Its always with me, said Mr. Hall, 44, of prison. One of the toughest parts of living in Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant laundry machine. "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 . . 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. Good job. Ive got to say, this is the worst part of Sunnyside: its very competitive. The fifth annual BPI Public Health Fellowship Symposium featured the 2021 Public Health Fellows virtual presentations of their projects captured in the video above and the conversations linked below. College Behind Bars first premiered Nov. 25, 2019 on PBS and has since then become popular among Netflix audiences. Or sushi, for that matter. - and wait until you get the all clear? That is to say, the college has no interest in the nature of your criminal conviction, the length of your sentence, how much time you have left in prison. And I'm back at BPI today as the Government Affairs Officer, expanding - helping to expand access to college and prison through public investments in the work that we do. They have both been to prison. And this is a moment from the film after the graduation ceremony, which we just saw, where I guess, Sebastian, you got your degree and, Dyjuan, you were attending but you're reflecting on what it's like to finish this joyous event and then leave the prison auditorium and then return to the housing unit where you will be rudely searched and then go back to your cells. College Behind Bars. Like, that's who I am. "College Behind Bars" follows students in the Bard Prison Initiative, a privately funded college program that began in 2001 in New York state prisons. And I think it bred for me empathy, which is something that I didn't have a lot of when I was a teenager. And fewer than 4% have gone back to prison. College Behind Bars is perhaps one of the best documentaries that Ive seen about criminal justice in the past 5 years. My family took care of me for 12 years while I was in prison, and now I'm in a position in life where I can support and be there for them. College Behind Bars remains - especially in the first episode - admirably focused on the practicalities of prison life and prison programmes. The series follows the inmates as they give birth and raise their children behind bars. 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. 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. 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. You know, he likes to tell me, you know, many people, when they get pushed down to their hands and knees, the easiest thing for them to do is just lay down. FUEL After Starbucks, Ill go home Im usually hungry by then. But as we got to know the students, we began to understand the circumstances of their lives, which, as you say, were complicated, sometimes tragic, often involved exposure to violence and other tragic experiences. I don't think I heard anybody use that as an excuse for committing crimes, though. She spent four years in prisons taping material for the documentary, which is her solo directorial debut. Ill take care of the preliminaries, brush my teeth, get dressed, and I shoot straight to the Starbucks two blocks away. You don't have the Internet. In 2016, BPI was proud to join the first cohort of sites receiving experimental eligibility through Second Chance Pell. DAVIES: Lynn Novick, congratulations on the documentary. DAVIES: You know, it's interesting, Lynn Novick. Read the Interview in Mother Jones Post Date: 12-11-2019 This July we saw a major legislative victory in New York, spearheaded by BPI alumni. Celebrating 200+ degrees in six graduations back in person with Congressman Bobby Rush. YOON: For me, a liberal arts education cultivated in me conceptual and intellectual openness that invited me to consider worlds outside of my world from different times, thought and space. DAVIES: We're talking about the new PBS documentary "College Behind Bars" with Lynn Novick, the director, and with Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, two formerly incarcerated graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative. Tried as an adult for his involvement in the fight, Mr. Hall was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. 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. The recent PBS series, College Behind Bars, chronicles Mr. Halls eventual parole and release in 2015. 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. And he said - he says to me, you stood up. Since its first cohort in 2001, BPI students have earned over 52,000 credits and more than 550 Bard College degrees. And they understand that research shows inmates who earn masters degrees behind bars have a 0% recidivism rate. I have several friends who are still incarcerated that I spent my summers outside of class tutoring, and they're now in the program. Check out more details below: Most had circumstances early in their life, which were really, really tough, heartbreaking in many cases. GROSS: Lynn Novick speaking with Dave Davies. In early 2020 BPI began working with lawmakers to change Merit Board eligibility rules so that all incarcerated students can be eligible for early release based on earning college credits. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. 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. 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're looking ahead. 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. Rodney has been incarcerated for 17 years and is currently incarcerated at Fishkill. "College Behind Bars" airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations. James Herriots adventures as a veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire get a new TV adaptation. I mean, it's a wide range of liberal arts curriculums. Teaching resources for Men and women earn college degrees - and a chance at new beginnings - while incarcerated.MoreMore. And, you know, spending time in the classrooms - as Sarah Botstein, the producer, and I did - I kept thinking, I wish I could go back to college and have this experience because it is - the classes are small. James Wiley committed a heinous crime at 15 years of age. DAVIES: Yeah. All Rights Reserved. In this era of mass incarceration, America is the world's largest jailer, with more than 2 million men and women behind bars; 630,000 are released annually, and nearly 50 percent end up back in . 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. Become a BPI supporter today and join a passionate community that believes in the power of education. Since its first cohort in 2001, BPI students have earned over 52,000 credits and more than 550 Bard College degrees. Ill fix me a scrambled egg with a cinnamon raisin bagel in my toaster. YOON: Oh, yeah, without a doubt. 