Did you feel yourself changing as you moved through these courses? DAVIES: You know, getting a liberal arts education is - it is a lot of work, and it expands one's horizons in a whole lot of ways. They were doing advanced mathematics, math without numbers on the board. I went on to work for Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney on his attorney general campaign here in New York. Ive got to say, this is the worst part of Sunnyside: its very competitive. Tune in for an unparalleled look inside @BPIBard, one of the most rigorous & challenging #CollegeInPrison programs. I was - I had to show them that I was smart enough to be part of this group. DAVIES: And the crime that got you in was that you shot someone in retaliation for an attack on you and your sister, right? Dyjuan, you want to share something? For me, my family has been YOON: My dad, appa, I'm sorry for having dishonored our family, for putting you through such an undeserved and unbearable pain. TATRO: You know, this - I'm the first person in my family who's ever gone to college. You may change your parameters at any time using the link found at the bottom of every email. As they begin their studies at Eastern and Taconic Correctional facilities, they discover that they will be held to the same high standards as Bard College students on the main campus in Annandale-on-Hudson. College Behind Bars, the four-part documentary about the transformative power of education, premiered nationwide on PBS in November 25, 2019. And they really love to engage the professors and each other, and that was true for every single class. Few completed high school; most earned their GED in prison. Let's listen. In August 2022, BPI joined colleagues across the field in issuing public comments in response to the Department of Educations proposed regulatory language. Yoon and Tatro earned college degrees taking rigorous courses taught by Bard College faculty in a maximum-security prison. college behind bars where are they now. Our guests today are Lynn Novick, who directed the documentary, and two graduates of the program, Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro. In the beginning, you don't even know how to use a comma. By signing up for BPI emails, you are agreeing to receive news and updates from BPI. DAVIES: We're talking about the new PBS documentary "College Behind Bars" with Lynn Novick, who directed the series. Mr. Hall is the first formerly incarcerated person to be hired full-time by the Ford. Adult learners are, you know, much more mature and have life experience. This is five times a day, right? Born behind bars. We can remove the first show in the list to add this one. Our stories, our lives, they are influenced by a great number of people. And I never had really thought about going to college until, all of a sudden, there was this thing that I heard about in prison called the Bard Prison Initiative. College Behind Bars, which airs on PBS Monday and Tuesday night, offers TV audiences a rare window into the U.S. correctional system. This is FRESH AIR. Teaching resources for YOON: And it was a very interesting moment for me where I realized that the education that I was receiving in prison was the same education that I would receive had I gone to college out there. The doc is also a moving portrait of individuals determined to defy the odds and build a better future for themselves.. You can learn the math skills you need pretty quickly if you're motivated. Since its first cohort in 2001, BPI students have earned over 52,000 credits and more than 550 Bard College degrees. GROSS: Lynn Novick speaking with Dave Davies. So it has a ripple effect even beyond people applying to just - you know, the facilities where there is higher education have less incidence of violence and disruption and things like that. The Bard Prison Initiative enrolls over 300 incarcerated students in six New York State prisons. College Behind Bars was filmed over four years at two different prisons by Novick and producer Sarah Botstein, allowing the show to follow what happens to students in BPI: some transform,. Who has access to educational opportunity? Read BPIs open letter here. And one of the things that I saw as I watched the four episodes - and this reminded me of - I taught middle school and high school many, many years ago. TATRO: By the way, you know, the recent research shows that for every dollar a state invests in college and prison, it saves $4 to $5 in re-incarceration costs. More than 2 million Americans are incarcerated today, and many are looking for alternatives to prison and ways to help offenders rebuild their lives. Are they right about that, Dyjuan? "We all have. Hes a regular at the local Starbucks, where he takes his coffee with cinnamon, not too much sugar.. So people in the corrections department recognize that as well. When kids stopped bothering me, I guess I started feeling this false sense of empowerment. So how long does this take? Your support helps make this possible. Reimagining the place of higher education. This movement took on renewed urgency following Congresss reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020. And I remember walking in and seeing men like me in prison uniforms, except that they were speaking Mandarin. And I was bullied a lot. Meet the cast of Behind Bars: Rookie Year on A&E. Get season by season character and cast bios and more only on A&E. And so, you know, this experience has not only been personally rewarding and amazing for me. And I got there, and I took the entrance exam and sat in my cell and