Schools and Prisons: A Comparison

A few years back, I was on an Adventure Walk with some tree year olds and we stopped at a public park across from a child care center. As the kids I was with played, I watched a group of kids about the same age march in single file onto the center's asphalt surfaced playground. It was surrounded by a high fence and had very few play options. the scene reminded me so much of a prison that I started making up dialogue for the kids: 

"Sammy, Sammy come here. See's how the guards ain't watching the North fence? I'm busting out! Are ya with me?"

"Claudia, I want out as bad as you, but escape is impossible I tell ya. You'll never make it!"

"Hey, you two, back over here where I can keep an eye on ya. Away from the fence!"

The school/prison connection is made frequently. In my book, Let Them Play, with coauthor Denita Dinger, a college grad describes the first day at her first real job in an early learning program:

“It felt more like I was being coached on how to avoid being shived in the yard on my first day in prison than on how to work with children. I was actually told, ‘Hugs are dangerous. Avoid them.’ I almost didn’t go

back.” 

Everyone from the New York Civil Liberties Union, to this blogger, to the creators of this graphic comparing school meals and prison meals see similarities and connections between schools and prisons.

Heck, even the Sex Pistols saw it:

 

Here's a diagram of a recently built school:

 And here is a diagram of an 1880's prison:

The design similarities are striking. terminology my differ, but both structures focus on controlling, separating, and restricting their inhabitants. Here is a comparison of the physical space of prisons and schools:

The Physical Space
	Prisons	Schools
General Design	Utilitarian Layout Focusing On  Safely Housing Groups Of People	Utilitarian Layout Focusing On  Safely Housing Groups Of People
Grounds Are Called	A Campus	A Campus
Buildings Are Divided Into	Cell Blocks--To Separate Groups Of Prisoners	Pods--To Separate Groups Of Students
Population Spends Time In	Cells	Classrooms
Outside Space	The Yard--High Fence, Not Much To Do, Lots Of Rules, Guards With Shot Guns.	The Playground--High Fence, Not Much To Do, Lots Of Rules, Teachers With Whistles.
Windows	Not Many Of Them, Covered With Bars.	They Exist, But They Are Seldom Open And You Get In Trouble For Looking Out Them Too Much.
Accessing The Facility	Access Is Secured. Visitors Are Searched And May Have To Pass Through A Metal Detector.	Access Is Secured. Entries Are Locked. Visitors May Have To Pass Through A Metal Detector.
Movement In The Facility	Is Tightly Controlled. There Are Lots Of Lock And Movement Is Often Controlled By Bells Or Electronic Sirens	Is Tightly Controlled. There Are Lots Of Lock And Movement Is Often Controlled By Bells Or Electronic Sirens
Walls	Cement blocks with Calming, Bland Paint Choices	Cement blocks with Calming, Bland Paint Choices
Movement Through The Facility	Nice Straight Lines--No Touching	Nice Straight Lines--No Touching
Fixtures	Industrial Designs, Built For Utility, Lacking Aesthetics	Industrial Designs, Built For Utility, Lacking Aesthetics

There are more similarities.

Here is how the people in a prison compare to the people in a school:

The People
	Prisons	Schools
The Place's Leader	The Warden—Oversees The Operation	The Principal—Oversees The Operation
The Facility's Population	Inmates—Expected To Do What They Are Told, Behave, And Learn How To Function Outside The Prison’s Walls	Students—Expected To Do What They Are Told, Behave, And Learn To Function Outside Of School.
The Staff	Correctional Officers—Expected To Control The Prisoners	Teachers—Expected To Control And Teach The Students

And here are some other comparisons:

Other Comparisons
	Prisons	Schools
Food	Not Usually Good	Not Usually Good
Meals	You Eat At Set Times And Eat What You're Given	You Eat At Set Times And Eat What You're Given
Inappropriate Behaviors Are Addressed	Using Negative Consequences--Loss Of Privileges	Using Negative Consequences--Loss Of Privileges
If You’re Bad You Go To	The Hole—A Solitary And Quiet Place For Alone Time Where You Are Supposed To Sit And Think About What You Did.	In School Suspension--A Room Full Of "Trouble Makers" Who Are Supposed To Sit Quietly And Think About What They Did.
Leadership Structure	Top Down Authoritarian Structure	Top Down Authoritarian Structure
Personal Autonomy	Very Limited	Very Limited
Personal Freedom	Not Much	Not Much
Human Contact	Strictly Controlled	Strictly Controlled
Rules	Lots Of Them	Lots Of Them
If You Finish The Program You’re Called A	Parolee	Graduate
If You Escape You’re Called A	Escapee	Dropout
Clothing	Dress Codes Or Uniforms	Dress Codes Or Uniforms

The reason for these similarities has a lot to do with the industrial revolution. 

