4:16 p.m., Dec. 21, 2007--The undergraduate course "Drugs and the Criminal Justice System: An Inside/Outside Perspective" taught by Lana Harrison, professor of sociology, has received an award from the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA) Mid-Atlantic Region in the "Special Populations" category. The award was given in October at the region's conference in Harrisburg, Pa.

The course enables "inside students" at Baylor Women's Correctional Institution in New Castle, Del., and "outside students" from UD to participate in a unique learning experience by taking this criminal justice course together. The course takes place on location at the correctional facility.

The course is a cooperative effort of the Delaware Department of Corrections and several UD partners: the Division of Professional and Continuing Studies, the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, and the Office of Service Learning. "Our course has offered rich opportunities for participants on both sides to think about drug and criminal justice issues in deep and meaningful ways," says Harrison, "and it took a tremendous amount of cooperation among all the involved partners."

Jim Broomall, assistant provost of Professional and Continuing Studies, nominated Harrison's program for the award. "This program has so many innovative features, but most importantly, it enables 'inside' and 'outside' students to interact in a neutral, academic setting to explore the relationship between alcohol and drug abuse and deviant behavior from both the practical and theoretical perspective, and it gave all enrolled students the chance to earn University credit."

As Harrison explains, "For some of the 'inside' students the college credits were important, but for others, just participating in the course served as a springboard for their future educational goals. The fact that they really could earn UD credits made it a very real academic experience for them. Several of the inside students, upon release, have already begun taking college classes."

"The 'regular' UD students are also getting an extremely valuable experience. They may be preparing for careers in law, in law enforcement or human services. Through this course, they are getting the opportunity to really understand the struggles in other people's lives, on an individual level. They get a grounding in the reality of how drugs and crime affect peoples' lives."

Eric Rise, associate chairperson of UD's criminal justice program, said, "The department is excited about the award because it recognizes one of the most innovative course offerings in our curriculum. The opportunity for students of diverse backgrounds and experiences to learn from one another and to advocate for meaningful change in the criminal justice system goes to the heart of the University's commitment to experiential and discovery-based learning. We appreciate the continued support from the Division of Professional and Continuing Studies, particularly in helping several of the 'inside' students to earn college credit. We hope this recognition from the UCEA will encourage similar partnerships on campus to foster curricular innovations and serve nontraditional student populations."