On December 9th, the Literature of Solitude and Loneliness class visited the Northampton County Courthouse, Prison, and Juvenile Detention Center so that they could observe individuals living in isolation and incarceration. 

The visit helped to put into context the solitary confinement narratives from the collection, Hell is a Very Small Place, that the class read and discussed. The 'behind-the-scenes' prison tours, our lunch, and a Q&A session at the courthouse were all arranged by the Honorable Judge Paula Roscioli '83 (Moravian Academy alumna and board member).

Students were able to see life behind bars and, as one student observed, students were able to have "new insights into a part of our society most people don't know much about since most people's views are based on tv and movies." Students grappled with issues facing our justice system and how society treats offenders and supports their rehabilitation. 

Another student commented, “I think a lot has to be fixed about the system, I think the constant cycle they kept speaking about with the people who were released back into society only to be brought back to prison. This isn't something that is obviously fixable, but requires tremendous effort by the government. I still don't see how solitary confinement is appropriate, nor how if someone is on suicide watch that they are then completely isolated. This has tremendous effects on the mind. But, for a lot of people, being put in a confined area allowed for rehabilitation, but for many others, too small of a confinement can make their mental state worse.” 

Finally, we were all so appreciative of Judge Roscioli and her staff for giving us time for an extended Q&A session after lunch so we could process with her all that we observed. One student voiced a common feeling among the class: “As I am sure others thought similarly, I was particularly grateful for the tour as a first-hand experience of a possible consequence of a bad choice. It was particularly enlightening to walk through the pods and different housing units, then at the end, conclude our tour at the courthouse. Although I am not sure if that was intentional, it made me think about how my actions and the right/wrong decisions I make now can affect my career and life plan ahead.”