From theory to practice: what do students learn during a carceral tour?
Carceral tours are as old as modern prisons and have been used for many purposes. Scholars suggest
that exposing students to the criminal justice system may provide a realistic approach to understanding
a prison system and offenders. Carceral tours have become a viable solution for instructors who want
to create such exposure. However, the usefulness of prison visits, as well as the ethics have been subject
to debates for well over a decade. This article focusses on the aspects criminology and law students
learn during such a carceral tour, by analysing pre- and post-questionnaires concerning prison visits by
students of Ghent University in Belgian carceral institutions, and by analysing observations made during
these tours.