Being a Learner in Prison: Identity Positioning of Students in Detention

This paper aims to explore the identity scenario of students in detention who decided to undertake a higher education course while in prison. This is crucial to understand how to better support and expand the right of education for incarcerated individuals and how to make it more functional to overcome a vision of mere punishment in favor of social reintegration. The following question guides the research: What kind of identity scenario characterizes those who undertake an educational path while in prison? 16 male students in prison (aged 32 and 70 years old) filled in a purposely made survey, inspired by the Dialogical Self Theory. Data are analyzed qualitatively, focusing on students’ position quality, the nature of the dialogue entertained with the second most prevalent positions, including emotion and motivation to study. Results show that students’ positions associated with being a student in prison are often positive and engaged in a reconstructive and restorative dialogue with internal past positions. When an external position emerges, the dialogue remains positive. Motivation is often intrinsic. Our results suggest that the decision to study in prison often draws inspiration from the past, highlighting the need to strengthen prison facilities as environments motivating and supporting the choice of educational pathways.