Class 5: Exit Ticket
PART 1
In your own words, explain what a “penal spectator” is. Then, assess the extent to which Stormy Ogden ought to be considered a penal spectator.
A "penal spectator" is someone who observes or witnesses the penal system from a distance,
often without directly experiencing its consequences or implications. This term can be applied to individuals who are not directly involved in the criminal justice system but who observe legal proceedings, punishment practices, or incarceration from an outsider's perspective. I would consider myself a penal spectator because I am doing an internship at a law firm, so I usually observe legal proceedings, and sentencing and sometimes go to jail to visit clients but I have never been directly involved in the criminal justice system. Stormy Ogden cannot be classified as a penal spectator because she has directly experienced the criminal justice system firsthand. To be considered a penal spectator, one would observe the system from the sidelines without direct involvement. Given that Stormy Ogden has been
incarcerated before, she has had direct exposure to the workings of the justice system.
PART 2 Practice articulating Gilmore’s central argument in your own words.
Gilmore's main contention is that prisons serve as localized responses to political and economic challenges, orchestrated by the state, which is concurrently grappling with its own internal crises. Part 3
What was the most important thing you learned today?
One thing I learned that is going to be very useful to me is the formula of combining “informed knowledge” and “exhibit” to write an auto-ethnographic essay. This gave me a clear strategy on how to go about my essay writing process. What remains unclear? What questions remain for you?
