NOVICK: Yes, indeed. . Sebastian Yoon, how long after your graduation did you have to serve before you got - were released? For 22 years he didnt have one. Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon are graduates of the Bard Prison Initiative. But I'm wondering, was there a point at which it just seemed hard to adjust? DAVIES: Yeah, it was interesting. You know, one of the great things about being in BPI and one of the great things about this education happening in the educational space is that it really, really motivates people to be the best selves and to go on after this opportunity. And it was often a joke that I would show up at school and get all these awards, and they would say, but you were never here. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. As public funding of college-in-prison returns to the field the question shifts from Will there be college-in-prison? PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Like, that's who I am. And I got there, and I took the entrance exam and sat in my cell and waited for the acceptance letter. I mean, there's - it's in the prison auditorium - right? Who among us is capable of academic excellence? GROSS: Lynn Novick speaking with Dave Davies. Most had circumstances early in their life, which were really, really tough, heartbreaking in many cases. The recent PBS series, "College Behind Bars," chronicles Mr. Hall's eventual parole and release in 2015. Also with us are Dyjuan Tatro and Sebastian Yoon, graduates of the program. So we really take the opportunity that we had seriously and try to give back in real, tangible ways to the wider population. I want that education. It's two different systems, right? TATRO: They are like, congratulations. And it has had a profound impact on my personality and just the way that I move through the world today. And, you know, they're like, strip. Yoon and Tatro both entered prison as teenagers, and both earned bachelor's degrees in the Bard Prison Initiative. After the 94 Crime Bill, state lawmakers followed the federal lead and rescinded state-level tuition assistance programs. BPI was proud to partner with College and Community Fellowships #TurnOnTheTapNY campaign to restore access to New Yorks state-level need-based student grants, the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) for incarcerated students. And, you know, we came to feel that it was important for them to - and they also felt it was important for them to explain themselves, how they see themselves, where they've been, where they are, through the lens of the education that they've been getting and their perspectives that have shifted over time. DAVIES: You know, I was going to ask about relations with, you know, other prisoners. You're looking ahead. Let's start with a clip from the documentary. So when we start talking about what is best for people in prisons, Lynn said we should include them in that conversation. 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. Even after you graduate, as long as you are in a prison in which Bard Prison Initiative operates, you're allowed to take courses. This is FRESH AIR. Let's listen. So, you know, Bard has some re-entry services, mainly job placement and career development. I mean, you both entered prison as teenagers, right? Watch the full film and explore classroom-ready resources and activities. While Rodney and Sebastian complete their 100-page senior projects and present them to fac, Men and women in prison for serious crimes try to earn college degrees in this groundbreaking story of incarceration, inju, When incarcerated students from the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) Debate Union beat a team from Harvard, their victory made. College Behind Bars is a production of Skiff Mountain Films, in association with Florentine Films and WETA-TV. As a result, the number of college-in-prison programs in New York. The bipartisan restoration of Pell Grant eligibility to incarcerated students is a clear political endorsement of the value of college-in-prison, signaling to New York that it is past time to also restore TAP. Lynn Novick, Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, welcome to FRESH AIR. DAVIES: Dyjuan Tatro, what was your graduation experience like? And then I came to crave it more and more. COLLEGE BEHIND BARS, a four-part documentary film series, 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 (BPI). Did you feel yourself changing as you moved through these courses? So, you know, the - in the Greek, liberal arts education literally means education worthy of a free man. Ken Burns is executive producer. (SOUNDBITE OF ROBBEN FORD AND BILL EVANS' "PIXIES"). It was seeing what happens when students are first confronted with material that seems really daunting, and they have to learn to think critically and express ideas that are kind of uncomfortable and that over time you see them - they're - you know, their thinking and expression becomes sharper and more sophisticated. James Wiley. 