college behind bars where are they now

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, you know, just being in a classroom setting where I was sitting down with people from different backgrounds, listening to their stories and their ideas and you start to appreciate that despite the differences that we have, there are so much more similarities among us. At BPI, we are committed to investing in people, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible. Who among us is capable of academic excellence? 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. Men and women seek college degrees - and a chance at redemption - while incarcerated. Creating educational opportunities in prison nationwide. I grew up in a single-parent household, the child of a disabled mother. 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. DAVIES: Yeah. They spoke with FRESH AIR's Dave Davies. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. They worked with former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, whose dossier was leaked and published. One of the toughest parts of living in Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant laundry machine. Jule Hall walks through Sunnyside, Queens, his neighborhood. After graduation, there were like, 30, on each side of the shower room just waiting for you. I mean, anybody who watches this film will think, gosh, I don't know if I could handle this stuff. 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. Few people know the joy of a free Sunday like Jule Hall. I mean, I think there are a lot of powerful stories in these documentaries of these students. I have two brothers - one older, one younger. I mean, you both entered prison as teenagers, right? DAVIES: This school also has graduation ceremonies, and this is very moving. Of course, I recognize where this comes from: I wasnt around children for 22 years. They've earned college degrees and are now employed. The recent PBS series, College Behind Bars, chronicles Mr. Halls eventual parole and release in 2015. The series follows the inmates as they give birth and raise their children behind bars. 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. What you see at the end is a testament to the power of education, and why it remains such a dangerous and underrated weapon against a racially and economically unjust status quo in this nation., The powerful new miniseries suggests we might find hope in the transformative effect of higher education., [A] nuanced look at education in the prison industrial complex., An important educational call to arms. Sign up for the College Behind Bars newsletter to learn more about the film and events nationwide. 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. The recent PBS series, " College Behind Bars ," chronicles Mr. Hall's eventual parole and release in 2015. The students have a quite impressive breadth of curriculum. This can't just be watching movies and talking about it; you have to have a very sophisticated, demanding syllabus and assessments and writing assignments, and the students have to perform at the level that we expect for Bard College. And then you address your father directly. I went on to work for Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney on his attorney general campaign here in New York. Faculty are going to be evaluating what you do as a student, exclusively. But the problem is that there can - bells can ring off in prison at any time. TATRO: Sure. And when I actually started my courses, I was shocked by how rigorous and how demanding the program was. DAVIES: And Sebastian, you can tell us a little bit about your transition. ). Our guests today are Lynn Novick, who directed the documentary, and two graduates of the program, Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro. danville jail mugshots; marlin 1898 stock; And you see people on this kind of, like, exponential learning curve from places where they, you know, might not seem at first glance that they're ready for "college work," quote, unquote. It gave me the ability to put names to systems and things that had impacted my life. Tried as an adult for his involvement in the fight, Mr. Hall was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. 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. And when we leave this room tonight, there is now something that can be taken away from you that's completely different than when you walked in. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. I worked as a cook. Yoon and Tatro earned college degrees taking rigorous courses taught by Bard College faculty in a maximum-security prison. There's a lot of interaction with the students, with the professor and with each other, and a tremendous amount learning also goes on outside the classroom. DAVIES: Lynn Novick, give us the basics of the program. Well, you know, for a number of the graduates - and this was true of Sebastian, not Dyjuan - there was this - there's this terrible paradox where, you know, the fact that you are completing your college degree and graduating doesn't mean that you are released from prison. (SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "COLLEGE BEHIND BARS"). In 2016, BPI was proud to join the first cohort of sites receiving experimental eligibility through Second Chance Pell. Celebrating 200+ degrees in six graduations back in person with Congressman Bobby Rush. I'm Terry Gross. The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) works to redefine the availability, affordability, and expectations typically associated with higher education in America. There are bells. We will continue our conversation after a short break. Accuracy and availability may vary. And you see this room, and then all of a sudden, reality just comes crashing upon you. It's two different systems, right? The College: Comprehensive Academic Engagement. CONTACT: Eric Koch | ericdkoch@gmail.com It radiates and ramifies throughout my entire family structure, you know? It teaches you how smart you are. The documentary, "College Behind Bars," airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations and will also be available for streaming. College Behind Bars, the four-part documentary about the transformative power of education, premiered nationwide on PBS in November 25, 2019. Leath on "Born Behind Bars" Those interviewed in the video say Leath truly cared about the babies and their mothers in the nursery. Vocational training is fine, but we should also be having an opportunity for higher education. No, I'm done. YOON: Oh. Prison is not an easy place to get an education. 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. Sometimes, it could take six hours. That was not our experience at all. Learn more about this important amendment to the Merit Board rules, and its disproportionate impact on incarcerated women, on our blog. "We all have. College Behind Bars is the inspiring, emotional, deeply human story of men and women struggling to earn college degrees while in prison for serious crimes. And they understand that research shows inmates who earn masters degrees behind bars have a 0% recidivism rate. Mr. Hall is the first formerly incarcerated person to be hired full-time by the Ford. Mostly I stop at Queensbridge Park, but there are times when I ride the bike lane all the way to the end of Astoria. Colleges or universities partnering in the Consortium. I'm done. And so yeah, that is a huge impediment to trying to learn. 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. 