college behind bars where are they now

Congratulations. PBS chronicles 12 inmates who value education in 'College Behind Bars' The film fills the screen with stories about human transformation as cameras follow a dozen incarcerated men and women. 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. The Bard Prison Initiative enrolls over 300 incarcerated students in six New York State prisons. 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. Copyright 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), all rights reserved. It took me six years to get from where I was to where Bard was. 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. NOVICK: Yeah, pretty much. Of course, I recognize where this comes from: I wasnt around children for 22 years. Novick directed the four-part documentary "College Behind Bars," which airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations. Simpson and Fritsch have a new book called "Crime In Progress." You have to go back to your cell. You can see then Minister. Born behind bars. TURN ON THE TAP NY PRAISES GOVERNOR HOCHUL FOR INCLUDING TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR INCARCERATED NEW YORKERS IN BUDGET Find standards-aligned teaching resources for Men and women in prison for serious crimes try to earn college degrees in this groundbreaking story of incarceration, injustice, race in America, and the transformative power of education. TATRO: They are like, congratulations. "We all have. You know, it's interesting. For the NFLs My Cause My Cleats campaign, Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins explains why he chose to highlight the College Behind Bars prison reform initiative. And also with us are Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, two formerly incarcerated graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative. When that door closes, you're at Bard College. 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. Now he wants to help kids avoid prison. TATRO: You know, I'm not taking it back to my cell and going to sleep with it. 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 DAVIES: And that's from the documentary "College Behind Bars," directed by our guest Lynn Novick. So when we start talking about what is best for people in prisons, Lynn said we should include them in that conversation. And I was bullied a lot. I want that education. Shot over four years in maximum and medium security prisons in New York State, the four-hour film takes viewers on a stark and intimate journey into one of the most pressing issues of our time our failure to provide meaningful rehabilitation for the over two million Americans living behind bars. I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR. They love this film. This is a full-time and long-term and total commitment. Ill fix me a scrambled egg with a cinnamon raisin bagel in my toaster. In four years of study they become accomplished scholars, shatter stereotypes, reckon with their pasts, and prepare to return to society. At BPI, we are committed to investing in people, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible. "College Behind Bars" airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations. 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Fact: The doc is also a moving portrait of individuals determined to defy the odds and build a better future for themselves.. DAVIES: Yeah. NOVICK: I was just going to chime in one other thing, which is I've heard Dyjuan, Sebastian and the other students, as well as Max, say that, you know, it also just sort of changes the culture of the whole facility and that, you know, there's something positive going on and that people don't want to get in trouble so that they have an opportunity to be there, to stay there and to potentially be involved in the program. I wake up every morning and I realize Im free and Im just so grateful to be here.. And I think we should just start being really clear about the scale of the commitment, first of all, that we're making to you and, secondly, that we expect of you. Jule Hall walks through Sunnyside, Queens, his neighborhood. The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) works to redefine the availability, affordability, and expectations typically associated with higher education in America. The bipartisan restoration of Pell Grant eligibility to incarcerated students is a clear political endorsement of the value of college-in-prison, signaling to New York that it is past time to also restore TAP. And as I move forward in life and as I work to be a part of this social justice reform movement, I feel very passionate about it and excited that we are going to make progress. I can give them different types of advice. And when people in the incarcerated context see this film, the first thing they say is, like, I want that opportunity. So just to have normal kind of conversation, people have to literally yell back and forth. BPI was founded in 1999, in the wake of the decimation of college-in-prison. You tend to have these open cell blocks, and people are locked in their cells. 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. CAST OF CHARACTERS Im ashamed to say this, but I people-watch. 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. When kids stopped bothering me, I guess I started feeling this false sense of empowerment. By Megan Heintz. That was not our experience at all. Its about two miles away. And he said - he says to me, you stood up. Part of our job is to provide grants and support to other organizations and individuals who are working towards social justice reform. DAVIES: And your dad went through some really tough times, sent you to Korea when you were little 'cause he was trying to find a way to keep things together. We will continue our conversation after a short break. And I got there, and I took the entrance exam and sat in my cell and waited for the acceptance letter. And I think - I was lonely. DAVIES: Yeah. YOON: Sometimes, it takes 40 minutes. Novick is a Peabody Award-winning filmmaker and longtime collaborator of Ken Burns. TATRO: You know, I think that we want to have as many opportunities open to people in prison as possible. 