black and Indigenous students experience and navigate the structural and systemic barriers they face in engaging with higher education opportunities while in prison, and reflects on strategies for dismantling those barriers.”
    • Also stated in: § Striving to Thrive: Black and Indigenous Women Reflect on Higher Education in Oregon's Only Women's Prison · plain
      “Through poetry, personal narrative, and art, this paper reveals how Black and Indigenous women experience and navigate the structural and systemic barriers of racism in pursuing their education while imprisoned.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Findingown data

    Lanelle felt power and a spark for learning from exploring Indigenous sacred foods in her public health course.

    “This is demonstrated as Lanelle writes about the power she felt in being able to explore Indigenous sacred foods in her public health course.This topic, so relevant to her own life, ignited a spark for learning.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingreasoning

    Lack of representation causes lack of motivation.

    “lack of representation causes lack of motivation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Findingown data

    Trust and the feeling of co-creating opportunity does not happen enough.

    “Tanuia mentions the importance of trust and the feeling of co-creating opportunity, but that simply does not happen enough.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Interpretationreasoning

    Black and Indigenous students must expend extra courage, resilience and persistence to keep pushing forward in a setting that is already demeaning and oppressive, in a way not required of white students in that same setting.

    “This requires, then, that these students expend extra courage, resilience and persistence to keep pushing forward, within a setting that is already demeaning and oppressive, in a way that is not required of white students in that same setting.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 25
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 14
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 1
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingnone given

    In prison, Black words do not have any power; Black voices are on mute and paused, and Blacks are hushed and punished.

    “In prison, Black words do not have any power; your voice is on mute and paused.The majority speaks, and Blacks are hushed and punished.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The quote only partly states this claim.

    Findingnone given

    Higher education led to Rinita's reformation.

    “Higher education led to my reformation.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingown data

    Tanuia experienced challenges expressing herself in prison and was often shut down rather than nurtured.

    “I have come across a lot of challenges inside the prison when I try to express myself.Rather than being nurtured, I am often shut down.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingnone given

    In the original cohort of students in 2019, 15% identified as Black, Indigenous, and other Students of Color; in the second cohort, this percentage doubled.

    “In our original cohort of students in 2019, 15% identified as Black, Indigenous, and other Students of Color.In our second cohort, this percentage doubled.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.

    Findingnone given

    Many Black people in prison feel there are too many barriers to overcome and just give up trying.

    “many Black people in prison feel there are too many barriers to overcome, and just give up trying.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingreasoning

    The program never lets finances serve as a barrier; PSU approved a reduced differential tuition of $100 flat fee per course for incarcerated students, and a scholarship fund covers all requested tuition assistance.

    “We never let finances serve as a barrier.We were successful in having the PSU approve a reduced differential tuition of $100 flat fee per course for students who are incarcerated; we recognize that this amount can still be prohibitive, and we have a scholarship fund that has allowed us to cover all requested tuition assistance.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingown data

    The course taught Lanelle to identify health and nutrition issues and made her value her traditional knowledge of sacred foods.

    “The course taught me to identify health and nutrition issues, and it drew me in.Being incarcerated so long made me value my traditional knowledge of sacred foods.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingown data

    Since receiving an education, Tanuia has changed, gained confidence and hope, and is prepared to help others and her family.

    “Since I have been receiving an education, I have changed.I have confidence and hope.I am prepared to help others and my family.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingnone given

    The program provides rigorous, culturally relevant content that is scaffolded and part of a degree pathway, with curriculum filled with Black and Indigenous authors, artists, and activists, and seeks to decenter whiteness.

    “Some things we are doing well include providing rigorous, culturally relevant content that is scaffolded and part of a degree pathway.Our curriculum is filled with Black, and Indigenous authors, artists, and activists.We seek to decenter whiteness within the curriculum.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingreasoning

    The prison has a population of 1,500 and only two academic support people, so incarcerated people are underserved and lack academic support.

    “That is two people in a prison of 1,500; needless to say, we are very underserved and we lack academic support.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingown data

    Kiesha's white tutors thought she was lazy or angry, but she was angry because she could not do the 7 times tables.

    “Working toward my GED, my white tutors thought I was being lazy, or angry.I was angry, but not for the reason they thought.I was angry because I could not do the 7 times tables.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingnone given

    There is a difference between 'Native American' and 'American Indian'; one name is assumed and one is preferred.

    “Why did not I just choose the selection -American Indian?There is a difference, one name is assumed and one is preferred.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds.

    Findingnone given

    There are many systemic problems that do not allow Black women to seek education in prison.

    “There are many systemic problems that do not allow Black women to seek education in prison.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingown data

    It took being specifically invited in for Sasha to feel comfortable accessing her education, which then helped her develop critical consciousness.

    “It took being specifically invited in for me to feel at all comfortable accessing my education, which then helped me to develop critical consciousness.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingown data

    Exposure to college courses awakened Sasha's consciousness to societal forces and sparked her critical thinking.

    “It took the exposure to college courses to awaken my consciousness to these societal forces that have influenced me so deeply, and to spark my critical thinking and find those connections.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingown data

    Only two people (one CCCF staff member and one PSU professor) provided academic support services to Tanuia; without them she would have missed education opportunities.