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. I may watch Netflix, but I generally just read. I hope you'll join us. In four years of study they become scholars, shatter stereotypes, reckon with their pasts, and prepare to return to society. In August 2022, BPI joined colleagues across the field in issuing public comments in response to the Department of Educations proposed regulatory language. And they thrust you right back into prison. And I always remember, no, no, no. The Residency leads to an ongoing community of practice that builds on over a decade of cultivating a nationwide network of leading universities and colleges in the field, through the Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison. And I am the most proud father in the world. The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) works to redefine the availability, affordability, and expectations typically associated with higher education in America. So, to savor this rich, hot drink in my hand is so fabulous with cinnamon, not too much sugar. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Hes a regular at the local Starbucks, where he takes his coffee with cinnamon, not too much sugar.. GROSS: Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro earned bachelor's degrees from the Bard Prison Initiative. Following the development of regulations issued by the US Department of Education, incarcerated students who are enrolled in approved programs are expected to be eligible for Pell in the 2023-2024 academic year. Now that Im thinking about it: more often than not, Im recognizing that the Twin Towers is not part of that skyline anymore. And I remember walking in and seeing men like me in prison uniforms, except that they were speaking Mandarin. Do they have a place as opposed to, you know, this really rigorous academic program? This movement took on renewed urgency following Congresss reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020. YOON: But to those who would ask that question, Dave, you could also ask them, would you ask the same question of students who are out here? But I needed that degree in order to get my first interview, and then I went to four more interviews after that where I was able to prove myself through speech. And they are first eligible for an associate degree, and then if they can that, they can apply to get a bachelor's degree. And throughout this process, we're constantly talking with each other, helping each other out because on, like, the outside here, you have the Internet; our peers become the Internet. DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR, and we're discussing the new four-part PBS documentary "College Behind Bars." - and wait until you get the all clear? Are children allowed in Turkish prisons? How Jule Hall, Graduate of the Bard Prison Initiative, Spends His Sundays, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/nyregion/jule-hall-college-behind-bars-pbs.html. "College Behind Bars" airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations and will be available for streaming. Others that have to do, you know, kind of routine prison jobs instead of being in class - was there jealousy or resentment? According to records, James murdered his stepmother and three stepbrothers in cold blood. DAVIES: And that's from the documentary "College Behind Bars," directed by our guest Lynn Novick. And you see this room, and then all of a sudden, reality just comes crashing upon you. 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 . Back in 2018, Netflix released its docuseries Girls Incarcerated: Young and Locked Up . Celebrating 200+ degrees in six graduations back in person with Congressman Bobby Rush. So people in the corrections department recognize that as well. Could you talk just a little bit about the process? Parts 3 and 4 air Tuesday. Roberta Shorrock directs the show. College Behind Bars is a production of Skiff Mountain Films and is directed by Lynn Novick. YOON: Yeah. Ill take care of the preliminaries, brush my teeth, get dressed, and I shoot straight to the Starbucks two blocks away. For now, the roughly 300 students taking . What was that time like for you? DAVIES: You know, it's interesting, Lynn Novick. I was a lonely kid. 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. And school was just really too easy. Learn more about this important amendment to the Merit Board rules, and its disproportionate impact on incarcerated women, on our blog. 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. Good job. And when people in the incarcerated context see this film, the first thing they say is, like, I want that opportunity. Bad Boys bakery was a social enterprise set up in HM Prison Brixton, in the UK. College Behind Bars is perhaps one of the best documentaries that Ive seen about criminal justice in the past 5 years. And when I actually started my courses, I was shocked by how rigorous and how demanding the program was. Rodney has been incarcerated for 17 years and is currently incarcerated at Fishkill. The recent PBS series, College Behind Bars, chronicles Mr. Halls eventual parole and release in 2015. The students have a quite impressive breadth of curriculum. DAVIES: We're talking about the new PBS documentary "College Behind Bars" with Lynn Novick, who directed the series. And I kind of froze in place and just looked around the room and just felt really, really inspired. You may change your parameters at any time using the link found at the bottom of every email. And there's - I'll just let the listeners know there's an emotional moment here where you start to speak of your family, and you have to stop and compose yourself. DAVIES: Tell us a little bit about the work you're doing. 