For more than a decade a number of scholars and activists have expressed difficultly with the terms convict, inmate, offender, prisoner and felon. This problem has extended to using these labels preceded by the word “ex.” Recently this criticism has extended to difficulty with calling former President Trump a felon.
People opposed to using these terms argue that they are stigmatizing and prevent men and women who are labeled or referred to as such from gaining employment, progressing in their careers, finding suitable housing, etc.
A frequently recommended alternative is to use people centered language (PCL). It’s argued that using PCL is less stigmatizing and more humanizing. Thus, instead of referring to someone as a convict or felon, they should be called “A person with a conviction,” or in lieu of inmate or prisoner using “Incarcerated person” or “Person who is incarcerated,” etc.
But this strategy is no panacea for assisting people who are incarcerated or have been released from custody. And there are numerous criticisms of this approach that PCL advocates seem to be either unaware of or chose to ignore.
And here’s the main reason why PCL is problematic. Using PCL is cumbersome and it introduces unnecessary ambiguity Unless they have drank the Kool-Aid, themajority of people you talk with are going to look at you and wonder what the hell you are talking about. I don’t mind the strange looks, but if you value effective communication using PCL is not going to help.
It’s time for prison scholars and activists to invest their energy into more impactful kinds of prison reform activities, like fixing sentencing and prison conditions instead of getting caught up with and going down the rabbit hole of language politics.
Photo credit:
Photographer: Doctored
Title: Beef_angus_chart_butcher
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6078-e1724294695495.jpg363600Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2024-08-25 01:34:472024-08-25 12:48:51My beef with Person Centered Language (PCL)
As another summer draws to a close, many who were fortunate enough to take a vacation find themselves reflecting on their experiences. If you’re looking for something different next time, consider the idea of immersive or ‘slow’ vacationing
What is Immersive Travel?
Immersive travel involves spending a significant period of time—usually two or more weeks—in a single location. This contrasts sharply with the typical “hit and run” style of traveling, where you rush from one destination or attraction to another. Instead of ticking off tourist sites, immersive travel encourages deeper engagement with the destination, enabling you to better appreciate and understand the local culture and lifestyle.
Who is Immersive Vacations Best For?
Immersive travel is ideal for individuals, couples, and families with flexible jobs, such as academics, public school teachers, remote workers, and digital nomads. It provides a break to the rigid schedules of traditional vacations. Additionally, if you’re able to give up or rent out your residence while you’re away, it can help offset the costs, making this form of travel more affordable.
Why Choose Immersive Travel?
There are numerous reasons why immersive vacationing may be a good alternative. These include the following:
Leisurely Exploration: Rather than cramming multiple well-known places to visit into a short period, immersive travel lets you explore a city or region at a relaxed pace. This slower approach offers the luxury of time to uncover lesser-known attractions (and spontaneous opportunities) that are often missed in a typical world wind travel itinerary.
Local Experiences: Staying longer in one place gives you more opportunities to shop at local markets, try new foods, and interact with locals. Visiting public markets, for example, opens up opportunities to select fresh and different ingredients, and attempting to prepare selected dishes from the local cuisine at your temporary digs allows you to engage with the culture in a deeper manner. Instead of the “hit and run vacation,” where dining is confined to restaurants, another benefit of this approach may lead to a healthier diet as you include a greater variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, and wholesome ingredients.
Avoiding Crowds: With more time on your hands, you can visit popular attractions during quieter times, avoiding the rush of peak tourist hours. This not only makes the experience more enjoyable but also allows for deeper, more meaningful engagement with the places you visit.
Authentic Connections: By spending extended time in a location, you’re more likely to form connections with locals. This can lead to a better understanding of the place’s culture and language, fostering richer, more memorable experiences.
Potential Drawbacks
Although immersive travel offers many benefits, it’s not without potential drawbacks:
Accommodation Issues: Staying in a place for more than a few days often means opting for accommodations like an Airbnb, apartment hotel, or home exchange. With these arrangements, there’s a risk of encountering less-than-ideal living conditions. For instance, you might end up in a noisy environment—imagine neighbors renovating their apartment next door, roosters crowing at 5 a.m., or dogs barking through the night. These inconveniences can be frustrating, especially during a long stay.
