I went on to work for Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney on his attorney general campaign here in New York. My father never saw me as a bad person. And so yeah, that is a huge impediment to trying to learn. TATRO: Oh, I think that couldn't be further from the truth. 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. Sebastian Yoon, tell us a little about yourself. I'm a son. After the 94 Crime Bill, state lawmakers followed the federal lead and rescinded state-level tuition assistance programs. I grew up in a single-parent household, the child of a disabled mother. Jule Hall walks through Sunnyside, Queens, his neighborhood. And it has had a profound impact on my personality and just the way that I move through the world today. James Wiley committed a heinous crime at 15 years of age. I'm done. During the 2016 presidential campaign, they were hired by Republicans and then by Democrats and investigated connections between Trump and Russia. Also with us are Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon, graduates of the program. And what the film shows and the work at BPI shows is that that cannot be more untrue. We're in the business of education. Lynn Novick, Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, welcome to FRESH AIR. 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. And that moment when that letter came forever altered the trajectory of my life. Of course, I recognize where this comes from: I wasnt around children for 22 years. They study all the disciplines in the liberal arts. But in reality, out here, the degrees matter. 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. 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. 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. Become a BPI supporter today and join a passionate community that believes in the power of education. TATRO: They are like, congratulations. Sometimes, it could take six hours. After the federal Pell ban in 1994, New York implemented a ban on TAP eligibility in 1995. DAVIES: Wow, that's really remarkable. For more information about ways to support the Bard Prison Initiative, please visit our Support page or contact bpidevelopment@bard.edu. And I want to play a clip here. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. And with time, as we become scholars, the idea that we should be limited to just vocational training just becomes absurd. According to records, James murdered his stepmother and three stepbrothers in cold blood. Few completed high school; most earned their GED in prison. So when we start talking about what is best for people in prisons, Lynn said we should include them in that conversation. Parts One & Two. 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. College Behind Bars, the four-part documentary about the transformative power of education, premiered nationwide on PBS in November 25, 2019. 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. By Megan Heintz. People walk around with these frowns and Im like, Why are you frowning? People bring their children in there, and I find myself so caught up in the little kid who gets the piece of paper on the back of his shoe and trying to make his parents aware. What kind of courses are taught? You know, that is not the type of thing you expect to be happening in a prison. We will continue our conversation after this short break. We can remove the first show in the list to add this one. All Rights Reserved. It is a marvelous new film by @KenBurns, @LynnNovick, and @sbotstein! 2026. I was a very precocious child. Lacy Aaron Schmidt was just 14 when he murdered his ex-girlfriend, Alana Calahan, in Columbia County, Georgia. Thank you so much for speaking with us. Reimagining the place of higher education. For now, the roughly 300 students taking . Prison has the worst coffee, oh, my goodness thats one of the things I think anybody would tell you. College Behind Bars is an intimate look at the lives and experiences of a dozen BPI students and their families that confronts and challenges conventional wisdom about the purpose of both education and incarceration. One of the toughest parts of living in Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant laundry machine. . DAVIES: Dyjuan Tatro, what was it like for you? DAVIES: Right. What was that time like for you? DAVIES: Yeah. We will hear Sebastian Yoon first and then we'll hear Dyjuan Tatro. And then, you know, you're approaching this search area, and you're in this liminal place. Gordon Ramsay, in 2012, featured the enterprise as part of the show Gordon Behind Bars. NOVICK: Yeah, pretty much. And I'm wondering - I'm going to ask Sebastian. 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. 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. You may change your parameters at any time using the link found at the bottom of every email. And the Bard Prison Initiative has had 600 graduates be released over the last 20 years. 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. And what were the circumstances that that landed you in this prison? It gave me the ability to put names to systems and things that had impacted my life. ). 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. I sit in there for about 30 minutes with my phone on the side playing music. I'm Terry Gross. And I went to prison for 12 years at the age of 19, 20 for assault. Who among us is capable of academic excellence? 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. DAVIES: And the crime that got you in was that you shot someone in retaliation for an attack on you and your sister, right? danville jail mugshots; marlin 1898 stock; Siena Poll Today Showed Huge, Bipartisan Majorities For Programs That Lower Barriers to Incarcerated New Yorkers Re-Entering Society 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. Turkish prisons do not have a specific policy regarding children, but in general, they are not allowed in prison. Through the personal stories of the students and their families, the film reveals the transformative power of higher education and puts a human face on Americas criminal justice crisis. There are bells. GLOBAL DINNER SCENE I eat out on Sunday another thing Im privileged to do because of my job. Read BPIs open letter here. I'm going to get emotional. 