ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the question how can one even begin to explain what the Inside-Out Project Prison Exchange is. The difficulty does not lie in the format of the project, because it is quite simple, but in bringing our experiences as inside students to life. This experience holds a sacred place in our hearts and our aim is to do it justice. The Inside-Out Project initially began at the Dallas State Prison in Pennsylvania. The idea was formulated by Lori Pompa, a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and Paul Perry, who was serving a life sentence at the Dallas State Prison. In 1995, she took a group of students to the state prison in Dallas, PA, where they did the usual tour of the facility, followed by a conversation with a panel of men serving life sentences. More important than an open space, is the community building process, where solutions and dialogue can flourish.
