Communications of the ACM
Science Behind Bars
A Utah State Prison inmate asks a question during a lecture.
Credit: University of Utah
More than 70 men dressed in state issued green and white clothing filed into the Promontory gym at the Utah State Prison one evening earlier this month, not to play basketball or lift weights, but to listen to a lecture on trees.
With the phrase "UDC Inmate" printed on the back of most of their shirts, the men represented a wide variety of ages, races, and academic levels. While some were there just to get a change of scenery, others were prepared with paper and pens ready to take notes.
Beaming with passion, Nalini Nadkarkni, professor of biology at the University of Utah, launched into her presentation and within minutes, her love of forest science and arboriculture was apparent. Her lecture, similar to what the students in her classroom would hear, was fast-paced, animated, and thorough.
Nadkarni discussed tree biology and how trees relate to human health, art, and music, and explained, "Trees are the lungs of the earth." After responding to many questions the inmates posed, she said, "I want you guys in my class."
She ended by discussing what types of jobs are available in the field of arboriculture and said that even with a record, jobs can be obtained either though apprenticeship or education.
After the lecture, the inmates quizzed Nadkarni about her vast knowledge of ecology. They asked her questions about research, how trees affect the environment, and how they can become involved in arboriculture.
"This was awesome," says Jesse David, 28, an inmate serving time in the substance abuse program and just one of the 7,000 inmates at the Utah State Prison. "I’ve always been interested in the environment and science and want to work in nature."
Three years in the making, Nadkarni was finally able to bring the University of Utah’s program to the Utah State Prison. The initiative aims to create a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment to advance scientific knowledge and help offenders rebuild their lives through education.
"By bringing these lectures to inmates, we hope to provide some inspiration and university-level education," says Nadkarni, whose nature imagery in prison project was recently named one of TIME's 25 Best Inventions of 2014. "Not only do the lectures focus on basic science, we discuss how the topics can be applied to employment."
As part of a monthly series funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and private donations, the program, known as the Initiative to Bring Science Programs to the Incarcerated, or INSPIRE, will address topics such as biology, ecology, chemistry, physics, and math.
"This lecture really sparked my interest and I want to learn as much as I can while I’m here," says David, who is serving two years for stealing credit cards. "As soon as I found out the University of Utah would be giving lectures, I signed up right away and I’m going to be here for every one."
The University of Utah’s program is modeled after the Sustainability in Prisons Project, which Nadkarni co-founded in 2005 to bring science and nature into prisons in the state of Washington. The program has since formed a national network and has expanded into 12 state prisons in Washington and eight additional sites across the country.
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