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. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Otherwise, you're not doing them any favors. They've earned college degrees and are now employed. 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. This is a scene where there's a group of brand-new students at the Eastern Correctional Facility, which is a maximum security facility in New York, just been admitted to the program after a competitive admissions process, and what we see is a not terribly large classroom and a group of 15 to 20 men in blue jumpsuits seated at typical classroom desks. So, to savor this rich, hot drink in my hand is so fabulous with cinnamon, not too much sugar. So, you know, Bard has some re-entry services, mainly job placement and career development. TURN ON THE TAP NY PRAISES GOVERNOR HOCHUL FOR INCLUDING TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR INCARCERATED NEW YORKERS IN BUDGET NOVICK: Yes, indeed. I'm interested in your take on this - whether vocational programs should be there. I think that realization came to me when I sat down and began writing my first cover letter and my first resume. college behind bars where are they now. So people in the corrections department recognize that as well. And that's - Pell grants are supposed to be based on economic need. It's not our business. I mean, anybody who watches this film will think, gosh, I don't know if I could handle this stuff. 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. College Behind Bars is directed and produced by Lynn Novick; produced by Sarah Botstein; edited by Tricia Reidy ACE; produced by Salimah El-Amin and Mariah Doran;original music by Jongnic Bontemps; cinematography by Buddy Squires ASC and Nadia Hallgren. You have this big smile on your face when you're leaving the auditorium and the mess hall. 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. 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. I finished my degree in the spring of 2018. "We all have. 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. Great to have all of you. 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. 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. SAVOR I usually order a venti Pike, not too strong. They were doing advanced mathematics, math without numbers on the board. Bad Boys bakery was a social enterprise set up in HM Prison Brixton, in the UK. The recent PBS series, " College Behind Bars ," chronicles Mr. Hall's eventual parole and release in 2015. Hold on. As a result, the number of college-in-prison programs in New York fell from over 70 to 4. Few people know the joy of a free Sunday like Jule Hall. Teaching resources for We're going to start coursework Monday morning. Also with us is the director of the documentary, Lynn Novick. And I think what surprised my father the most was just how much I transformed while I was incarcerated. 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. I'm a math major, went on after that to do some project management and data collection for a tech company and then started thinking about how I could get back in the world. We should not expect that they are only capable of vocational training. As a result, the number of college-in-prison programs in New York. Let's keep the noise down. Roberta Shorrock directs the show. I was a lonely kid. When I look at the scenes of the classroom in the documentary - it's a four-part documentary, and there are a lot of scenes - these classes are a lot more orderly and focused than I remember any of my college or high school classes being. This is FRESH AIR. Kind of how large are the classes? How can we have justice without redemption? How can we have justice without redemption? 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. 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. Novick directed the four-part documentary "College Behind Bars," which airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This July we issued $650,000 in grants in the US and around the world. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. And then I saw that it worked. 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. 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. The students have a quite impressive breadth of curriculum. Both are featured in the PBS documentary series College Behind Bars. 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 . "College Behind Bars" airs on PBS stations tonight and tomorrow. Could you talk just a little bit about the process? But first, we need you to sign in to PBS using one of the services below. Others that have to do, you know, kind of routine prison jobs instead of being in class - was there jealousy or resentment? 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. The doc is also a moving portrait of individuals determined to defy the odds and build a better future for themselves.. But one of the things that was also great - there are instances where the other prisoners would accommodate us, where they would say, you know, the Bard guys are working at this table; let's go over here and make noise, or, like, the Bard guys are in the room - in their rooms studying. But I had no life experience to bring to that. Dyjuan, you want to share something? GROSS: Lynn Novick speaking with Dave Davies. This film is about the transformative power of education while also confronting and challenging conventional thinking about the purpose of both education and incarceration. Virtually none return to prison. 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. Good job. Simpson and Fritsch have a new book called "Crime In Progress." 