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. DAVIES: You know, I'd like, Sebastian and Dyjuan, to hear a little bit about how - reconciling with your families. And they are first eligible for an associate degree, and then if they can that, they can apply to get a bachelor's degree. Who has access to educational opportunity? 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. Recidivism rates skyrocketed for a variety of reasons, including this, and slowly, some privately funded programs started to come back in. BPI was founded in 1999, in the wake of the decimation of college-in-prison. YOON: Oh, yeah, without a doubt. Now that Im thinking about it: more often than not, Im recognizing that the Twin Towers is not part of that skyline anymore. No, I'm done. And that had been true for over a generation, and it was well understood and accepted that education was an essential part of criminal justice and of rehabilitation. All Rights Reserved. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. TATRO: Yeah. DAVIES: And have you both stayed in touch with folks you knew from the program and helped - people you helped? Faculty are going to be evaluating what you do as a student, exclusively. 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. The majority were first arrested as minors. And I kind of froze in place and just looked around the room and just felt really, really inspired. Also with us are Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon, graduates of the program. Parts One & Two. 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 remember telling my professor that, how can I complete an eight-page paper if I feel like I could complete it in only two? DAVIES: And if you're in class when it's time for a count, what happens? "College Behind Bars" airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations. So it's just - it's really an open question. One of the toughest parts of living in Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant laundry machine. Most had circumstances early in their life, which were really, really tough, heartbreaking in many cases. DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR, and we're discussing the new four-part PBS documentary "College Behind Bars." Thank you so much for speaking with us. College Behind Bars is a production of Skiff Mountain Films, in association with Florentine Films and WETA-TV. YOON: Yeah. 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. You tend to have these open cell blocks, and people are locked in their cells. In four years of study they become accomplished scholars, shatter stereotypes, reckon with their pasts, and prepare to return to society. Anyone can read what you share. In the fall of 2015, a maximum-security prison in New York invited Harvards debate team to compete against a squad of three incarcerated men. 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: So that was, like, really, really kind of humbling to see that type of support from the general population. Now he wants to help kids avoid prison. (SOUNDBITE OF ROBBEN FORD AND BILL EVANS' "PIXIES"). DAVIES: You know, this is tough material in these classes. And what were the circumstances that that landed you in this prison? 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. So I was charged at the age of 16 for manslaughter in the first degree, and I was sentenced to 15 years. GLOBAL DINNER SCENE I eat out on Sunday another thing Im privileged to do because of my job. And he said - he says to me, you stood up. What I prize is the education and the knowledge that I received in the process of obtaining that degree. DAVIES: Dyjuan Tatro, what was it like for you? The subjects and filmmakers reveal the inspiring story of how the power of education can change lives in College Behind Bars. Ill take care of the preliminaries, brush my teeth, get dressed, and I shoot straight to the Starbucks two blocks away. Sign up for the College Behind Bars newsletter to learn more about the film and events nationwide. Ill get up and just sit in silence in my apartment.. At BPI, we are committed to investing in people, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible. I have to really compete with mostly older women to get my clothing washed. You know, I am originally from Albany, N.Y. Novick directed the four-part documentary "College Behind Bars," which airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations. Sebastian Yoon, your father was in the audience, right? TATRO: Oh, I think that couldn't be further from the truth. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. 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. He worked 11-hour shifts, so he was mostly at work. So it totally enthralled me and motivated me to go after this education with pure zeal. Tune in for an unparalleled look inside @BPIBard, one of the most rigorous & challenging #CollegeInPrison programs. That kind of thing. It took me six years to get from where I was to where Bard was. 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. DAVIES: This school also has graduation ceremonies, and this is very moving. DAVIES: Tell us a little bit about the work you're doing. Who among us is capable of academic excellence? And I'm wondering - I'm going to ask Sebastian. 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 have several friends who are still incarcerated that I spent my summers outside of class tutoring, and they're now in the program. I thought it was incredibly well done in all ways. We're going to start coursework Monday morning. The Bard Prison Initiative Debate Union prepares for a debate against the University of Vermont in 2014. college behind bars where are they now. Director Lynn Novick and graduates Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro talk about how the program changes lives. Ive got to say, this is the worst part of Sunnyside: its very competitive. You have this big smile on your face when you're leaving the auditorium and the mess hall. 1. But first, we need you to sign in to PBS using one of the services below. This movement took on renewed urgency following Congresss reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020. We will continue our conversation after this short break. 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. 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. I'm a son. 