Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program

MARION - The Ohio State University - Marion sociology lecturer Brenda Chaney plans to lead a group of college students through an exchange program with the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville.

According to a news release, Chaney plans to have a group of students participate in the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, which invites college students and inmates to come together and learn in the same classroom. The program is national, headquartered at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa., and includes 12 colleges and universities with about 7,500 students involved to date.

Chaney is hopeful that the students and inmates will write papers, read books, discuss social issues, do presentations and take part in a graduation ceremony together.

"Students will learn that there is a fine line between who goes to prison and who goes to college," she said in a statement. "Students will learn that a slight change in circumstance could put them in the other place."

Chaney will go through specialized training provided by the Inside-Out program. She said the program, which is being offered as an Ohio State Marion course, could benefit any student but particularly those focusing on criminology, sociology and psychology.

Chaney can be reached at 740-725-6282 or by email at chaney.2@osu.edu.