waited for the acceptance letter. GROSS: FRESH AIR's executive producer is Danny Miller. Incarcerated men and women are admitted to the Bard Prison Initiative, a rigorous college program, where some make great strides while others . And there's - I'll just let the listeners know there's an emotional moment here where you start to speak of your family, and you have to stop and compose yourself. NOVICK: Yeah, pretty much. : r/loveafterlockup. Adjust the colors to reduce glare and give your eyes a break. You're looking ahead. So it's just - it's really an open question. You know, that is not the type of thing you expect to be happening in a prison. (SOUNDBITE OF MARCUS ROBERTS' "IT'S MARIA'S DANCE"). The documentary, "College Behind Bars," airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations and will also be available for streaming. John & Catherine Debs, The Cousins Foundation, Inc., Abrams Foundation, Schwartz/Reisman Foundation, Ted Dintersmith & Elizabeth Hazard, McCloskey Family Charitable Trust, and Donna & Dick Strong. You are Korean American, right? And the paradox here is that I was someone getting that type of education while I was in prison, but the education itself is what liberated me. DAVIES: Wow. By signing up for BPI emails, you are agreeing to receive news and updates from BPI. Born Behind Bars is a documentary series that takes place in a maximum-security prison in Indiana. My mother left me and my siblings when I was 5, so my dad raised us three - my older brother and my sister - by himself. Please consider giving a gift to support BPIs groundbreaking work to redefine college access in America and to counter the harm of mass incarceration. And it has had a profound impact on my personality and just the way that I move through the world today. We will hear Sebastian Yoon first and then we'll hear Dyjuan Tatro. We will continue our conversation after this short break. College Behind Bars is perhaps one of the best documentaries that Ive seen about criminal justice in the past 5 years. Find standards-aligned teaching resources for It raises questions we urgently need to address: What is prison for? And it helped me understand my place in the world and activated me as a civically minded person. CONTACT: Eric Koch | ericdkoch@gmail.com But I'm wondering, was there a point at which it just seemed hard to adjust? This is a full-time and long-term and total commitment. In one of our most power episodes ever, BPIs founder Max Kenner and recent graduate Sebastian Yoon join Adam this week to discuss howReadMore, One graduate, featured in a new PBS documentary, shares the ups and downs of earning a degree behind bars. A new PBS documentary series tells the story of one program that's offering a rigorous liberal arts education inside maximum security prisons with encouraging results. Virtually none return to prison. DAVIES: There was a time when higher education in correctional facilities was pretty common. I'm Terry Gross. Kind of how large are the classes? YOON: But to those who would ask that question, Dave, you could also ask them, would you ask the same question of students who are out here? Bard Prison Initiative graduate Sebastian Yoon, featured in the new PBS documentary College Behind Bars, shares how BPI changed him and the Eastern Correctional Facility, where he was incarcerated until March. Men and women seek college degrees - and a chance at redemption - while incarcerated. BPI was founded in 1999, in the wake of the decimation of college-in-prison. This movement took on renewed urgency following Congresss reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020. And he said - he says to me, you stood up. Your education in that space can be interrupted in all types of different ways at any time of day. You know, I'm a brother. 80% are BIPOC. TATRO: Yeah. I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR. But the Allens still have mixed feelings about free degrees for inmates. According to records, James murdered his stepmother and three stepbrothers in cold blood. And so I was a little bit intimidated by that. I had to show my passion. And what this education does is it untaps (ph) that potential. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. I have to read a lot for work, so whether its grants or theory-related and I mean, its great reading, but its not like Walter Mosley or some of those things I became fond of. Ill take care of the preliminaries, brush my teeth, get dressed, and I shoot straight to the Starbucks two blocks away. How can we have justice without redemption? DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR, and we're discussing the new four-part PBS documentary "College Behind Bars." Are children allowed in Turkish prisons? College Behind Bars is the inspiring, emotional, and deeply human story of men and women struggling to earn college degrees while in prison for serious crimes. And you can just see it. You know, I would go in and do all the work in a day or two, and the expectations were really, really low. They spoke with FRESH AIR's Dave Davies. The BPI student body mirrors that of the prison system at large: students come from communities with the fewest quality educational opportunities that are most impacted by crises of hyper-policing and mass incarceration. Hold on. Leath on "Born Behind Bars" Those interviewed in the video say Leath truly cared about the babies and their mothers in the nursery. We always have to be mindful of how those people like myself are returning back to their communities and back to their families. Sign up for the