International Travel
CCJ 389 Spring Break Trip to Ireland
For spring break this year, 13 adventurous SOU students embarked on a transatlantic journey to visit Ireland and Northern Ireland as part of the Criminology and Criminal Justice study away class CCJ 389. The class, which met throughout Fall term 2022, culminated with the study abroad component for 8 days during spring break 2023. During the Fall term, the class discussed crime control issues associated with the criminal justice system in both countries, including the time of conflict known as the Troubles, drug and mental health policies, and restorative justice. This set the stage for the experiential section of the class… the trip to Ireland!
The group met up in Dublin on March 25 and promptly hopped on a coach that took us to the other side of the country for a night in Galway and a visit to the epic Cliffs of Mohr. While several of the students believed the trip could not possibly get better than that, they were in for a surprise! Next on the agenda: Belfast, Northern Ireland.
In Belfast, we toured the Crumlin Road Gaol (jail) which opened in 1846 and was known as Europe’s Alcatraz. The Gaol didn’t close its doors until 1996 and was known to hold criminals, political prisoners, and even a child as young as 10 years old. Following this, we had a guided tour of the “peace wall” from two former inmates of the Gaol, a Loyalist and a Republican, both with different stories and perspectives of the Troubles and the conflict that scarred generations in and around Northern Ireland. Even with their differing histories and lived experiences, both agreed on the power and necessity of restorative justice programs to rebuild trust and repair the harm that was done to both sides. Before departing Belfast, we had the honor of meeting with the Police Services of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and touring their facility and memorial grounds.
In Dublin, the group met with youth service providers who told us about serving at risk youth, preventing drug use, truancy, and gang involvement, and providing services to desperate families in need of assistance. We also explored Kilmainham Gaol, which opened in 1786 and housed thousands of men, women, and children for over 100 years. Then we toured the grounds of Trinity College including a visit to see the historical Book of Kells.
While the students have their favorite parts of the trip, the consensus is that the overall trip was AMAZING. From a faculty perspective, there is nothing quite so rewarding as taking students abroad. Traveling with students is transformative learning that takes the classroom into the real world and encourages the students to step outside their comfort zones. It challenges them with new experiences and gives them new confidence to soar. I couldn’t be more impressed with this amazingly inquisitive groups of journeyers.
Stayed tuned for next year’s CCJ 389 trip to Bosnia and Croatia, which will focus on exploring the Bosnian war, genocide, and peace & reconciliation. For more information, please contact Dr. Alison Burke at burkea@sou.edu . ALL MAJORS WELCOME! 🙂