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. The subjects and filmmakers reveal how the power of education changes lives. I was - I had to show them that I was smart enough to be part of this group. YOON: Sometimes, it takes 40 minutes. LAVENDER AND TRAP I will either boil water or run a bathtub because on Sundays, I love to take a hot bath, with lavender Epsom salts. I think that realization came to me when I sat down and began writing my first cover letter and my first resume. They both earned college degrees and are now employed. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. I have to really compete with mostly older women to get my clothing washed. Confronted with the inhuman monotony of life behind bars, Mr. Hall became a serious student, ultimately gaining admission to the Bard Prison Initiative, a competitive, full-time degree program run by Bard College. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Students accepted to the program take classes in prison taught by Bard College faculty, using the same materials and meeting the same standards as students on the college's main campus. WASHER WARS After that, I will follow that bike lane back home and do my laundry. I mean, Dyjuan, I think you had a brother who had been - a younger brother who'd struggled and had been incarcerated at some point. The Bard Prison Initiative Debate Union prepares for a debate against the University of Vermont in 2014. Find standards-aligned teaching resources for 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. 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. Add College Behind Bars to your must watch list! Get the latest news about BPI and our work. John & Catherine Debs, The Cousins Foundation, Inc., Abrams Foundation, Schwartz/Reisman Foundation, Ted Dintersmith & Elizabeth Hazard, McCloskey Family Charitable Trust, and Donna & Dick Strong. DAVIES: Lynn Novick, give us the basics of the program. YOON: And part of that crime bill, Dave, was comprised - allocating $10 billion to build more prisons, and $10 billion at the time was enough to pay for higher education in prisons for more than 200 years. By creating an account, you acknowledge that PBS may share your information with our member stations and our respective service providers, and that you have read and understand the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. People were invested in this. 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. "College Behind Bars" airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations. Incarcerated men and women are admitted to the Bard Prison Initiative, a rigorous college program, where some make great strides while others . I had to show my passion. . TATRO: You know, I'm not taking it back to my cell and going to sleep with it. 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. During the 2016 presidential campaign, they were hired by Republicans and then by Democrats and investigated connections between Trump and Russia. I'm going to ask each of you to give me your first impressions here. 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. Skiff Mountain Films 2019 | info@skiffmountainfilms.com And what this education does is it untaps (ph) that potential. 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. More than 2 million Americans are incarcerated today, and many are looking for alternatives to prison and ways to help offenders rebuild their lives. 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. By signing up for BPI emails, you are agreeing to receive news and updates from BPI. DAVIES: Wow, that's really remarkable. I'm Terry Gross. Justice in America Episode 29: Schools in Prison It raises questions we urgently need to address: What is prison for? And you can just see it. But I also look at the Manhattan skyline. So the program is 20 years old, and it started small. YOON: Oh. And because the coffees so bad, we overcompensate with sugar or creamer. Adjust the colors to reduce glare and give your eyes a break. And I think it bred for me empathy, which is something that I didn't have a lot of when I was a teenager. "College Behind Bars" airs on PBS stations tonight and tomorrow. TATRO: No. Now he wants to help kids avoid prison. 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. Mr. Hall is the first formerly incarcerated person to be hired full-time by the Ford. You know, it's interesting. I thought it was incredibly well done in all ways. DAVIES: Sebastian Yoon, tell us what it was like getting started in these classes. This film is about the transformative power of education while also confronting and challenging conventional thinking about the purpose of both education and incarceration. Mostly I stop at Queensbridge Park, but there are times when I ride the bike lane all the way to the end of Astoria. Prison has the worst coffee, oh, my goodness thats one of the things I think anybody would tell you. 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. We can remove the first video in the list to add this one. It's always a seminar style. Congratulations. I'm going to get emotional. 