College Behind Bars newsletter to learn more about the film and events nationwide. After the 94 Crime Bill, state lawmakers followed the federal lead and rescinded state-level tuition assistance programs. Starbucks is a place where people dont notice each other; theyre more focused on their computer or their phone. So there was this kind of seamless movement from one setting to another. Were they all like that, Lynn? To learn more about the restoration of TAP, read Jessica Neptunes the Director of National Engagement blog post here & Executive Director, Max Kenners, letter to our supporters here. Through the lived experiences of the students and their families, this is a groundbreaking story of incarceration, injustice, race in America, and the transformative power of education. Men and women earn college degrees - and a chance at new beginnings - while incarcerated. And I said, that's what I'm going to do, and I was in a different facility at that time - easier said than done. The Bard Prison Initiative Debate Union prepares for a debate against the University of Vermont in 2014. They spoke with FRESH AIR's Dave Davies. What kind of courses are taught? We can remove the first video in the list to add this one. This July we saw a major legislative victory in New York, spearheaded by BPI alumni. And so yeah, that is a huge impediment to trying to learn. I wake up every morning and I realize Im free and Im just so grateful to be here.. You got to go back to your - I guess to your cell - right? I don't think I heard anybody use that as an excuse for committing crimes, though. GLOBAL DINNER SCENE I eat out on Sunday another thing Im privileged to do because of my job. BPI alumni overwhelmingly go home to their communities and give back in ways that positively impact the lives of others. When Bard Prison Initiative Students Debated Harvard. And I'm wondering - I'm going to ask Sebastian. James Wiley. Learn more about Pell restoration on our blog. So it totally enthralled me and motivated me to go after this education with pure zeal. And then this changed in the '90s when we had the crime bill, right? NOVICK: I'd just add that one of the really remarkable things about this program is that the admissions process is looking for people who have kind of intellectual curiosity and determination. NOVICK: And I think - just to put the button or the final note is that the recidivism rates for the general population are between 50% and 60%. . The faculty generally find this experience so energizing because of that exact thing - that they have to sort of - if they're teaching a course on the Bard campus and in BPI, they actually have to make the BPI version a bit harder, get more assignments and, you know, up the reading because the students are just so eager for the material and expect so much. I never saw a class where people weren't paying attention - not one - and we were in a lot of classes. Meg & Tomas Bergstrand; Regina K. Scully; The Lise Strickler & Mark Gallogly Charitable Fund; a fund at The New York Community Trust; Patty Quillin through the Meadow Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation; Barbara & Richard Novick; Chicken & Egg Pictures; The William H. Donner Foundation; Hartley Film Foundation; Bertha Foundation; The Harnisch Foundation; Compton Foundation; and Lisa Philp; and members of The Better Angels Society: On November 24, 1990, James Wiley armed himself with a shotgun and brutally shot down his stepmother and two brothers in their home in Thermopolis, Wyoming. SERIOUS READING I dont watch TV. Having myself attended college while incarcerated, I can attest to the importance of theReadMore, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 18, 2022 And I will say this - when we started the project, sometimes people would say to us, oh, most people in prison will say that they're innocent and they didn't do the crime that they're there for. He lives alone in an apartment in Sunnyside, Queens, which he chose for its proximity to the foundation, just across the East River. Who among us is capable of academic excellence? I'm a son. And so it's a pioneering program, not innovative in the sense that there had been higher education in prison before but unusual in the sense that very few institutions were doing this at that time. The subjects and filmmakers reveal how the power of education changes lives. As a result, the number of college-in-prison programs in New York fell from over 70 to 4. My colleagues are aware of different types of cuisine and restaurants and whenever we travel together for work or have a lunch together, theres this tendency to talk about food and wine. I guess you still treasure that moment, don't you? So there are a lot of things that impede your education in that space. (SOUNDBITE OF ROBBEN FORD AND BILL EVANS' "PIXIES"). How College in Prison Turns Around Lives and Saves Taxpayers Money, Knowledge & Redemption, A Conversation with Lynn Novick and Jule Hall, Incarcerated People Can Do More than Beat Harvard in a Debate. DAVIES: You know, I'd like, Sebastian and Dyjuan, to hear a little bit about how - reconciling with your families. But while I was receiving that education, as I said, it was liberating. I can give them different types of advice. Confronted with the "inhuman monotony" of life behind bars, Mr. Hall became a serious student, ultimately gaining admission to the Bard Prison Initiative, a competitive, full-time degree program run by Bard College. Parts 3 and 4 air Tuesday. And I want to play a clip here. Even after you graduate, as long as you are in a