Before her US Immigration History course last term, Phoebe England had never heard of the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia, an immigrant detention center located more than 2,000 miles away from her home in Utah. But after learning about the center in class, England knew she wanted to help others understand its significance, too.
One Wikipedia assignment, more than 3,500 words, and 36 new references later, and the Irwin County Detention Center Wikipedia article has been completely transformed – thanks to England’s efforts to provide readers with a more comprehensive overview of its history, which includes allegations of non-consensual surgeries performed on female detainees.
As the article outlines, more than 40 women detainees and a nurse at the facility came forward in 2020 alleging that unnecessary medical procedures, including hysterectomies, were conducted on women without their consent. But concerns for the health and wellbeing of detainees were raised long before the highly-publicized allegations in 2020, explained England.
“News articles sensationalized this dehumanizing experience of immigrant women,” said England. “However, what was missed in the hype of it all, whether you believed the women’s experiences to be true, is that the treatment of immigrants had been poor long before that at the detention center and that any abuse no matter how big or small should be addressed regardless of whether it makes a good headline or not.”
Before England’s edits, the article contained one short paragraph that focused on the 2020 allegations. Now, the article provides readers with several new sections, including other allegations made before 2020, a more detailed summary of the 2020 allegations, the legal aftermath of the 2020 allegations, and the 2022 report outlining the United States Senate’s investigation of the center.
“When I talked to people about my topic, many disregarded the story and said that events like these surely could not be happening in our current time,” said England. “I wanted people to know that immigrant detainees have been poorly treated and continue to be treated that way, and that this is not an isolated event.”
England emphasized that while she personally believes the women’s allegations, she wants readers to be able to make their own determinations based on the facts.
Reflecting on the impact of her edits, England underscored the crucial role of Wikipedia’s volunteer editors in making information accessible to everyone.
“In this day and age, people are all about instant gratification,” noted England. “They want quick information that is easily accessible, and Wikipedia can easily make that knowledge accessible and reliable. It’s just down to Wikipedia editors to make sure that there are articles written about these topics and that they are written/sourced well.”
England, who considered her assignment to improve Wikipedia a win-win for everyone, enjoyed the opportunity to develop her research and writing skills in a new way.
“While I do love writing historical analyses, it was super fun to do something different,” said England. “I put in a lot of work and effort to make sure that this article was as unbiased as possible. It is also kind of cool to say you have something published on Wikipedia – I sent the link to all of my family.”
As an aspiring history professor, England recognized the value of bringing research to the public in an accessible way.
“While writing scholarly articles is important, I think it is extremely important to be able to synthesize that information for the general public in a more informal manner,” explained England. “That way your information can be used for good rather than just sitting and collecting dust. I would totally be willing to assign my future students a Wikipedia writing assignment!”
England’s editing efforts are part of our three-year initiative to improve humanities and social justice content on Wikipedia – the largest campaign of its kind in history. Read more.
Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free resources, digital tools, and staff support that Wiki Education offers to postsecondary instructors in the United States and Canada.
This is so great. Phoebe England’s work on the Wikipedia article for the Irwin County Detention Center shows what can happen when education meets real world application. By adding historical and legal context to the article she’s given readers a way to critically engage with the facts.
Her balanced approach, accuracy and accessibility is a great example of what Wikipedia can be as a public education platform. England’s work shines a light on important social justice issues and is an inspiration for how students and scholars can bridge the gap between the academy and the community.
Kudos to Phoebe England for her commitment to making a meaningful difference through thoughtful and impactful writing!