Predictability vs. Adventure: Some travelers prefer the predictability of resorts and cruises, where most aspects of the trip are managed for them. Immersive travel, on the other hand, involves a level of unpredictability and requires a willingness to adapt to new environments and situations.
Solutions to possible challenges
To mitigate potential downsides, it’s important to spend more resources (esp. time) engaging in strategic planning. Start by thoroughly researching online reviews of your possiblr accommodations. If there are only a few reviews, it might be wise to pass and find a place with a more established reputation. Additionally, consider reaching out to the owner or landlord and asking detailed questions about the space, amenities, noise levels, and any other concerns you might have. In some cases, doing a short trial stay before committing to a longer period can also help you assess whether the accommodation meets your needs. These steps offer more control over your trip, helping you avoid unpleasant surprises.
Wrapping up
Immersive travel can transform your next vacation into a richer, more meaningful experience. By slowing down and spending more time in a single location, you’ll have the opportunity to engage deeply with the culture, form authentic connections, and enjoy a more leisurely exploration of your destination. Although there are potential challenges, careful planning and a bit of flexibility can help you make the most of this approach to travel and vacationing.
Image credit:
Painter Alex Colville
Title: To Prince Edward Island, 1965
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-08-17-at-11.19.30 AM.png10101532Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2024-08-17 22:29:492025-10-12 22:30:37Time to Consider Immersive Vacations
Correctional facilities have four main objectives: ensuring community safety, deterring crime, rehabilitating inmates, and punishing those sentenced to incarceration. Although jails and prisons are not intended to be comfortable, they must respect universally accepted standards of humane treatment.
To effectively address these problems, concerned individuals should rely on trustworthy sources of information, such as respected news media and peer-reviewed research, and engage with principled activism to push for change.
In August, two significant observances highlight critical issues within their respective countries’ prison systems: Canada’s Prisoners’ Justice Day on August 10 and Black August throughout the month. Both events call attention to poor prison conditions and advocate for reform and justice in this branch of the criminal justice system.
Historical Context and Significance
Prisoners’ Justice Day, which started in 1975, commemorates the unnecessary deaths of prisoners (by suicide) in Canadian prisons. It serves as a platform to spotlight poor conditions, policies, and practices within Canadian correctional facilities and advocate for prisoners’ rights. This day often involves direct actions, including hunger strikes, and advocacy efforts (both inside and outside of Canadian prisons) aimed at drawing attention to prison conditions.
Black August, which began in 1979, is a month-long event in the U.S. that honors Black political prisoners and commemorates significant events such as the birth of George Jackson and the Attica Prison uprising. This observance features educational events, commemoration ceremonies, and advocacy efforts, focusing on racial and systemic injustices within the American correctional system.
Importance of Recognition
Both Prisoners’ Justice Day and Black August emphasize the ongoing struggle for prison reform and justice. Common challenges in both Canadian and American prison systems include bureaucratic inefficiencies, resource limitations, and systemic issues that complicate efforts to implement effective reforms.
For example, in Canada, overcrowding has led to significant strains on healthcare services and increased violence within facilities. In the U.S., racial disparities and inadequate conditions often exacerbate the difficulties faced by inmates, as evidenced by high-profile and periodic riots in both state and federal facilities.
Conclusion
Recognizing Prisoners’ Justice Day and Black August is crucial for advancing prison reform in both countries. These observances bring attention to the struggles and contributions of prisoners and activists, underscoring the need for sustained education, engagement, and meaningful reform.
Prisoners are among the most marginalized members of our society, and their treatment reflects our broader values. Improving prison conditions is not just a moral obligation; it’s a measure of our collective humanity. To support meaningful change, we must first understand the realities of incarceration. From there, we can advocate for reform, support organizations doing the work, and raise public awareness to drive systemic change.
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-08-08-at-5.16.41 PM.png506876Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2024-08-09 12:51:322025-08-04 21:01:13Recognizing Canada’s Prisoners’ Justice Day & United States’ Black August
My beef with Person Centered Language (PCL)
/by Jeffrey Ian RossFor more than a decade a number of scholars and activists have expressed difficultly with the terms convict, inmate, offender, prisoner and felon. This problem has extended to using these labels preceded by the word “ex.” Recently this criticism has extended to difficulty with calling former President Trump a felon.