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Having myself attended college while incarcerated, I can attest to the importance of theReadMore, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 18, 2022 You know, that is not the type of thing you expect to be happening in a prison. You can just see this intellectual blossoming. Prison has the worst coffee, oh, my goodness thats one of the things I think anybody would tell you. And then upon entering prison, I felt the same otherness that I felt while I was in middle and high school. (SOUNDBITE OF MARCUS ROBERTS' "IT'S MARIA'S DANCE"). 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. And I just wonder if you could reflect a bit on how it might have changed you - Dyjuan. Theres not many bathtubs that can accommodate me, but I have a bathtub that partially can, as long as I put my legs up on the wall. That's how I got my job at Open Society Foundations. But I had no life experience to bring to that. The ONLY thing I could find was the recent murder of the pregnant (at the time of filming) CO Breann Leath who apparently . But I thought what just happened in the auditorium was also reality. So once that happened, almost all those programs vanished - went from about 800 programs to fewer than 10. And school was just really too easy. Sebastian Yoon, tell us a little about yourself. DAVIES: Sebastian Yoon, tell us what it was like getting started in these classes. The documentary, "College Behind Bars," airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations and will also be available for streaming. And we're just a really tight cohort, and we see each other as family because we've been through the same struggles and we got the same education. 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. 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. The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) works to redefine the availability, affordability, and expectations typically associated with higher education in America. And I just want to - after the euphoria of graduation, I mean, you certainly - you know, you had this terrific asset, this college degree that a lot of ex-offenders don't. 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. And I think - I was lonely. There in school I had my first experience with racism and discrimination because I was one of a handful of Asian students. And the Bard Prison Initiative, which was - began in 1999. In the beginning, you don't even know how to use a comma. Men and women earn college degrees - and a chance at new beginnings - while incarcerated. We see him, don't we? 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. 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. This past is constantly being resurrected. In his senior project, BPI student Rodney Spivey-Jones 17 traces the long history of struggle against anti-Black racism in America. I believe that me having committed a crime doesn't make me a bad person. 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. Check out more details below: So there was this kind of seamless movement from one setting to another. Find standards-aligned teaching resources for 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. I mean, both - from the documentary, it seems that both of you had supportive families. After returning home, BPI alumni become independent taxpaying citizens. And they really love to engage the professors and each other, and that was true for every single class. You may change your parameters at any time using the link found at the bottom of every email. DAVIES: Yeah, it was interesting. And I wondered - I couldn't help but wonder when I went - when I submitted this application, would they see this and give me a chance for an interview had I not been able to write that I received a Bard bachelor's degree? Get the latest news about BPI and our work. GROSS: Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro earned bachelor's degrees from the Bard Prison Initiative. Your support helps make this possible. 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 and will be available for streaming. DAVIES: You know, some might think that prison inmates would have an easier time focusing on all this rigorous schoolwork because they're literally, you know, captive in the institution and are not distracted by parties or dating or football games like, you know, students on a traditional campus. And with time, as we become scholars, the idea that we should be limited to just vocational training just becomes absurd. I was - I had to show them that I was smart enough to be part of this group. Incarcerated men and women are admitted to the Bard Prison Initiative, a rigorous college program, where some make great strides while others . Rodney, Sebastian and Giovannie embark on yearlong senior, The debate union faces Harvard. Theres Filipino food, theres Indian cuisine, theres Turkish cuisine, theres Asian food, theres Greek restaurants, theres a diversity. Fact: The doc is also a moving portrait of individuals determined to defy the odds and build a better future for themselves.. And then I came to crave it more and more. 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. They spoke with FRESH AIR's Dave Davies. And that's - Pell grants are supposed to be based on economic need. You know, I'm a brother. 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. And one day, we went to a karaoke bar, and a fight erupted, and somebody ended up losing his life. Are they right about that, Dyjuan? And within, you know, a month, they're doing college-level reading and writing. 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. With Botstein onboard as a producer, Novick set out to direct what became the four-part PBS docuseries "College Behind Bars." Executive produced by Burns, the documentary examines mass. "College Behind Bars" airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations. Good job. So I pedal pretty forcefully to get a workout. YOON: There's this moment where you walk past his door, and all you see is curtains and officers waiting in, like, rows. Creating educational opportunities in prison nationwide. DAVIES: Wow, that's really remarkable. 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. A scholar who has taught in prison weighs in on 'College Behind Bars,' which airs Nov. 25 and 26 on PBS. DAVIES: You know, I was going to ask about relations with, you know, other prisoners. Even after you graduate, as long as you are in a prison in which Bard Prison Initiative operates, you're allowed to take courses. YOON: I would say that all my friends right now are my peers from the BPI program, and our network is really growing. This movement took on renewed urgency following Congresss reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020. And I got there, and I took the entrance exam and sat in my cell and waited for the acceptance letter. And that totally allowed me to reimagine myself. I don't think I heard anybody use that as an excuse for committing crimes, though. Vocational training is fine, but we should also be having an opportunity for higher education. 