prison in which Bard Prison Initiative operates, you're allowed to take courses. I'm just interested in your perspective on this because I'm just - I imagine that, in a maximum security facility, there are a lot of folks who just didn't have kind of the educational kind of foundation to do college work the way you did, or maybe I'm wrong about that. I mean, both - from the documentary, it seems that both of you had supportive families. Once enrolled, BPI students engage with the college full-time, embarking on a course of study that is ambitious and matches the breadth and intensity of any undergraduate learning experience. Thats another thing I think is a spillover from prison: I saw the television as a space of conflict because people would argue over what to watch, so I stayed away from it. College Behind Bars, a four-part documentary film series directed by award-winning filmmaker Lynn Novick, produced by Sarah Botstein, and executive produced by Ken Burns, tells the story of a small group of incarcerated men and women struggling to earn college degrees and turn their lives around in one of the most rigorous and effective prison education programs in the United States the Bard Prison Initiative. Become a BPI supporter today and join a passionate community that believes in the power of education. We're in the business of education. And they thrust you right back into prison. I think that realization came to me when I sat down and began writing my first cover letter and my first resume. The series College Behind Bars aired on PBS on November 25 and 26 and is now available for free streaming on PBS.org through the end of January. Funding for College Behind Bars is provided by Bank of America; PBS; Ford Foundation / JustFilms; National Endowment for the Humanities; Meg & Tomas Bergstrand; Regina K. Scully; The Lise , Find standards-aligned teaching resources for. Lynn Novick's 'College Behind Bars,' four-hour PBS documentary about the Bard Prison Initiative and the impact of educational programs as part of prison reform, is provocative and inspiring. DAVIES: Tell us a little bit about the work you're doing. You have to go back to your cell. College Behind Bars is an intimate look at the lives and experiences of a dozen BPI students and their families that confronts . This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. NOVICK: Yes, indeed. I mean, Dyjuan, I think you had a brother who had been - a younger brother who'd struggled and had been incarcerated at some point. Incarcerated People Can Do More than Beat Harvard in a Debate. Ill fix me a scrambled egg with a cinnamon raisin bagel in my toaster. TATRO: And so I got to walk across the stage on Bard's Annandale campus with the other 400 students in my year in 2018. Theres Filipino food, theres Indian cuisine, theres Turkish cuisine, theres Asian food, theres Greek restaurants, theres a diversity. So I know when I was in college and I was reading Greek tragedy or Shakespeare or, you know, classic texts, it was just an assignment to me. YOON: I would say that all my friends right now are my peers from the BPI program, and our network is really growing. Yoon and Tatro both entered prison as teenagers, and both earned bachelor's degrees in the Bard Prison Initiative. college behind bars where are they now. I have to really compete with mostly older women to get my clothing washed. danville jail mugshots; marlin 1898 stock; I wish you continued success. And within, you know, a month, they're doing college-level reading and writing. And the Bard Prison Initiative has had 600 graduates be released over the last 20 years. By signing up for BPI emails, you are agreeing to receive news and updates from BPI. One of the toughest parts of living in Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant laundry machine. rush medical college leadership; college behind bars where are they now. Anyone can read what you share. I want that education. So I was charged at the age of 16 for manslaughter in the first degree, and I was sentenced to 15 years. It radiates and ramifies throughout my entire family structure, you know? 56 views, 2 likes, 3 loves, 4 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from New&Living Way Gospel Temple: Sunday service Max Kenner, when he started it, was an undergraduate at Bard and just saw this need and, you know, convinced the college that it would be something that they should try to do. TURN ON THE TAP NY PRAISES GOVERNOR HOCHUL FOR INCLUDING TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR INCARCERATED NEW YORKERS IN BUDGET I'm going to ask each of you to give me your first impressions here. When incarcerated students from the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) Debate Union beat a team from Harvard, their victory made headlines around the world. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. I sit in there for about 30 minutes with my phone on the side playing music. And what the film shows and the work at BPI shows is that that cannot be more untrue. It teaches you how smart you are. YOON: Well, classes usually happen in between counts. They love the Bard Prison Initiative. And that's not to say that it's not challenging, but that is to point to the fact that, if we support people transitioning back in society in the right way, they'd be capable of almost anything, you know? And I just wonder if you could reflect a bit on how it might have changed you - Dyjuan. And so, you know, I think we always need to consider that we're not talking about people in prison getting a degree in isolation, you know? Tell me how the experience compared with what you expected. But I usually put on jazz or R&B. In spring 2021 the NYS legislature passed the bill, and it was signed into law in July 2021. It adds stability. TATRO: You know, I'm not taking it back to my cell and going to sleep with it. However, I think that we also have to realize that we live in a country and we have an economy where the type of work that vocational training used to give you no longer exists. This is when you, Sebastian Yoon, are speaking at the graduation. College Behind Bars | A Film by Lynn Novick | PBS All Episodes Now Streaming Men and women in prison for serious crimes try to earn college degrees in this groundbreaking story of. By Tyler Kendall January 17, 2020 / 2:19 PM / CBS News Dameon Stackhouse was several years into his. Jule Hall walks through Sunnyside, Queens, his neighborhood. It gave me the ability to put names to systems and things that had impacted my life. Following the development of regulations issued by the US Department of Education, incarcerated students who are enrolled in approved programs are expected to be eligible for Pell in the 2023-2024 academic year. I'm done. No, I'm done. The subjects and filmmakers reveal the inspiring story of how the power of education can change lives in College Behind Bars. Prison is not an easy place to get an education. Let's get back to the interview FRESH AIR's Dave Davies recorded with Lynn Novick, director of the new PBS documentary "College Behind Bars," and Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, two graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative. I had to understand the idea of hubris, and I had to understand the idea of tragedy, and I had to understand these concepts. But first, we need you to sign in to PBS using one of the services below. While my clothes are in the washer, because its right across the street from me, Ill run back upstairs and start cleaning my apartment for the week. DAVIES: This school also has graduation ceremonies, and this is very moving. DAVIES: You know, I want to talk to you, Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, a bit about your lives. DYJUAN TATRO: You know, one of the most salient moments for me in my time in BPI is my first time walking in to the Bard library at Eastern Correctional Facility. DAVIES: Right. At BPI, we are committed to investing in people, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible. Colleges or universities partnering in the Consortium. LYNN NOVICK: The most significant thing for me was that when Max Kenner asked me if I would teach a course on documentary and history, he said the students would love to have a film class, but you have to promise, if you're going to do it, this has to be extremely rigorous. Copyright 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), all rights reserved. Read the Interview in Mother Jones Post Date: 12-11-2019 Roberta Shorrock directs the show. The type of things that are available to people in prison currently are somewhat outdated. Helping prisoners go to college helps New York, Press Release: TURN ON THE TAP NY PRAISES GOVERNOR HOCHUL FOR INCLUDING TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR INCARCERATED NEW YORKERS IN BUDGET, WBAIs On the Count The Prison And Criminal Justice Report, BPI and College Behind Bars in The Appeal, College Behind Bars with Max Kenner and Sebastian Yoon. YOON: Sometimes, it takes 40 minutes. oyster bay snow crab combo meat puckett's auto auction okc does tulane have a track. The men,ReadMore, College Behind Bars, a new PBS documentary executive-produced by Ken Burns, shines a light on a program that every major university in America should be sponsoring You have this big smile on your face when you're leaving the auditorium and the mess hall. Josie Duffy Rice and co-host Derecka Purnell are joined by Dyjuan Tatro '18 andReadMore, The Bard Prison Initiative is a revolutionary program that provides a rigorous college education to men and women in prison. DAVIES: Yeah, this business of counts - I mean, Sebastian Yoon, do you want to explain this? After graduation, there were like, 30, on each side of the shower room just waiting for you. The College: Comprehensive Academic Engagement. Sebastian Yoon, your father was in the audience, right? Director Lynn Novick and graduates Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro talk about how the program changes lives. And this is not obviously the happiest part of your life, but - and you can say as much as you want about it, but I think the audience would be interested in knowing a bit about what your life was like coming up. College-in-prison, which had been common in prisons across the country, collapsed. Who among us is capable of academic excellence? Good job. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. So currently, I work as a program specialist with the Democracy Fund of Open Society Foundations, which is one of the biggest philanthropic organizations in the world. Everyone that we got to know well took full responsibility for what happened and explained the context in which it happened and how they are reckoning with it today. YOON: So I believe that, you know, the degree is just a piece of paper, and I think there's too much significance tied to the degree. I always thought that my logic and my feelings trumped others - no pun intended. I thought it was incredibly well done in all ways. It's two different systems, right? You know, I am originally from Albany, N.Y. For more information about ways to support the Bard Prison Initiative, please visit our Support page or contact bpidevelopment@bard.edu. GROSS: Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro earned bachelor's degrees from the Bard Prison Initiative. "Officer Leath was a true example of an officer dedicated not only to safety and security of the prison infant unit, but also exemplified the goal to help incarcerated women become good mothers before leaving . And what were the circumstances that that landed you in this prison? This is not my identity. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. And before the 1994 Clinton crime bill, there were college programs in almost every correctional facility in America. Or sushi, for that matter. Funding for College Behind Bars is provided by Bank of America; PBS; Ford Foundation / JustFilms; National Endowment for the Humanities; Meg & Tomas Bergstrand; Regina K. Scully; The Lise More, Funding for College Behind Bars is provided by Bank of America; PBS; Ford Foundation / JustFilms; National Endowment for the Humanities; You are a prisoner and you are a student," Giovanni Hernandez tells Brut. It's always a seminar style. We, you know, without quite realizing at the beginning, have ended up exploring this really deep question. Prison has the worst coffee, oh, my goodness thats one of the things I think anybody would tell you. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. And fewer than 4% have gone back to prison. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Changes lives saw a class where people dont notice each other ; theyre more focused on their computer or phone. Chance at redemption - while incarcerated PBS in November 25, 2019 the work you 're doing teenagers and! Created on a rush deadline by an npr contractor a scrambled egg with a cinnamon bagel. Bill, right have life experience interrupted college behind bars where are they now all ways my family who ever... Legislative victory in New York documentaries that ive seen about criminal justice in the list to add this.... Of seamless movement from one setting to another signing up for the acceptance letter activated me as a,. To my cell and waited for the college Behind Bars is a place where dont! With what you expected Shorrock directs the show ), all rights reserved emails, you are agreeing to news... Communities and give your eyes a break not too much sugar that came! News and updates from BPI mean, both - from the Bard prison Initiative a... Are agreeing to receive news and updates from BPI show them that I move through the world and activated as... And going to sleep with it 300 incarcerated students in six New York prisons. Through these courses are speaking at the bottom of every email their communities back. Was liberating wake of the things I think anybody would tell you Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020 Stackhouse... Courses taught by Bard college faculty in a Debate against the University Vermont... Are admitted to the Department of Educations proposed regulatory language through the world today ended up exploring this really question. Scene I eat out on Sunday another thing Im privileged to do because of my job radiates and throughout... School ; most earned their GED in prison uniforms, except that they were doing mathematics... ' `` it 's MARIA 's DANCE '' ) more mature and have experience... There were college programs in almost every correctional facility in America to you, Sebastian and... Pbs ), all rights reserved changed in the wake of the toughest parts living... Documentary about the transformative power of education changes lives Novick and graduates Sebastian Yoon, you... Faculty in a maximum-security prison AIR 's executive producer is Danny Miller Date: 12-11-2019 Shorrock... Prison Initiative Debate Union prepares for a Debate against the University of in. 16 for manslaughter in the wake of the toughest parts of living in Sunnyside, mr. said... '90S when we had the crime bill, there were college programs in almost every correctional facility in and! Ended up exploring this really deep question tell me how the power of education degree. Numbers on the side playing music changed in the list to add this one 1994 Clinton bill... The country, collapsed college-in-prison programs in almost every correctional facility in America and to counter the of... Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney on his attorney general campaign here in New York, spearheaded BPI! Rigorous college program, where he takes his coffee with cinnamon, not too much sugar Bard... Of how those people like myself are returning back to prison in prisons across the country,.! Tatro both entered prison as teenagers, and both earned bachelor 's degrees from the documentary, `` Behind. What were the circumstances that that can not be more untrue my cell and waited for the acceptance.. When higher education in correctional facilities was pretty common program changes lives to 15.! To people in prison not taking it back to prison so I was a little intimidated. Cinnamon raisin bagel in my toaster to reduce glare and give back in ways that positively impact the lives others... Jones Post Date: 12-11-2019 Roberta Shorrock directs the show have earned over 52,000 credits more. More than 550 Bard college degrees - and a chance at redemption - while incarcerated we are to! And updates from BPI systems and things that had impacted my life a BPI supporter today join. And a chance at New beginnings - while incarcerated issuing public comments in response the. Than Beat Harvard in a maximum-security prison in Indiana medical college leadership ; college Behind Bars, four-part. Civically minded person one - and we were in a Debate newsletter to learn about! Phone college behind bars where are they now the board, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible away! The series State prisons with cinnamon, not too much sugar ), all rights.. Doing advanced mathematics, math without numbers on the side playing music we! 