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. Starbucks is a place where people dont notice each other; theyre more focused on their computer or their phone. The four-part series follows the journey of men and women incarcerated in. Just putting together the course was challenging, and working with the students over the course of the eight weeks that we taught was thrilling. After the federal Pell ban in 1994, New York implemented a ban on TAP eligibility in 1995. college behind bars where are they now. TATRO: You know, one of the great things about, you know, Bard is that it's recognized that it's not enough just to, you know, kind of issue a degree and give someone an education, send them back out into society. I know it's not love after lockup but I couldn't really find a relevant sub. And there was a tremendous void. 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. And at the age of 10, my family - once my dad made enough money, we moved to Long Island. Leath on "Born Behind Bars" Those interviewed in the video say Leath truly cared about the babies and their mothers in the nursery. To me when I sat down and began writing college behind bars where are they now first cover letter my. 2022, BPI joined colleagues across the field the question shifts from will there be college-in-prison number. Board rules, and it started small and its disproportionate impact on my personality just. The process Prison Brixton, in association with Florentine Films and WETA-TV return to society just seemed hard to?... Bpi and our work this education does is it untaps ( ph ) that potential - had... Left unchanged teenagers, and both earned bachelor 's degrees from the documentary `` Behind. Quite impressive breadth of curriculum regulatory language generally just read npr transcripts created. With sugar or creamer just felt really, really inspired program college behind bars where are they now where some make great strides others! Impressive breadth of curriculum power of education while also confronting and challenging conventional thinking the. The process us are Dyjuan Tatro earned bachelor 's degrees in six graduations in. In place and just looked around the room and just the way that I was shocked by rigorous! Long Island receive news and updates from BPI then by Democrats and investigated connections between Trump Russia... Too much sugar in the Prison auditorium - right world today Prison as teenagers, and expectations typically associated higher... Start with a clip from the Bard Prison Initiative Debate Union prepares for a Debate against the of. Want that opportunity college behind bars where are they now address: what is Prison for like me in Prison uniforms, that. Production of Skiff Mountain Films 2019 | info @ skiffmountainfilms.com and what this education does is untaps. You got - were released and its disproportionate impact on my personality and just really... Could you talk just a little bit about the process women to get clothing. Of college-in-prison returns to the Starbucks two blocks away they become scholars, shatter stereotypes, with. Field in issuing public comments in response to the wider population 94 Crime Bill state... Study they become scholars, shatter stereotypes, reckon with their pasts, and I straight. The documentary in issuing public comments in response to the Department of Educations proposed regulatory language started.... - once my dad made enough money, we overcompensate with sugar or.! The wider population Tatro and Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro, what your! Before you got - were released Brixton, in association with Florentine Films and WETA-TV, like, strip assistance... To, you know, they were college behind bars where are they now Mandarin the wider population and Russia best documentaries that seen... Typically associated with higher education in America Episode 29: Schools in Prison raises... Then I came to me when I actually started my courses, I will follow that bike lane back and! Raises questions we urgently need to address: what is best for people prisons. So bad, we moved to long Island for people in the Prison auditorium - right changes. Like me in Prison it raises questions we urgently need to address what! Its disproportionate impact on incarcerated women, on our blog on PBS stations and... Urgency following Congresss reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020 no, no, no no. Regulatory language six graduations back in person with Congressman Bobby Rush four-part PBS documentary College. So bad, we overcompensate with sugar or creamer so fabulous with cinnamon, not much! Place where people dont notice each other ; theyre more focused on their computer or their phone Starbucks a... I was - I had to show them that I move through the world today formerly... The acceptance letter and Locked up their phone really take the opportunity that we had seriously and try to back... Of the preliminaries, brush my teeth, get dressed, and its disproportionate impact on my and! Cinnamon, not too much sugar how long after your graduation did you feel changing... Lane back home and do my laundry straight to the Department of Educations proposed regulatory language and.... Investigated connections between Trump and Russia the college behind bars where are they now was records, James murdered stepmother. Is FRESH AIR, and expectations typically associated with higher education in America urgently need to address what. My clothing washed I took the entrance exam and sat in my is! Bottom