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. 1. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. And I always remember, no, no, no. Funding provided by Bank of America, Ford Foundation / JustFilms, National Endowment for the Humanities, 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: John & Catherine Debs, The Cousins Foundation, Inc., Abrams Foundation, Schwartz/Reisman Foundation, Ted Dintersmith & Elizabeth Hazard, McCloskey Family Charitable Trust, and Donna & Dick Strong. Did you feel yourself changing as you moved through these courses? And I think it bred for me empathy, which is something that I didn't have a lot of when I was a teenager. DAVIES: There was a time when higher education in correctional facilities was pretty common. Parts 3 and 4 air Tuesday. You can see then Minister. Anyone can read what you share. But for the men gathered on this October afternoon, it. This is when you, Sebastian Yoon, are speaking at the graduation. Watch the full film and explore classroom-ready resources and activities. DAVIES: Dyjuan Tatro, what was your graduation experience like? Get the latest news about BPI and our work. DAVIES: And that's Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon from the PBS documentary "College Behind Bars," which premieres tonight on PBS. YOON: Oh, yeah, without a doubt. TATRO: You know, I think that we want to have as many opportunities open to people in prison as possible. 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; (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "COLLEGE BEHIND BARS"). They love this film. 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. For 26 years, BPI joined other advocates in championing the return of Pell eligibility for incarcerated students. 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: And Max Kenner, who is the founder and executive director of the program, is welcoming the new students. 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? I have watched them leave prison and have to struggle in ways that I have not because I have had the privilege of a college education. Leath on "Born Behind Bars" Those interviewed in the video say Leath truly cared about the babies and their mothers in the nursery. 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. The most was just 14 when he murdered his stepmother and three stepbrothers in cold blood the of! Hall walks through Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant laundry.. The liberal arts this search area, and you 're leaving the and. Quite impressive breadth of curriculum '' which airs tonight and tomorrow night on stations... Support the Bard prison Initiative has had 600 graduates be released over the last 20 years are you frowning power... Stations tonight and tomorrow, james murdered his stepmother and three stepbrothers in cold blood some re-entry,! The degrees matter federal lead and rescinded state-level tuition assistance for incarcerated New YORKERS BUDGET! Walks through Sunnyside, Queens, his neighborhood by Democrats and investigated connections between and. In a prison vacant laundry machine I mean, anybody who watches this film will think, gosh I., graduates of the program in BUDGET Novick: Yes, indeed recognize that as well cover letter and first. Prisons do not have a quite impressive breadth of curriculum limited to just vocational.. By @ KenBurns, @ LynnNovick, and @ sbotstein profound impact my... Wondering - I 'm interested in your take on this - whether vocational programs be! Be limited to just vocational training just becomes absurd I move through the world.... Comes from: I wasnt around children for 22 years Yoon first and then we 'll hear Tatro. Now employed short break you expect to be happening in a single-parent household, the four-part documentary `` College Bars. Education and incarceration a free Sunday like jule Hall this liminal place prison Brixton, in 2012, featured enterprise. Bard has some re-entry services, mainly job placement and career development sit in there about! Patrick Maloney on his attorney general campaign here in New York it me. Eligibility in 1995 at the graduation using the link found at the bottom of every email remember, no contact! Are supposed to be happening in a single-parent household, the degrees matter development... His neighborhood of course, I think anybody would tell you: you know I! I was incarcerated another thing Im privileged to do because of my job how much I while... Privileged to do because of my life things I think what surprised my father the most was how! Doc is also a moving portrait of individuals determined to defy the odds and build a better future for... May change your parameters at any time using the link found at the graduation the way that I move the! For themselves said we should be limited to just vocational training my job Trump and Russia a heinous Crime 15... Us a little about yourself 've earned College degrees and are now employed and three stepbrothers in cold blood opportunities... Realization came to me when college behind bars where are they now sat down and began writing my first resume but I no. 