People opposed to using these terms argue that they are stigmatizing and prevent men and women who are labeled or referred to as such from gaining employment, progressing in their careers, finding suitable housing, etc.
A frequently recommended alternative is to use people centered language (PCL). It’s argued that using PCL is less stigmatizing and more humanizing. Thus, instead of referring to someone as a convict or felon, they should be called “A person with a conviction,” or in lieu of inmate or prisoner using “Incarcerated person” or “Person who is incarcerated,” etc.
But this strategy is no panacea for assisting people who are incarcerated or have been released from custody. And there are numerous criticisms of this approach that PCL advocates seem to be either unaware of or chose to ignore.
And here’s the main reason why PCL is problematic. Using PCL is cumbersome and it introduces unnecessary ambiguity Unless they have drank the Kool-Aid, the majority of people you talk with are going to look at you and wonder what the hell you are talking about. I don’t mind the strange looks, but if you value effective communication using PCL is not going to help.
As a response, a handful of individuals in the Convict Criminology network have courageously and eloquently argued why the term convict, etc. is an appropriate term and advocated the reclaiming of the convict label.
It’s time for prison scholars and activists to invest their energy into more impactful kinds of prison reform activities, like fixing sentencing and prison conditions instead of getting caught up with and going down the rabbit hole of language politics.
Photo credit:
Photographer: Doctored
Title: Beef_angus_chart_butcher
Time to Consider Immersive Vacations
/by Jeffrey Ian RossAs another summer draws to a close, many who were fortunate enough to take a vacation find themselves reflecting on their experiences. If you’re looking for something different next time, consider the idea of immersive or ‘slow’ vacationing
What is Immersive Travel?
Immersive travel involves spending a significant period of time—usually two or more weeks—in a single location. This contrasts sharply with the typical “hit and run” style of traveling, where you rush from one destination or attraction to another. Instead of ticking off tourist sites, immersive travel encourages deeper engagement with the destination, enabling you to better appreciate and understand the local culture and lifestyle.
Who is Immersive Vacations Best For?
Immersive travel is ideal for individuals, couples, and families with flexible jobs, such as academics, public school teachers, remote workers, and digital nomads. It provides a break to the rigid schedules of traditional vacations. Additionally, if you’re able to give up or rent out your residence while you’re away, it can help offset the costs, making this form of travel more affordable.
Why Choose Immersive Travel?
There are numerous reasons why immersive vacationing may be a good alternative. These include the following:
Leisurely Exploration: Rather than cramming multiple well-known places to visit into a short period, immersive travel lets you explore a city or region at a relaxed pace. This slower approach offers the luxury of time to uncover lesser-known attractions (and spontaneous opportunities) that are often missed in a typical world wind travel itinerary.
Local Experiences: Staying longer in one place gives you more opportunities to shop at local markets, try new foods, and interact with locals. Visiting public markets, for example, opens up opportunities to select fresh and different ingredients, and attempting to prepare selected dishes from the local cuisine at your temporary digs allows you to engage with the culture in a deeper manner. Instead of the “hit and run vacation,” where dining is confined to restaurants, another benefit of this approach may lead to a healthier diet as you include a greater variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, and wholesome ingredients.
Avoiding Crowds: With more time on your hands, you can visit popular attractions during quieter times, avoiding the rush of peak tourist hours. This not only makes the experience more enjoyable but also allows for deeper, more meaningful engagement with the places you visit.
Authentic Connections: By spending extended time in a location, you’re more likely to form connections with locals. This can lead to a better understanding of the place’s culture and language, fostering richer, more memorable experiences.
Potential Drawbacks
Although immersive travel offers many benefits, it’s not without potential drawbacks:
Accommodation Issues: Staying in a place for more than a few days often means opting for accommodations like an Airbnb, apartment hotel, or home exchange. With these arrangements, there’s a risk of encountering less-than-ideal living conditions. For instance, you might end up in a noisy environment—imagine neighbors renovating their apartment next door, roosters crowing at 5 a.m., or dogs barking through the night. These inconveniences can be frustrating, especially during a long stay.
