Inmates, Writing, and Metacognition

By Brody Smithwick

One of my creative writing students received a life sentence in prison last week. He knew for months that this would be his fate, but the thunder of the gavel still brought a finality that was hard to handle. We talked about what lay before him several times during our weekly workshops that took place inside his housing unit at the county jail. Helping someone learn the craft of writing when the pen will be one of his only connections to the outside world for the rest of his life brings a certain weight to the work. He has shared numerous times how honing his skills and learning how to tell stories has given him renewed hope. While he knows he’ll die in prison, he believes he can still make a positive impact on the world by creating stories that will encourage people to pursue a different path than his own. He has written two full-length novels, a full-length play, and numerous poems while in our program. He is not my first student to receive a life sentence, and sadly he probably won’t be the last. However, those that end up spending the rest of their lives in a cell are not the norm.

According to the National Reentry Resource Center, “At least 95 percent of incarcerated people will be released back to their communities at some point.” Statistics like these are part of the reason why my wife and I founded Lion Life Community, an arts and education initiative that offers a suite of classes to the incarcerated population of North Georgia. While creative writing programs in prisons and jails are not a new concept, we believe there is new data coming out that will make them, and other art-centric programs, much more vital to the rehabilitative process. 

Some of that new data centers around metacognition. Metacognition is a powerful mental process that, in simplest terms, means ‘to think about your thinking’. By thinking about our thinking, we can gain invaluable information about ourselves that we can use in numerous ways to our advantage. Aristotle wrote about its potential benefits thousands of years ago while scientists today are using it in artificial intelligence modeling. Many studies have been conducted, and copious articles have been written, to explain and support metacognition’s benefits. However, considering that this is not a blog about history or a science journal, I’ll just post some links at the bottom of the page to some of those articles for anyone who might want to nerd-out on the finer points of metacognition. So why should writers care about Metacognition? 

Writers engage in metacognition to some degree every time they write. 

According to Carr, 2002, the physical act of writing plays a large role in developing metacognitive skills. As writers we are regularly flexing our metacognitive-muscles. This type of exercise can pay huge dividends in multiple areas of our lives. The body is a marvel and the mind even more so. There are at least 100 trillion neural connections in the brain; that’s 1,000 times the number of stars in our galaxy. There are literally millions of signals and thoughts running through our brains each day at rates we cannot even fathom. The wild thing about those thoughts is that they motivate all of our actions. So how we approach problem solving, learning, and responding to the world on a daily basis is directly linked to these thoughts. 

With all this activity at conscious and subconscious levels, it can be hard to sort through or even understand everything that’s going on in our own minds. But when we write, something magical happens: All of our thoughts focus to one single point. What happens in the complex recesses of our minds can begin to manifest itself on the blank page and give us a new vantage point to evaluate what’s going on inside ourselves. Do a quick Google search and you will find plenty of articles on the benefits of journaling: decreased stress, increased problem solving abilities, and greater capacity for empathy just to name a few. Metacognition is a driving force behind all of these improvements. These new perspectives allow an individual to work through an issue, whatever that issue may be, in a more productive manner. When we are able to think about and evaluate the lines of thought that drive behaviors, we can effect radical change in our lives. 

What about us fiction-folks and poets? 

Writing fiction and poetry are still, at their cores, mediums of communication. The author of that work is very intentionally evaluating their beliefs, biases, and motives as they craft the narrative. The act of weaving a world-view into a plot challenges the author to reflect deeply on what they believe and why they believe it. This is still metacognition. Whether the author agrees or disagrees with the protagonist of the story or persona of the poem, they must still cognitively make value judgments about the human experience to construct the text. One may even argue that works of fiction, poetry, and art in general may stimulate greater levels of metacognition than personal journaling. Story, especially deals with layers of conflict and tension. When composing a narrative rich in conflict, an author must view issues from multiple perspectives. As a result, an author will find themselves thinking deeply about their characters’ thought processes as well as their own. 

Being aware of Metacognition allows you to maximize its benefits.

While writing naturally begins the process of metacognition, you must be aware of the fact that you can use your compositions as a window into your thought processes to reap the full benefits. Many people write everyday and are unaware that their compositions are mental-artifacts that hold valuable information to be extracted and leveraged for their good. Now that you know about metacognition, you can begin to evaluate your thought processes in a new way. Whatever information you gain will be beneficial.