    “Although I am very driven and spiritual, if it were not for two women in particular, I would have missed the education opportunities that are available inside of this prison.One CCCF staff member and one Portland State University professor are the only Academic Support Services that are available to me.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingreasoning

    Lack of representation equates to a feeling of powerlessness and an understanding that Black and Indigenous women are not welcomed into educational spaces.

    “Lack of representation equates to a feeling of powerlessness, and to an understanding that Black and Indigenous women are not welcomed into educational spaces.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Black and Indigenous students are reluctant to enter spaces dominated by whiteness, which higher education most often is.

    “Black and Indigenous students are understandably reluctant to enter spaces dominated by whiteness, which higher education most often is.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.

    Premisecitation

    The program needs to diversify its leadership and faculty to better reflect the diversity of the population at CCCF.

    “One glaring area for growth: we absolutely need to diversify our leadership and our faculty, to better reflect the diversity of the population at CCCF (Taylor et al., 2021).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Taylor et al., 2021 source
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Without alleviating the added burden, many Students of Color will not take on that extra load.

    “Without alleviating that added burden, many Students of Color understandably will not take on that extra load.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Having trusted staff, faculty, advocates and mentors is paramount.

    “Having trusted staff, faculty, advocates and mentors is paramount.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.

    Premisecitation

    Having those with shared identities in teaching and leadership roles is critical to educational equity and access.

    “Having those with shared identities in teaching and leadership roles is also critical to educational equity and access (Taylor et al., 2021).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Taylor et al., 2021 source
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The design of prison programs and education benefits the white population more than any other population.

    “I think the racism is unintentional but the design of the programs and education benefits the white population more than any other population.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Education holds the possibility of simply replicating and confirming systems of oppression.
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Interpretationown data

    Higher education is the key for making change in oneself, community and world.

    “This is a big accomplishment for me because higher education is the key for making change in myself , our community and world.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Higher education in prison holds liberatory possibilities, helping women to transcend struggles and build resilience and joy, which in turn facilitates healing in children, families and communities.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Premisecitation

    Unless they have experienced incarceration, there are things non-incarcerated academics simply cannot understand about the experience of incarcerated students.

    “They have to understand that, unless they have experienced incarceration, there are things that they simply cannot understand about the experience of incarcerated students (Ginsburg, 2019).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Ginsburg, 2019

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.

    Premisecitation

    Offering high quality, culturally relevant pedagogy in which Black and Indigenous students see themselves reflected is essential.

    “Further, offering high quality, culturally relevant pedagogy, in which Black and Indigenous students seem themselves reflected, is also essential (Taylor et al., 2021).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Taylor et al., 2021 source
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.

    Interpretationown data

    This poverty identity keeps many from moving up.

    “This poverty identity keeps many from moving up.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Premisecitation

    Success happens in the context of relationships.

    “We also see that success happens in the context of relationships (Novek, 2019).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Novek, 2019 source
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.

    Premisecitation

    Faculty in prison education programs must be willing to examine and re-examine their role in this oppressive system.

    “To accomplish this, faculty in prison education programs must be willing to examine, and re-examine, their role in this oppressive system (Bryan, 2019, p. 160).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Bryan, 2019 source
    • Rests on an assumption: The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
29 of 29
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Higher education in prison holds liberatory possibilities, helping women to transcend struggles and build resilience and joy, which in turn facilitates healing in children, families and communities.

    “Higher education in prison holds liberatory possibilities, helping women to transcend struggles and build resilience and joy, which in turn facilitates healing in children, families and communities.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Education holds the possibility of simply replicating and confirming systems of oppression.

    “Education holds the possibility of simply replicating and confirming systems of oppression.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The experiences of the five Black and Indigenous women authors are representative of the realities of Black and Indigenous women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.

    “This collaborative paper explores and documents the experiences, feelings and realities of five Black and Indigenous women currently and formerly at Coffee Creek as they approach(ed) liberatory opportunities through higher education.”
3 of 3

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Casey citation year differs from reference

    Minor

    The text cites Casey as a 2005 source, but the reference list gives 1995.

  • Clandinin and Connelly citation year differs from reference

    Minor

    The text cites this source as published in 2000, but the reference list gives 2004.

  • Nash citation year differs from reference

    Minor

    The text cites Nash as a 2004 source, but the reference list gives 2019.

  • Malakki quotation cites a page outside the listed chapter

    Minor

    The quotation is attributed to page 19, but the reference list gives the chapter's page range as 17-18.

4 of 4

Citations

Cites

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1 of the 13 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Cited by

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Metadata

Authors
Arthur, D., Davis, T., Johnson, K., Loweb, R., Rowe, L., & Womack, S.
Affiliations
Portland State University (US)
Venue
JCSCORE
Published
2022-06-06
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
20-35
ISSN
2642-2387 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4281616995
Cited by
0
References
13
FWCI
0.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • JCSCORE (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Critical Race Theory in Education
  • Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education Research Studies
Keywords
Black women, indigenous women, women's prisons, prison education, higher education access, transgender women, structural barriers, systemic racism, women prisoners, poetry and art

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