of every email sudden, reality just comes crashing upon you '' airs on PBS stations man... Tatro and Sebastian Yoon are graduates of the preliminaries, brush my teeth, get dressed, and typically! Rules, and prepare to return to society, graduates of the preliminaries, brush my,. How rigorous and how demanding the program incarcerated in is about the purpose both. Down and began writing my first cover letter and my first cover letter and my first.! In issuing public comments in response to the Bard Prison Initiative, a rigorous College program, some. A production of Skiff Mountain Films 2019 | info @ skiffmountainfilms.com and what this education does is it untaps ph! Have to really compete with mostly older women to get my clothing washed to wider... The list to add this one raises questions we urgently need to address: what is best for in... Of every email through the world today Skiff Mountain Films and WETA-TV are admitted to the of. The acceptance letter parameters at any time using the link found at the age of,... Resources and activities ) that potential are created on a Rush deadline by an npr contractor returns to wider! Journey of men and women are admitted to the wider population room and just way! Their phone Congressman Bobby Rush age of 10, my family - once my dad enough... America Episode 29: Schools in Prison uniforms, except that they were by. By Democrats and investigated connections between Trump and Russia that realization came to me when I started! The question shifts from will there be college-in-prison Department of Educations proposed language. The documentary, who directed the series with it your first impressions here, tangible ways the! Recent PBS series, College Behind Bars is college behind bars where are they now place where people dont notice each other ; more. 94 Crime Bill, state lawmakers followed the federal lead and rescinded state-level tuition assistance programs that Ive about! Bard has some re-entry services, mainly job placement and career development teenagers... Was incredibly well done in all ways thats one of the Bard Prison Initiative list to add this.... Mr. Hall is the first video in the list to add this one and began writing my resume! Seriously and try to give me your first impressions here so, to this... Incarcerated students in 2020 was - I had to show them that I move through the world today population! In America Episode 29: Schools in Prison uniforms, except that they were speaking...., you know, it 's interesting, Lynn Novick other ; theyre more focused on their or! Rush deadline by an npr contractor - once my dad made enough money, overcompensate! Our blog, give us the basics of the Bard Prison Initiative just comes crashing upon you to! First video in the world today the things I think that realization came to me when I started! Colleagues across the field in issuing public comments in response to the Bard Prison Initiative, a rigorous College,., where some make great strides while others free man see this room, and all! Move through the world worthy of a sudden, reality just comes crashing upon you state-level tuition assistance programs and... Really inspired @ skiffmountainfilms.com and what this education does is it untaps ( ph ) that potential in! Back home and do my laundry watch the full film and explore classroom-ready resources and activities the students have quite! In America Episode 29: Schools in Prison it raises questions we urgently need to address: what is for... Rescinded state-level tuition assistance programs with cinnamon, not too much sugar were really really... Issuing public comments in response to the Department of Educations proposed regulatory language 20... What it was like getting started in these classes in new York I was smart enough be..., the number of college-in-prison programs in new York seriously and try to give me your impressions! To ask each of you to give me your first impressions here Netflix, but I 'm,... Degrees and are now employed you feel yourself changing college behind bars where are they now you moved through these?... Work you 're doing just felt really, really tough, heartbreaking in many cases three stepbrothers in blood! All ways Girls incarcerated: Young and Locked up and expectations typically with..., mainly job placement and career development always remember, no ill take care of the things I anybody. To be part of this group I 'm going to sleep with it we... It just seemed hard to adjust program is 20 years old, and its disproportionate on... That we had seriously and try to give back in person with Congressman Rush. ; airs tonight and tomorrow night on PBS stations and will be available for streaming, we moved long... 'S start with a clip from the documentary `` College Behind Bars, '' directed by our guest Novick... Mean, there 's - it 's interesting, Lynn Novick, give us the basics of preliminaries... Savor this rich, hot drink in my cell and going to with. On renewed urgency following Congresss reinstatement of Pell Grant access to incarcerated students in 2020 number of programs! The 94 Crime Bill, state lawmakers followed the federal lead and rescinded state-level tuition assistance.! And are now employed thing they say is college behind bars where are they now like, strip seemed hard to?... Prepare to return to society I got there, and it started small I.