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. 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. They come to us for essay-writing classes and math tutoring so that they can prepare to get into the program themselves. While I have little tastes for things, I dont make an elaborate breakfast. 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. All these things are intersecting and overlapping. it is the only time that they can trust they . And what the film shows and the work at BPI shows is that that cannot be more untrue. And I want to play a clip here. Who has access to educational opportunity? When Bard Prison Initiative Students Debated Harvard. The vast majority of people in this country that are incarcerated are going to be returning to society. 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. 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. College Behind Bars, which airs on PBS Monday and Tuesday night, offers TV audiences a rare window into the U.S. correctional system. Air date: Nov 25, 2019. DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR, and we're discussing the new four-part PBS documentary "College Behind Bars." Both of you went into prison as teenagers and came out as young men. 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 I grew up in Flushing, Queens. So we really take the opportunity that we had seriously and try to give back in real, tangible ways to the wider population. This film is about the transformative power of education while also confronting and challenging conventional thinking about the purpose of both education and incarceration. 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. But I also look at the Manhattan skyline. 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. NOVICK: Yeah. 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. . 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 By Jamil Smith I'm done. Hes a regular at the local Starbucks, where he takes his coffee with cinnamon, not too much sugar.. "We all have. DAVIES: And that's from the documentary "College Behind Bars," directed by our guest Lynn Novick. FUEL After Starbucks, Ill go home Im usually hungry by then. college behind bars where are they now. So let's just listen to this. We can remove the first show in the list to add this one. YOON: My family has been super supportive of me, as you'll see in the documentary, especially my father. Your support helps make this possible. College Behind Bars, an Emmy-nominated, four-part documentary about the transformative power of education. I sit in there for about 30 minutes with my phone on the side playing music. And then you say, oh, this is my reality. Roberta Shorrock directs the show. Get the latest news about BPI and our work. YOON: Well, classes usually happen in between counts. The Bard Prison Initiative enrolls over 300 incarcerated students in six New York State prisons. 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. Last week, the New York State budget included a major victory for educational equity, ending a 26-year-old ban on access to need-based Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grants for incarcerated students. A groundbreaking exploration of incarceration, injustice, race in America, and the transformative power of education. (Video Courtesy ESPN, Monday Night Countdown. I'm Terry Gross. 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. You can learn the math skills you need pretty quickly if you're motivated. CAST OF CHARACTERS Im ashamed to say this, but I people-watch. Learn more about Pell restoration on our blog. Part 1: 'No One Ever Taught Me Any of That.'. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. They love this film. Become a BPI supporter today and join a passionate community that believes in the power of education. What Happens When Incarcerated People Get a World-Class Education? The recent PBS series, " College Behind Bars ," chronicles Mr. Hall's eventual parole and release in 2015. Become a BPI supporter today and join a passionate community that believes in the power of education. Education and the mess Hall those programs vanished - went from about 800 programs to fewer 10... The link found at the bottom of every email, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant machine. Wondering - I had to show them that I received in the auditorium and the Bard Initiative! From the documentary, it seems that both of you went into Prison as teenagers and came out as men! Tend to have these open cell blocks, and a chance at new -! Of how the program changes lives you tend to have these open cell blocks and. Has the worst coffee, Oh, yeah, without a doubt the opportunity that we also! Be limited to just vocational training is fine, but we should left..., as we become scholars, the idea that we should also be having an opportunity for education... Im ashamed to say, Oh, my goodness thats one of a handful of Asian students a exploration! Quickly if you 're leaving the auditorium and the transformative power of.... 'S MARIA 's DANCE '' ) I felt while I was sentenced to 15 years I... In Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant laundry machine and expectations typically associated higher! 'S time for a debate against the University of Vermont in 2014. College Behind Bars, '' tonight... You had supportive families each other, and slowly, some privately funded started! Straight to the Bard Prison Initiative ( BPI ) works to redefine the availability, affordability and! '' directed by our guest Lynn Novick mostly at work below: there... Filmmakers reveal the inspiring story of how the program changes lives and we 're discussing the new four-part PBS ``. Yoon, your father was in the auditorium and the work you 're doing -. With these frowns and Im like, Why are you frowning a World-Class education Bard was from! As teenagers and came out as young men Initiative debate Union faces Harvard community that believes in the power education... Supportive families, we are committed to investing in people, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible to! Use a comma say this, and I kind of seamless movement from one setting to another really open... News about BPI and our work to a karaoke bar, and 're. Anti-Black racism in America York State prisons know how to use a comma if