I teach all of my students in the jail about the link between writing and metacognition because I believe it is a powerful tool that helps equip them to break out of self-destructive cycles. A few months ago, I got together with one of my students after he’d been released to give him some feedback on one of his new projects. At the age of 53, he wrote his first poem and short story in our class. Before he was released, he had written a full length novel. He’s gone on to write three more. He has a natural gifting for the craft. In his newest book, a rancher in the 1800’s tries to keep his cattle safe from greedy men and the natural perils of the backcountry in Wyoming. The writing is good. A natural luddite, he does it all done longhand on looseleaf before pecking it out on the laptop he bought for just such a purpose. The other day he told me about his new found love of research and how he got an I-phone so he wouldn’t have to make so many trips to the library. I asked him how creating fiction had changed his life besides getting him to buy fancy electronics. 

 “Now, I write through my problems. Creating fiction helps me put my mind on paper and evaluate myself and the world in new ways.” 

I didn’t chime in with a quip about metacognition. He’s already heard my spiel. He’s living it out and reaping all the benefits. 

Suggestions to get the most out of Metacognition

1. Become aware: View metacognition as a tool that you can access! That’s where the magic starts.

2. Freewrite: Freewriting is an excellent way to see what is happening at the subconscious level. A great exercise is to give yourself an abstract word like Love, Freedom, or Forgiveness and then write everything that comes to your mind. NO EDITING ALLOWED! Turn the screen off on your computer and just go for it! 

3. Remix #2: You can apply the same concept in #2, but use a particular problem or situation to start.  

4. Get in a Good Writing Group: I emphasize good here because not all writing groups are created equal. If you leave feeling shamed and worthless, get out of there! If you leave feeling challenged but spurred on to write more, keep showing up. The important thing is that you feel comfortable sharing about your work and the process that brought it into fruition. 

Metacognition Resources

• https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/metacognition/ 

• Pintrich, Paul R. (2002). The Role of metacognitive knowledge in learning, teaching, and assessing. Theory into Practice, 41(4). 219-225. 

• https://www.aaai.org/Papers/Workshops/2008/WS-08-07/WS08-07-026.pdf (AI and Metacognition) 

• Hacker, Douglas J., et al. Handbook of Metacognition in Education. Routledge, 2009.

Sources

• Gammil, D. (2006). "Learning the Write Way". The Reading Teacher. 59 (8): 754–762.

• “National Reentry Resource Center.” CSG Justice Center, csgjusticecenter.org/nrrc.

New Glasses for Society

By: Brody Smithwick

There are things that need to take place in our society as a whole if we ever want to see a massive reduction in recidivism. Society has to shift its perspective on incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. The latter being the most essential to the reducing-recidivism-equation. People must realize that the incarcerated are not The Others—they are humans. Most frequently, they are hurting human beings whose behaviors are driven by that hurt and a great sense of hopelessness. The burden belongs to the local communities to band together and embrace returning citizens. After all, according to the Congressional Research Service, “At least 95 percent of incarcerated people will be released back to their communities at some point.” This statistic is staggering.

Due to their criminal record, tactics at the local level are implemented to make it harder for them to obtain gainful employment while their basic rights are taken away which only reinforces the mentality that they are less than. Everything possible is done to keep transitional housing and other rehabilitative initiatives out of the “nice parts” of town. This is not an exhaustive list. The measures that are taken to ensure that a Felon does not rise above his/her station is astounding. What is even more mind boggling is that Society, after placing all of these barriers in front of a returning citizen, is then shocked when someone consistently reoffends and ultimately writes off those individuals as unredeemable. While there are certainly individuals that if given every opportunity and resource would still resort to a life of crime, you have to wonder what percentage of offenders could become productive members of society if they just had the right kind of help.

How can we be the ones who give the right kind of help? 

Build pipelines from jails and prisons that funnel individuals into supportive networks. Reward local and Big Businesses for embracing second chance hiring. Vote to pass legislation that allows criminal records to truly become a part of a person's past rather than a permanent barrier to an abundant future. Most importantly, giving the right kind of help begins when Society chooses to operate from a place of Hope and compassion rather than fear and suspicion when it comes to the formerly incarcerated. Without these things taking place in Society, we will never see a drastic drop in the recidivism rate.

My story of breaking out of the cycle includes all of the above. I had an encounter with a person that cast an entirely new vision for my life. They promised to walk alongside me and equip me to chase down this new dream. I was incredibly fortunate to be able to obtain an education and other skills that eventually lead me to apply for gainful employment. Those employers took chances on me, and that encouragement meant more than they will ever know. I can’t stress how important that is to the equation. More than one person decided to look past my criminal record and give me a job. They chose to believe that a person really could become a new creation.