There was a big push way back when to create efficient systems for  completing specific tasks. The problem is that while efficiently designed  systems are good for building Model T automobiles

or taking apart cows, 

they fall short when it comes to meeting human needs.  

The workers in the car-putting-together factories and cow-taking-apart factories suffered a lot from boredom and repetitive motion injuries.

The kids in our factory model schools suffer too. 

If we want to effectively educate children--or rehabilitate prisoners--we can not loss sight of their humanity. It needs to be considered in the design of our buildings and in they systems that operate in those buildings.

Pin-Headed Lawsuits Killing Play

I live in Sioux City, IA, a community located right were Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota meet. We have a lot of rolling hills and snow. In winter, people like to hop onto sleds and fly down those snow covered rolling hills.


Mostly this is a fun activity for kids and adults alike. 

Sometimes, however, someone gets hurt. Most people brush themselves off and  take personal responsibility for their injury. They figure that since they brought the sled to the hill, they got on the sled, and they zipped down the hill,they were responsible for the results of the ride--good or bad.


This is the thinking of most people, not all people. 


Back in 2008 a grown man in our community zipped down a snow covered hill in a city park. He crashed backwards into a street sign at the edge of a road (a not uncommon place to find street signs).


He suffered severe injuries,


Sued the city,


And this week the city settled--awarding him nearly $500,000. (Just part of a multi-million dollar payday for the dude and his family.)


Now the city has filed suit against the maker and seller of the sled.


Here is a short article about the settlement--make sure you read the comments.


Now, I'm sorry the dude got hurt, but he is responsible for his injuries. He walked up the hill, he got on the sled, he slid backwards into the sign, he did not roll off the sled before it got close to the street.


If the city randomly placed signs in the middle of the hill and then regularly relocated them to confuse and confound sledders, I could see the need for the lawsuit, but no matter how severe his injuries this guy was responsible for them.


Now millions of dollars has changed hands and lots of time and energy has been expended over his poor choices. 


And now the city is considering a sledding ban.


These things happen all the time. Instead of taking personal responsibility for their choices, litigious pinheads sue and scare communities and programs into banning once common activities, like sledding, in the name of safety. This is why most modern playgrounds are so dull and boring. 


Lawsuits like this are part of the reason building tree houses, climbing trees, gliding down Big Metal Slides, and other once-traditional bits of childhood are not on the play menu for modern children. These lawsuits are the reason so many young kids are trapped in early learning programs that fearfully ban many engaging and learning-rich materials and activities.


I don't know what the solution to this is--maybe raising kids who grow up with an understanding of personal responsibility is a start. Maybe encouraging them not to become litigious personal injury lawyers is another step. 


What I do know is that these lawsuits are not good for the future of kids or play. They have sucked a lot of the fun and freedom from childhood already and there is no sign it is slowing down.


(On a personal note, a week ago I injured myself while working in my shop. I have chosen not to file suit against the drill press, the drill bit, or the piece of wood.)

The Stream

For years, after sessions on caregiver burnout people have asked for video or audio tutorials about some of the meditation techniques I share. 


Here is an attempt to meet that request. It's about 10 minutes long and would be best viewed without a herd of kids climbing all over you. The last half of the video will actually guide you through the relaxation process. 


This technique is all about letting go of the things that clutter your mind so you can find Stillness, Focus, and Calm--things all parents and early learning artisans could use more of. It's one of the many things I learned from my mentor, Chris Blades, before his Dash was cut short a few years back and it has helped me avoid burnout, address stress, and stay happy ever since.  (this post explains the Dash concept)

It's a simple, but effective idea, but it requires practice. Dealing with stress and burnout takes an investment of your time, effort, and energy. You have to make self-care happen. One of the hardest things to deal with when you first start a meditation practice is the silence. It can be overwhelming when you are used to a head full of chaos.

Let me know what you think--good or bad--in the comment box below. If folks find it helpful, I'll try to make more.

Follow The Law of Two Feet

The Law of Two Feet says that if you find yourself someplace where you are neither learning nor contributing you should use your two feet and go do something useful. Preferable someplace where you can learn or contribute. It is a principle of the Open Space Technology (OST) approach to holding meetings and conferences developed by Harrison Owen (here's his website) 

And here is a quick video about the Law of Two Feet:

Life is short and time is a limited resource. Why spend that limited resource in situations or settings that are not nurturing?

In presentations and my book, Keeping Your Smile, I talk about the importance of living your dash. You're born and you die, it will happen to everyone. In the end, the dash between your year of birth and year of death represents the whole of your life--every breathe, every smile, every argument, every choice, every move of your two feet. 


