The Classics and Incarceration: Fostering Civic Bridges in the Classroom and Beyond

Emily Allen-Hornblower (Rutgers University, New Brunswick)

Over the last 9 years, I have been teaching Classics college courses behind bars at men’s prisons (medium and maximum security). The discussions, particularly regarding Homer and Greek tragedy, have been hugely thought-provoking and enlightening, not least as a springboard for addressing burning contemporary (social, ethical, and human) issues that pertain to life before, during, and after prison. In partnership with some of my formerly incarcerated students, we have also opened discussions of ancient works to the broader public, using Greek tragedy as a catalyst for communal conversations about the plays’ significance for mass incarceration survivors. Our focus to date – using close readings and performances (in video or in person) of various select passages from Greek tragedies – has been mainly to bring to light the colossal dehumanization and destruction wrought on all by the caging of our fellow humans. Our current work in “Public Humanities” is expanding such public-facing work to forms of engagement that involve the public and communities within different settings, including the classroom, in an effort to build civic bridges and awareness among different age groups of the social diseases that lead to incarceration, and to invite all to think creatively about what the beginning of healing might look like, on an individual and broader societal level.