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. You can learn the math skills you need pretty quickly if you're motivated. And Max Kenner, who is the founder and executive director of the program, is welcoming the new students. Anyone can read what you share. A scholar who has taught in prison weighs in on 'College Behind Bars,' which airs Nov. 25 and 26 on PBS. What I prize is the education and the knowledge that I received in the process of obtaining that degree. Since its first cohort in 2001, BPI students have earned over 52,000 credits and more than 550 Bard College degrees. I can give them different types of advice. This is not me. Our guests are Lynn Novick, who directed the documentary, and Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon, two graduates of the program. I wish you continued success. That degree really means something when they leave this program with their degree from Bard. I'm Terry Gross. I'm going to ask each of you to give me your first impressions here. And before the 1994 Clinton crime bill, there were college programs in almost every correctional facility in America. Born Behind Bars is a documentary series that takes place in a maximum-security prison in Indiana. When incarcerated students from the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) Debate Union beat a team from Harvard, their victory made headlines around the world. DAVIES: Sebastian Yoon, tell us what it was like getting started in these classes. 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. So, you know, the - in the Greek, liberal arts education literally means education worthy of a free man. Read the Interview in Mother Jones Post Date: 12-11-2019 Lacy Aaron Schmidt was just 14 when he murdered his ex-girlfriend, Alana Calahan, in Columbia County, Georgia. College Behind Bars, which airs on PBS Monday and Tuesday night, offers TV audiences a rare window into the U.S. correctional system. They spoke with FRESH AIR's Dave Davies. You know, I'm a brother. But that means a lot that weren't - probably some applied and did not get in. Teaching resources for 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. So I walked out of prison on August 10 of 2017, and I was back in college on August 24 finishing my B.A. Prison has the worst coffee, oh, my goodness thats one of the things I think anybody would tell you. How much noise is there, and does that make it hard to read, Dyjuan? Skiff Mountain Films 2019 | info@skiffmountainfilms.com (SOUNDBITE OF STEFON HARRIS AND BLACKOUT'S "DAT DERE"). 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. Incarcerated men and women in New York State are admitted to the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), one of the most rigorous college programs in America. I had to understand the idea of hubris, and I had to understand the idea of tragedy, and I had to understand these concepts. Fact: And I just wonder if you could reflect a bit on how it might have changed you - Dyjuan. So let's just listen to this. WebCollege Behind Bars, which airs on PBS Monday and Tuesday night, offers TV audiences a rare window into the U.S. correctional system. 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: And the crime that got you in was that you shot someone in retaliation for an attack on you and your sister, right? We can remove the first video in the list to add this one. And they are first eligible for an associate degree, and then if they can that, they can apply to get a bachelor's degree. I always thought that my logic and my feelings trumped others - no pun intended. Since 2001, BPI has created groundbreaking opportunities for college within Americas prison systems. YOON: I never stopped being a student. Tell me how the experience compared with what you expected. Theres Filipino food, theres Indian cuisine, theres Turkish cuisine, theres Asian food, theres Greek restaurants, theres a diversity. It's about a program in which professors of Bard College give college classes in six correctional institutions. 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. And then I saw that it worked. college behind bars where are they now. DAVIES: Yeah. My father was in Vietnam, came home drug-addicted and has never really recovered from that. He started his college education behind bars. Since its first cohort in 2001, BPI students have earned over 52,000 credits and more than 550 Bard College degrees. We, you know, without quite realizing at the beginning, have ended up exploring this really deep question. Do they have a place as opposed to, you know, this really rigorous academic program? In December 2020 Congress finally restored Pell Grant eligibility as part of the omnibus spending and COVID relief bill. Incarcerated People Can Do More than Beat Harvard in a Debate. 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? Like, that's who I am. If this kind of opportunity were widely available and the sort of foundational skills made possible, a lot more people could take advantage of it. It's about a program in which professors of Bard College give college classes in six correctional institutions. Your education in that space can be interrupted in all types of different ways at any time of day. Great to have all of you. Also with us are Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon, graduates of the program. I'm an uncle. You can just see this intellectual blossoming. For 26 years, BPI joined other advocates in championing the return of Pell eligibility for incarcerated students. And, you know, one of the just greatest moments there is that when the BPI students were getting up to walk the stage, the president of the college, Leon Botstein, said - you know, he said these are some of our most distinguished and greatest students, and the whole student body stood and gave us a resounding round of applause. This is FRESH AIR. rush medical college leadership; college behind bars where are they now. YOON: My fellow graduates, my friends, let me remind you that we have an obligation to share our stories and to uphold the idea that if we wish to have a better world, as we all do, then we must first change ourselves. A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE Once I put something in my stomach, I bike ride. And what were the circumstances that that landed you in this prison? Novick directed the four-part documentary "College Behind Bars," which airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations. So, you know, Bard has some re-entry services, mainly job placement and career development. Parts One & Two. You have this big smile on your face when you're leaving the auditorium and the mess hall. I wake up every morning and I realize Im free and Im just so grateful to be here.. Creating educational opportunities in prison nationwide. And I'm wondering - I'm going to ask Sebastian. As a result, the number of college-in-prison programs in New York fell from over 70 to 4. 2026. The journey to bring "College Behind Bars" started in 2012, when Novick and producer Sarah Botstein were invited to give a lecture for BPI students. FUEL After Starbucks, Ill go home Im usually hungry by then. BPI alumni overwhelmingly go home to their communities and give back in ways that positively impact the lives of others. DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR, and we're discussing the new four-part PBS documentary "College Behind Bars." Let's start with a clip from the documentary. I was a lonely kid. BPI transforms wealth, power, and purpose in America by providing full-scholarship, college education in the most unlikely places. For now, the roughly 300 students taking . This is FRESH AIR. They study math, as Dyjuan said, languages, history, literature, art, science, philosophy, economics, public policy, you know, public health. 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. Parts 3 and 4 air Tuesday. A QUIET START I allow myself to sleep no later than 7:30, because on a weekday I get up around 5. I was - I had to show them that I was smart enough to be part of this group.

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college behind bars where are they now