You have to make the most of your dash and choose thoughtfully. 


All the choices can seem overwhelming and scary. They might freeze you with inaction. You might want to hand them off to someone else so you can avoid them. You might choose the status quo because no matter how bad it is, something different could be worse. Voting with your feet is not easy. If it was more people would walk out of bad movies and restaurants with poor service.


In the end though, you have to choose because as Seth Godin writes, it's completely up to you, whatever it might be.


(If you have a hard time deciding things, try out this nifty  internet tool I found: The Decision Decider.)


I encourage you to vote with your feet, as the Law of Two Feet mandates. 

When you find yourself in a situation that does not make the most of your dash, put your feet to work and go do something else:

• Walk out of the boring training.
• End the painful relationship.
• Start the cupcake decorating business you've been dreaming about.
• Tell Aunt Sally that it has been nice visiting, but that you really have to go.
• Turn off the CSI rerun.

Your feet do not have to remain planted.

You can dip your toe into a new stream.

You can fly off on a new adventure. 

Your can choose to spend time in situations were you learn and contribute.


Oh, and if you happen to spend time with young children, create environments that allow them to learn and contribute, and encourage them to vote with their feet. If Gilbert is bored with circle time let him go do something else. If Bertha wants to keep connecting Lego bricks even though everyone else is headed to the playground, find a way to make it work. Kids need to make the most of their dashes too--and you should never force someone to break the Law of Two Feet.

Hard Choices

When it comes to choices, the easy choice is, well, easy.


It's easy to go with the flow, follow the crowd, jump on the bandwagon, give in to peer pressure, get in step, don't rock the boat, sail with the prevailing wind, and conform.

sailing with the wind is the easy choice

Heck, conformity is hammered into our heads from our earliest days: "Be a good girl, get your finger out of your nose!", "I don't care if you want to paint, it's circle time...sit down.", "Go change, you can't go out in public like that!"


Our whole educational system was designed at the start of the Industrial Revolution to train young people to make choices that fall within a rigidly defined norm so they could grow up and be good factory workers. Educated enough to do their job, but not educated enough to ask too many questions. The goal of our public school system is sheeple.


To a certain degree, making choices that allow you to fit in is a good thing. Fitting in builds community and connections. It feels good to belong to a group,to be part of what Seth Godin calls a tribe.


The problem is that making easy choices--choosing to go with the flow and fit it--does not always feel right. Sometimes it leads to stress, inner conflict, self-loathing, frustration, and discomfort. Peer Pressure does not end when your acne clears up and you leave high school.


Sometimes we have to make hard choices, we have to choose to be different, we have to travel a different path.

hard choices lead to different paths

Dr. Seuss said:


"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.” 


and Golda Poretsky said:

“I think fitting in is highly overrated. I’d rather just fit out... Fitting out means being who you are, even when people insist that you have to change. Fitting out means taking up space, not apologizing for yourself, and not agreeing with those who seek to label you with stereotypes.” 


In early childhood, "fitting out" and saying what you feel is not always easy. 


Questioning the value of a new state mandate or the usefulness of a quality rating scale standard can get you branded as a sacrilegious, unprofessional, boat rocking, neanderthal.  


My advice is to do it anyway.


Be civil and thoughtful about it--there is no need for belligerence or bullying-- but "Fit out", "be who you are", and make the hard choices.

no need for this...

If choosing not to fit in is something you're not used to, the first time will be tough. You may feel your guts churning as the last meal you ate rises into your throat, but make the hard choice anyway.


If the family that's driving you crazy needs to be kicked out of your program, do it.


If you do not agree with a state licensing regulation or a government funding decision, share you thoughts and rock the boat a bit.


If the meal program paperwork is driving you crazy and eating up your valuable time, make a change.


If a rating scale standard asks you to do something you do not agree with, proudly opt not to comply with that standard.


If you're feeling bullied or pressured or belittled by a parent or state official or organization, stand up for yourself.


In the end, you're going to sleep better and you may find that you fit into a tribe of folks who choose to "fit out".

Who Needs A Plan?

Here is a blog post worth looking at: http://goinswriter.com/no-plan/. 


It is about not needing a plan and ends with a link to another read-worthy post: http://zenhabits.net/best-year/ about how to have the best year of your life without setting a single goal. 

It all sounds kind of counter intuitive, but sometimes the counter intuitive path is the one to follow--and in the end doing is much more important than planning.

What Did You Say?

Words matter. Not only the words you choose, but how you choose to say them.

Try to infuse your day with positive words.

Pay attention to what comes out of your mouth.

Focus on the tone you use with children and adults.

Use healing, helpful, and humane language.


It's not always easy. 


What situations make it tough for you to choose thoughtful language?