The first step to seeing the tides turn in the fight against recidivism is instilling a sense of Hope in those currently caught in the vicious cycle. Then they must be equipped with the right skills and tools to ensure a personal victory. Ultimately, Society must undergo a paradigm shift in how it views those who have lived an incarcerated story. If we all linked arms and rallied around the individuals trying to exit the system, we would see more progress than we ever dreamed possible. 

Fostering A Healthy Imagination

By: Brody Smithwick

The ability to imagine what one’s life could be like is the first step towards that new reality. I would go as far as to say that imagination and Hope are intimately linked. Hope is absolutely necessary for an individual to break the cycle of recidivism. You may think that’s a rather bold claim, but anyone who has had their ability to obtain gainful employment greatly diminished due to a new criminal record coupled with the thousands of dollars worth of fines, lawyer fees, drug counseling fees, community service hours to complete, probation rules to follow, and normal financial responsibilities will see that things begin to look pretty abysmal. This is not to mention the potential need to overhaul other major relational areas of one’s life in order to succeed. Hope is essential.

At Lion Life Community, we teach Creative Writing and Music classes for various reasons such as encouraging metacognition and building writing skills that can translate to the job market. But fostering a healthy imagination in order to birth Hope is the main goal. I want to point out that we are encouraging our students to engage in building a “healthy” imagination. Inspiring someone to meditate on and begin to dream about things that will lead them into a new way of life; a way that is fulfilling and free from carrying out criminal behavior is the goal. Since we will ultimately become what we behold, I think helping an individual set his or her mind on the things that will truly profit them in the long run is crucial to their success. 

If we succeed in igniting someone’s imagination, filling up their Hope-tank, and helping them hone in on a stellar dream then we’ve effectively aided them in discovering purpose. Viktor E. Frankl, in his acclaimed work Man’s Search for Meaning says, “Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.” Viktor was a Jewish neurologist and psychologist who survived extreme suffering in multiple Nazi concentration camps. This quote describes a major pillar of the powerful approach to psychotherapy he developed known as, Logotherapy. Without purpose a person loses all sense of true north in their lives; they don’t have a why and therefore can never overcome the challenges they face. Again, imagination and Hope are intrinsically linked, and they are both vital to discovering one’s purpose that will ultimately serve as a compass as they navigate their journey of permanently exiting the system. 

Looking to the Future: Building Projects from a Strong Foundation

By: Dr. Lara Smith-Sitton and Brody Smithwick

An excerpt from Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric Volume 19, Issue 2, Fall/Winter 2019 - 2020

Our goal is not simply to move college students to jail settings to engage in writing and literacy activities but to also raise awareness about the powerful need for and impact of education while revealing the depth of writing talent and rich stories incarcerated individuals can share. We want those involved to see the commonalities of being human regardless of where we sleep at night. We aspire to what Wendy Hinshaw and Kathie Klarreich (2014) observed through their program: “Outside students became advocates for inside partners” and for the nonprofits doing this important work (150). By moving slowly into project identification and development with the English department, Lion Life has been able to continue growing their programs and thoughtfully consider how Kennesaw State University might best engage while developing a sustainable, manageable, impactful program.

When those who are struggling the most in our communities are lifted up, empowered, and given a voice, everyone benefits. Perhaps the most essential need for a program like Lion Life’s is for the community at large to catch the vision. If inmates are released only to be forever stigmatized as “the other,” then Lion Life’s impact stays confined to the jail. Collaboration with a university allows for further reach into the community and can give those outside students-turned-advocates a platform to proclaim their message to the world. And developing the relationships thoughtfully and slowly with reciprocity and flexibility can allow for a strong and effective infrastructure.

The flexibility and insightful experience brought by a nonprofit to a faculty member responsible for developing community-engaged programs and internships resulted in building a framework for a jail writing program. Starting small offers the time and space for universities and community partners, particularly a nonprofit, to get to know each other, better understand goals and needs, and scale programs that have valuable, impactful, and sustainable structures. It also gave us the chance to manage our project carefully and deliberately, revising projects, re-envisioning needs, and making needed modifications. This was essential. We had never worked together before, and while we both had a vision for our collaboration, Brody’s expertise shaped the project and helped Lara to better understand the many facets of jail and prison writing initiatives.