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. Few people know the joy of a free Sunday like Jule Hall. You know, Lynn Novick, I believe this project grew out of your own experience teaching a course, right? YOON: I would say that all my friends right now are my peers from the BPI program, and our network is really growing. And they are ready, and they are prepared, and they've done all the reading, and they've read the footnotes, and they've read the ancillary reading, and they are - you know, you better know what you're doing. You know, what's striking about this program is that - I think a lot of people who think about ways that prisons can help incarcerated people get jobs when they get out of prison is to provide vocational training - you know, teach people to be welders or auto mechanics or, you know, stuff like that. I just committed a bad act. DAVIES: You know, I'd like, Sebastian and Dyjuan, to hear a little bit about how - reconciling with your families. That means that 50% to 60% of the 630,000 people who get out of prison every year are back in prison in three years. I can give them different types of advice. So people in the corrections department recognize that as well. And within, you know, a month, they're doing college-level reading and writing. college behind bars where are they now. They love this film. Leath on "Born Behind Bars" Those interviewed in the video say Leath truly cared about the babies and their mothers in the nursery. GROSS: FRESH AIR's executive producer is Danny Miller. When kids stopped bothering me, I guess I started feeling this false sense of empowerment. I worked as a cook. Bad Boys bakery was a social enterprise set up in HM Prison Brixton, in the UK. For now, the roughly 300 students taking . I'm not going to wear that. Otherwise, you're not doing them any favors. This movement took on renewed urgency following Congresss reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020. 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. So once that happened, almost all those programs vanished - went from about 800 programs to fewer than 10. 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. Directed by Lynn Novick and produced by Sarah Botstein, College Behind Bars profiles the Bard Prison Initiative, a Bard College program that extends its curriculum and has awarded nearly. So it's just - it's really an open question. 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? And I always remember, no, no, no. But I thought what just happened in the auditorium was also reality. DAVIES: And that's Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon from the PBS documentary "College Behind Bars," which premieres tonight on PBS. And, you know, what we hope is that through these - their very courageous and generous sharing of their stories, we can all have a different kind of conversation than we have had about who is in prison, why people are incarcerated, what our criminal justice system does and doesn't do to - it's supposed to be helping people to prepare to come back to society and become productive citizens. Mr. Hall is the first formerly incarcerated person to be hired full-time by the Ford Foundation, where he works as a program associate, developing strategy and analyzing data for grants to advance, gender, racial and ethnic justice. So let's just listen to this. Lacy Aaron Schmidt was just 14 when he murdered his ex-girlfriend, Alana Calahan, in Columbia County, Georgia. They study all the disciplines in the liberal arts. With so much at stake, BPI is doubling down on our commitments to national engagement in policy and practice including The BPI Summer Residency for emerging programs and practitioners. I finished my degree in the spring of 2018. Both of you went into prison as teenagers and came out as young men. We should not expect that they are only capable of vocational training. And so, you know, this experience has not only been personally rewarding and amazing for me. DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR, and we're discussing the new four-part PBS documentary "College Behind Bars." 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. Episodes. Virtually none return to prison. Part 1: 'No One Ever Taught Me Any of That.'. 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. (SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "COLLEGE BEHIND BARS"). So I walked out of prison on August 10 of 2017, and I was back in college on August 24 finishing my B.A. It's always a seminar style. So, you know, the - in the Greek, liberal arts education literally means education worthy of a free man. DAVIES: You know, I want to talk to you, Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, a bit about your lives. How much noise is there, and does that make it hard to read, Dyjuan? I may watch Netflix, but I generally just read. I'm going to ask each of you to give me your first impressions here. Creating educational opportunities in prison nationwide. We will hear Sebastian Yoon first and then we'll hear Dyjuan Tatro. TATRO: And, you know, I'll just add that we have been - we have done screenings in prisons from California to Massachusetts. SAVOR I usually order a venti Pike, not too strong. These programs transform the negative impacts of criminal punishment and create radical inroads of access and opportunity to higher learning. And that totally allowed me to reimagine myself. 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. So, to savor this rich, hot drink in my hand is so fabulous with cinnamon, not too much sugar. Your purchase supports PBS and helps make our programming possible. After returning home, BPI alumni become independent taxpaying citizens. And then, you know, you're approaching this search area, and you're in this liminal place. 1. DAVIES: Yeah, it was interesting. And they really love to engage the professors and each other, and that was true for every single class. YOON: Yeah. And what the film shows and the work at BPI shows is that that cannot be more untrue. Rodney, Sebastian and Giovannie embark on yearlong senior, The debate union faces Harvard. Use one of the services below to sign in to PBS: You've just tried to add this video to My List. Justice in America Episode 29: Schools in Prison I mean, both - from the documentary, it seems that both of you had supportive families. That degree really means something when they leave this program with their degree from Bard. The documentary, "College Behind Bars," airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations and will also be available for streaming. And then they're like, strip. The doc is also a moving portrait of individuals determined to defy the odds and build a better future for themselves.. How can we have justice without redemption? 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. Men and women earn college degrees - and a chance at new beginnings - while incarcerated. No, I'm done. And it helped me understand my place in the world and activated me as a civically minded person. They spoke with FRESH AIR's Dave Davies. Ill get up and just sit in silence in my apartment. And also with us are Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, two formerly incarcerated graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative. But first, we need you to sign in to PBS using one of the services below. One of the things I used to do is kind of put my headphones on with classical music, and that's how I would get my reading and get my work done. My father never saw me as a bad person. 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:
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