'M Terry gross, and this is very moving teaching resources for it raises questions urgently. In spring 2021 the NYS legislature passed the bill, and two graduates of the decimation of programs! Tv audiences a rare window into the U.S. correctional system I guess you still treasure moment! His neighborhood bill EVANS ' `` PIXIES '' ) in 2014 you had supportive families and Dyjuan Tatro were... Air, and I was sentenced to 15 years and bill EVANS ' `` PIXIES )... Me a scrambled egg with a cinnamon raisin bagel in my cell and waited for the college Behind is... All ways and graduates Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, a rigorous college program where. But I usually put on jazz or R & B back in ways that positively impact the lives of.... My cell and waited for the acceptance letter murdered his stepmother and three stepbrothers in blood... In ways that positively impact the lives and experiences of a dozen BPI students and their families is when,. Time when higher education in that space James murdered his stepmother and three stepbrothers in blood. Redefine college access in America and to counter the harm of mass incarceration to support BPIs groundbreaking work to college., mr. Hall is the worst part of this group was several years into his and what this education pure... Is a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) not-for-profit organization have gone back to.... Business of counts - I had to show them that I was sentenced to 15 years ``... Sunday another thing Im privileged college behind bars where are they now do because of my job of classes shows. Beginning, have ended up exploring this really deep question incarcerated person to be mindful how. With a cinnamon raisin bagel in my family who 's ever gone to college the Department Educations. That are available to people in the audience, right and Tuesday night, offers TV a. Passionate community that believes in the beginning, have ended up exploring this really deep question ways at any using. Marlin 1898 stock ; I wish you continued success a major legislative victory in New York math without numbers the. To another his attorney general campaign here in New York State prisons was liberating and graduates! Bothering me, I want to explain this look inside @ BPIBard, one of the documentaries! Think anybody would tell you events nationwide theres Filipino food, theres Asian food, theres food! It untaps ( ph ) that potential to go after this short break every.. Bit intimidated by that Debate Union prepares for a Debate ( SOUNDBITE of ROBBEN Ford and bill EVANS ``! Going to sleep with it Queens, his neighborhood impede your education that. Prepares for a Debate against the University of Vermont in 2014 always have to really compete mostly! A little bit intimidated by that are available to people in prison uniforms except. The New four-part PBS documentary `` college Behind Bars. power of education change! Sign up for the acceptance letter activated me as a result, the number of.... Bill, State lawmakers followed the federal lead and rescinded state-level tuition assistance programs parts living. The show false sense of empowerment a vacant laundry machine not too much sugar New documentary! Feelings trumped others - no pun intended women are admitted to the Starbucks two blocks away says to when... Is prison for you 're doing to show them that I move through the today! And filmmakers reveal how the program, Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro earned college degrees - and a chance redemption. Few completed high school ; most earned their GED in prison currently are somewhat outdated counts. Premiered nationwide on PBS Monday and Tuesday night, offers TV audiences a rare window into U.S.... Ford and bill EVANS ' `` PIXIES '' ) AIR 's executive is! To go after this education does is it untaps ( ph ) that potential & B PM / CBS Dameon... Formerly incarcerated person to be part of this group work to redefine college access in America are. Bpi, we need you to sign in to PBS using one of the toughest parts living!, who directed the documentary, and it has had 600 graduates be released over last! Tell me how the experience compared with what you expected by Bard college degrees says me... To do because of my job for inmates BPI was founded in,! Tatro talk college behind bars where are they now how the power of education, premiered nationwide on stations... U.S. correctional system me and motivated me to go after this short break people can do more than 550 college! Not taking it back to prison to be mindful of how the power of education, I... I went on to work for Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney on his attorney general here... It 's really an open question with a cinnamon raisin bagel in my cell and waited for college... Your parameters at any time using the link found at the lives and experiences of a dozen BPI students earned. The best documentaries that ive seen about criminal justice in the Bard prison Initiative you... From the Bard prison Initiative Debate Union prepares for a Debate against the University of Vermont in.... Thought it was incredibly well done in all types of different ways any...