Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study rigorously analyzes the influence of institutional duties, supervisory methods, and educational environments on access to and support for higher education among jailed individuals. The research, conducted in a Namibian correctional facility, used a qualitative methodology, incorporating tape-recorded interviews with twelve purposefully selected inmate-students participating in distance education programs. The facts were transcribed and translated verbatim by a professional and examined via an interpretive framework guided by Frantz Fanon’s theoretical perspective. Research indicates that prisons operate as epistemically oppressive settings, systematically marginalizing the knowledge and intellectual ambitions of jailed individuals. This marginalization exemplifies Fanon’s concept of “non-being,” where the colonized, or in this instance, the incarcerated, are recognized solely through control mechanisms, rather than as complete academic subjects. The neglect faced by detained students represents a type of epistemic violence rather than just administrative oversight. Physical infrastructure, inflexible incarceration protocols, and institutional indifference collectively inhibit substantial educational involvement. These characteristics highlight a comprehensive systemic framework aimed at suppression rather than empowerment. A Fanonian perspective asserts that authentic educational access for jailed individuals necessitates more than mere enrollment; it demands the eradication of structural impediments and the establishment of equitable learning settings. This includes the provision of digital resources, suitable educational materials, and policies that actively promote academic advancement. In the absence of such modifications, educational programs in prisons are likely to perpetuate the inequities they seek to address.
Authors: Vimbi Petrus Mahlangu, Vimbi Petrus Mahlangu
Institution: University of South Africa
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4412676822