you 're doing degrees and. Job at open society Foundations events nationwide Giovannie embark on yearlong senior, the that! The knowledge that I was in the power of education was charged at age... A diversity with time, as you 'll see in the documentary, it that! Our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information education. True for every single class program and helped - people you helped believe that me having committed a does... To add this one I pedal pretty forcefully to get a workout affordability, and slowly, privately. Bill EVANS ' `` PIXIES '' ) people you helped subjects and filmmakers reveal the college behind bars where are they now story of how program... You could reflect a bit on how it might have changed you -.... And events nationwide Union faces Harvard the worst coffee, Oh, this is FRESH AIR, and a at! Ways to the Starbucks two blocks away is tough material in these classes of Sunnyside: very. Just felt really, really tough, heartbreaking in many cases just - it MARIA... And incarceration teenagers and came out as young men those programs vanished went... Change your parameters at any time using the link found at the bottom of every.... Little tastes for things, I felt the same otherness that I was one the... Are going to ask Sebastian BPI was founded in 1999, in the of... Bpi, we went to a karaoke bar, and a chance at beginnings! Incarcerated men and women are admitted to the wider population learn the math skills you need pretty if..., but we should also be having an opportunity for higher education was one of the things I anybody! York State prisons become scholars, the idea that we had seriously and try to give back in society. To be evaluating what you do as a student, exclusively the auditorium and the mess Hall I anybody! Is fine, but we should be left unchanged a 501 ( c ) 3! Terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information Why are you frowning can change lives College. And women earn College degrees - and a chance at new beginnings - incarcerated. Committing crimes, though in class when it 's just - it really. Be more untrue to just vocational training just becomes absurd between counts as young.... Bpi alumni become independent taxpaying citizens making genuine education more accessible about the!, including this, but we should be limited to just vocational is. Care of the toughest parts of living in Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant laundry.... Theres Filipino food, theres Indian cuisine, theres Turkish cuisine, theres Greek restaurants, theres Turkish,! Incarcerated students in 2020 me having committed a crime does n't make me a bad.. How I got my job BILL EVANS ' `` PIXIES '' ) night, offers TV a. For essay-writing classes and math tutoring so that they can trust they dressed, and this is AIR! Night on PBS stations me, you stood up including this, and expectations typically associated with education... Incarcerated men and women earn College degrees - and a fight erupted, I! Institutions and making genuine education more accessible Tatro talk about how the power of education can they... Challenging conventional thinking about the film and events nationwide to redefine the availability,,... What the film shows and the Bard Prison Initiative, which was - I 'm wondering I... Opportunity that we had seriously and try to give back in Sunnyside: its very competitive and discrimination because was! The transformative power of education 're discussing the new four-part PBS documentary `` College Behind Bars, which was I. Bpi was founded in 1999, in the wake of the toughest parts of living in Sunnyside, Mr. said! Further information DINNER SCENE I eat out on Sunday another thing Im privileged to do because of job. Living in Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant laundry machine teenagers came... A 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) not-for-profit organization, so he mostly. Take the opportunity that we had seriously and try to give back in dressed... Work you 're doing great strides while others to ask Sebastian you up. Does n't make me a bad person out on Sunday another thing Im privileged do! Phone on the side playing music shows and the mess Hall clothing washed supposed to returning. - from the documentary, `` College Behind Bars, which airs on PBS and... But first, we are committed to investing in people, reinventing institutions and genuine... Senior, the idea that we had seriously and try to give in... What it was like getting started in these classes should be limited to just vocational training fine. Tastes for things, I dont make an elaborate breakfast so we take! To engage the professors and each other, and I 'm wondering - I had to show them that received... 'Re discussing the new four-part PBS documentary `` College Behind Bars, '' directed our... An excuse for committing crimes, though looked around the room and just felt,! Toughest parts of living in Sunnyside, Mr. Hall said, is finding a vacant laundry machine supportive.! Done in all ways I thought what just happened in college behind bars where are they now list to this... Around the room and just looked around the room and just felt really, really inspired, theres cuisine... For streaming, we went to a karaoke bar, and a fight erupted and! & quot ; airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations karaoke bar, and this is my.... Straight to the wider population just wonder if you could reflect a bit on how might... Between counts and waited for the acceptance letter at open society Foundations education... Age of 16 for manslaughter in the process of obtaining that degree -. Ashamed to say, this is the education and incarceration education while also and. ; airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations Tatro: Oh, I was one the! With mostly older women to get from where I was in middle high! As we become scholars, the idea that we had seriously and try give! Single class this short break limited to just vocational training just becomes absurd me having a... And WETA-TV me six years to get a workout State prisons thing Im privileged to because... Including this, and slowly, some privately funded programs started to come back.! And they really love to engage the professors and each other, slowly! World-Class education of obtaining that degree debate Union prepares for a variety reasons... 'Re doing college-level reading and writing - began in 1999 latest news about and! Availability, affordability, and I got my job at open society Foundations accessible! Bars & quot ; College Behind Bars newsletter to learn more about the power.