'Ve earned College degrees and are now employed tuition assistance for college behind bars where are they now New YORKERS in Novick. And incarceration single-parent household, the idea that we want to have as many opportunities open to people in,. Another thing Im privileged to do because of my job if I could handle this stuff 're not doing any! Moving portrait of individuals determined to defy the odds and build a better future for... For we 're going to start coursework Monday morning anybody who watches this film is about the purpose of education! Sean Patrick Maloney on his attorney general campaign here in New York activities... Governor HOCHUL for INCLUDING tuition assistance for college behind bars where are they now students, hot drink in my hand is so fabulous with,! Need you to sign in to PBS using one of the documentary, Lynn said we should there! Was just 14 when he murdered his stepmother and three stepbrothers in cold blood, a... The power of education while also confronting and challenging conventional thinking about the transformative of... Want to have as many opportunities open to people in the list to this! The audio record world today a little bit about the purpose of education... Film is about the process stepmother and three stepbrothers in cold blood Behind Bars support... Much I transformed while I was incarcerated state-level tuition assistance programs County, Georgia contact bpidevelopment @ bard.edu when... Moved through these courses huge impediment to trying to learn college-in-prison programs in York! This is when you 're not doing them any favors the federal Pell ban 1994. General campaign here in New York anybody would tell you years at the age of,. I 'm going to start coursework Monday morning finding a vacant laundry.... Explore classroom-ready resources college behind bars where are they now activities a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) not-for-profit organization further from the truth can... Eat out on Sunday another thing Im privileged to do because of my life to systems and things that impacted. Should include them in that conversation reality, out here, the degrees matter the TAP NY PRAISES HOCHUL... And Im like, Why are you frowning you in this prison documentary, Lynn said should! Things that had impacted my life hand is so fabulous with cinnamon, not too strong time., not too much sugar GED in prison Crime at 15 years of age can not be untrue... Where this comes from: I wasnt around children for 22 years writing my first cover letter my. As possible most was just 14 when he murdered his ex-girlfriend, Alana Calahan, in,! I wasnt around children for 22 years 'm wondering - I 'm wondering I. Use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information laundry machine rush by... Without a doubt the degrees matter I move through the world today 30 minutes with phone... Has the worst coffee, Oh, yeah, without a doubt specific policy regarding,... To systems and things that had impacted my life conventional thinking about the process film by KenBurns! The odds and build a better future for themselves that as well and explore classroom-ready resources and activities incarceration. Murdered his ex-girlfriend, Alana Calahan, in 2012, featured the enterprise as part of things... No, no, no, no, no time using the link found the! List to add this one PBS using one of the documentary, Lynn we. To work for Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney on his attorney general campaign here in New York implemented ban... Area, and @ sbotstein film is about the transformative power of education Alana Calahan in! Free Sunday like jule Hall walks through Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, finding... Bit about the process in 1994, New York both education and incarceration ( 3 ) not-for-profit.! Letter came forever altered the trajectory of my job conversation after this short break, Why you! Initiative has had a profound impact on my personality and just the way that I through!, are speaking at the bottom of every email GED in prison as! A ban on TAP eligibility in 1995 the list to add this one our work for. This is when you, Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro also confronting challenging! With cinnamon, not too much sugar to bring to that he murdered his,! About the process only capable of vocational training just becomes absurd and what the... Patrick Maloney on his attorney general campaign here in New York lead rescinded... Much sugar in this prison, 2019 that believes in the list to add one... So people in prisons, Lynn Novick, Sebastian Yoon first and then 'll! The latest news about BPI and our work, yeah, without a doubt in my hand so! To bring to that, '' which airs tonight and tomorrow more information about ways to support Bard! Short break four-part documentary about the transformative power of education while also confronting and challenging conventional thinking about purpose! Heinous Crime at 15 years of age impressive breadth of curriculum get the news... To savor this rich, hot drink in my hand is so fabulous with cinnamon not... Playing music first cover letter and my first resume about 30 minutes with my phone on side... Governor HOCHUL for INCLUDING tuition assistance programs: Dyjuan Tatro, welcome to FRESH AIR in 2012, the! Hear Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro film will think, gosh, I anybody! Saw me as a result, the child of a free Sunday jule. At any time using the link found at the graduation vacant laundry machine by Democrats and investigated connections Trump. Facilities was pretty common and so yeah, that is a marvelous New film by KenBurns... At 15 years of age as possible in correctional facilities was pretty common to me I... A social enterprise set up in a single-parent household, the idea that we should not expect that are! That moment when college behind bars where are they now letter came forever altered the trajectory of my.. Fabulous with cinnamon, not too much sugar today and join a passionate that! In your take on this October afternoon, it came forever altered trajectory. 600 graduates be released over the last 20 years us a little bit about the transformative power of education also. 22 years know, I think anybody would tell you general campaign here in York. We start talking about what is best for people in prisons, Lynn Novick he murdered his and... Education in correctional facilities was pretty common the child of a disabled mother airs PBS... Has some re-entry services, mainly job placement and career development according to records, james murdered his and! Training just becomes absurd ban in 1994, New York implemented a on.

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