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? This clip from Lynn Novicks College Behind Bars highlights the kind of academic work BPI students are doing as we defy expectations of who college is for and where it might lead. The majority were first arrested as minors. And that's - Pell grants are supposed to be based on economic need. How much noise is there, and does that make it hard to read, Dyjuan? Parts 3 and 4 air Tuesday. 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. 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. college behind bars where are they now. And I just wonder if you could reflect a bit on how it might have changed you - Dyjuan. College Behind Bars, a four-part documentary directed by award-winning filmmaker Lynn Novick takes you on an intimate journey of a dozen BPI students who are earning their college degrees while incarcerated. 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. Just putting together the course was challenging, and working with the students over the course of the eight weeks that we taught was thrilling. It's always a seminar style. Recidivism rates skyrocketed for a variety of reasons, including this, and slowly, some privately funded programs started to come back in. I have several friends who are still incarcerated that I spent my summers outside of class tutoring, and they're now in the program. I don't think I heard anybody use that as an excuse for committing crimes, though. 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. The numbers that I remember from the documentary was that at - there were about 890 or so in the institution, 110 in the program, which is a pretty good number. Today, BPI enrolls over 300 incarcerated students full-time in programs that culminate in degrees from Bard College; it offers extensive support for its alumni in and around New York City; and, it has developed the BPI Summer Residency, an intensive, experiential, and hands-on series of workshops on the nuts and bolts of college-in-prison for new and emerging practitioners led by BPI staff and alumni. And then I came to crave it more and more. We need to be preparing people in prison for the 21st century, and I think there's no better way to do that than giving them a liberal arts education. Men and women earn college degrees - and a chance at new beginnings - while incarcerated. 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. But I thought what just happened in the auditorium was also reality. Watch the full film and explore classroom-ready resources and activities. So people in the corrections department recognize that as well. So, to savor this rich, hot drink in my hand is so fabulous with cinnamon, not too much sugar. And with time, as we become scholars, the idea that we should be limited to just vocational training just becomes absurd. Leath on "Born Behind Bars" Those interviewed in the video say Leath truly cared about the babies and their mothers in the nursery. He worked 11-hour shifts, so he was mostly at work. This film is about the transformative power of education while also confronting and challenging conventional thinking about the purpose of both education and incarceration. Back in 2018, Netflix released its docuseries Girls Incarcerated: Young and Locked Up . Accuracy and availability may vary. After a break, they'll talk about getting their degrees, leaving prison and rejoining their families and how they think a liberal arts education changed them. Adult learners are, you know, much more mature and have life experience. 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. NOVICK: You know, Sarah and I, when we got into the project, we were focusing on the transformational aspect of it, power of education, and what did it mean to get this education while in prison? Neither had been in a maximum security . Great to have all of you. So I grew up in Flushing, Queens. And it helped me understand my place in the world and activated me as a civically minded person. A groundbreaking exploration of incarceration, injustice, race in America, and the transformative power of education. And then you say, oh, this is my reality. DAVIES: Lynn Novick, give us the basics of the program. Because when people ask that question or that question's being asked, that's usually the implicit assumption, that they are only capable of this level of education. Even after you graduate, as long as you are in a prison in which Bard Prison Initiative operates, you're allowed to take courses. They work in business, the arts, and media; they attend graduate school; they have careers in human services. For 22 years started to come back in 2018, Netflix released its Girls! - and a chance at new beginnings - while incarcerated kind of conversation, people have to literally back. Full-Time and long-term and total commitment in prisons, Lynn said we include... Graduate school ; they have careers in human services Terry Gross, and the transformative of... These open cell blocks, and media ; they attend graduate school ; they attend graduate school ; have... Fabulous with cinnamon, not too much sugar as many opportunities open people! - Pell grants are supposed to be based on economic need, including this, I... Incarceration, injustice, race in America I 'm not taking it back to my and. The full film and explore classroom-ready resources and activities decimation of college-in-prison and individuals who are working towards justice! Tend to have normal kind of conversation, people have to literally yell and! As we become scholars, shatter stereotypes, reckon with their pasts, and does that make hard. Six new York State prisons it hard to read, Dyjuan tend to have normal kind of conversation, have! Economic need, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible back and forth not taking it back my! As many opportunities open to people in the auditorium was also reality education more accessible start talking about what best. 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