TEACHx 2026

The Inside–Out program at Cook County Jail is as exhilarating as it is intimidating. Faculty, students, and administrators operate within a carceral setting defined by near constant uncertainty, ongoing changes, and heightened stakes. This session explores how restorative justice—specifically the use of peace circles—can provide both stability and adaptability within prison and jail-based higher education. Peace circles not only satisfy the basic psychological needs of students (autonomy, relatedness, and competence), but also establish shared meaning and purpose. Drawing on a recent Inside Out class on nonviolence, we will explore how Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed was woven into our restorative approach, motivating Inside and Outside students to become co-learners in their development of critical consciousness. Participants will gain practical insight into how peace circles are planned and implemented—both in content and in context—to seamlessly merge restorative justice and liberatory teaching.