Predictability vs. Adventure: Some travelers prefer the predictability of resorts and cruises, where most aspects of the trip are managed for them. Immersive travel, on the other hand, involves a level of unpredictability and requires a willingness to adapt to new environments and situations.
Solutions to possible challenges
To mitigate potential downsides, it’s important to spend more resources (esp. time) engaging in strategic planning. Start by thoroughly researching online reviews of your possiblr accommodations. If there are only a few reviews, it might be wise to pass and find a place with a more established reputation. Additionally, consider reaching out to the owner or landlord and asking detailed questions about the space, amenities, noise levels, and any other concerns you might have. In some cases, doing a short trial stay before committing to a longer period can also help you assess whether the accommodation meets your needs. These steps offer more control over your trip, helping you avoid unpleasant surprises.
Wrapping up
Immersive travel can transform your next vacation into a richer, more meaningful experience. By slowing down and spending more time in a single location, you’ll have the opportunity to engage deeply with the culture, form authentic connections, and enjoy a more leisurely exploration of your destination. Although there are potential challenges, careful planning and a bit of flexibility can help you make the most of this approach to travel and vacationing.
Image credit:
Painter Alex Colville
Title: To Prince Edward Island, 1965
Recognizing Canada’s Prisoners’ Justice Day & United States’ Black August
/by Jeffrey Ian RossCorrectional facilities have four main objectives: ensuring community safety, deterring crime, rehabilitating inmates, and punishing those sentenced to incarceration. Although jails and prisons are not intended to be comfortable, they must respect universally accepted standards of humane treatment.
Incarceration should neither be life-threatening nor life-ending for inmates. Meanwhile, globally, prisons face numerous challenges, including overcrowding, poor food, inadequate healthcare, and violence from both correctional personnel and fellow inmates.
To effectively address these problems, concerned individuals should rely on trustworthy sources of information, such as respected news media and peer-reviewed research, and engage with principled activism to push for change.
In August, two significant observances highlight critical issues within their respective countries’ prison systems: Canada’s Prisoners’ Justice Day on August 10 and Black August throughout the month. Both events call attention to poor prison conditions and advocate for reform and justice in this branch of the criminal justice system.
Historical Context and Significance
Prisoners’ Justice Day, which started in 1975, commemorates the unnecessary deaths of prisoners (by suicide) in Canadian prisons. It serves as a platform to spotlight poor conditions, policies, and practices within Canadian correctional facilities and advocate for prisoners’ rights. This day often involves direct actions, including hunger strikes, and advocacy efforts (both inside and outside of Canadian prisons) aimed at drawing attention to prison conditions.
Black August, which began in 1979, is a month-long event in the U.S. that honors Black political prisoners and commemorates significant events such as the birth of George Jackson and the Attica Prison uprising. This observance features educational events, commemoration ceremonies, and advocacy efforts, focusing on racial and systemic injustices within the American correctional system.
Importance of Recognition
Both Prisoners’ Justice Day and Black August emphasize the ongoing struggle for prison reform and justice. Common challenges in both Canadian and American prison systems include bureaucratic inefficiencies, resource limitations, and systemic issues that complicate efforts to implement effective reforms.
For example, in Canada, overcrowding has led to significant strains on healthcare services and increased violence within facilities. In the U.S., racial disparities and inadequate conditions often exacerbate the difficulties faced by inmates, as evidenced by high-profile and periodic riots in both state and federal facilities.
Conclusion
Recognizing Prisoners’ Justice Day and Black August is crucial for advancing prison reform in both countries. These observances bring attention to the struggles and contributions of prisoners and activists, underscoring the need for sustained education, engagement, and meaningful reform.
Prisoners are among the most marginalized members of our society, and their treatment reflects our broader values. Improving prison conditions is not just a moral obligation; it’s a measure of our collective humanity. To support meaningful change, we must first understand the realities of incarceration. From there, we can advocate for reform, support organizations doing the work, and raise public awareness to drive systemic change.