College Behind Bars

Citizenship is defined not only as the status of being a citizen, but also the way in which an individual responds to and engages with being a part of a broader community. What happens when individuals don’t view themselves as part of a greater community? How are they and the community affected?  In these activities, students will gain an understanding of the value and responsibilities of citizenship and the role of education in developing active citizens. Students will read about and discuss the history of education within prisons and the positive impact that education can have on incarcerated individuals and their communities. Students will learn about “othering,” the act of treating or viewing a person or a group to be intrinsically different from oneself or one's group. How does the act of othering people affect perceptions of citizenship in these marginalized communities? Students will carefully consider and discuss who in society has historically been granted access to high quality education to further reflect on how we as a society determine who “deserves” this access. Learning Goals Students will understand: The value and responsibilities of citizenship; The role of education in citizenship: creating engaged, active and productive members of a community; The impact of othering and marginalization in education and broader communities; The impact of education on an incarcerated person, both in and out of prison.

Summary: In this activity, students will analyze and discuss the transformative role of education in preparing students to become active civic beings and community members. Examining the stories of Bard Prison Initiative students and alumni portrayed in College Behind Bars, students will have the opportunity to evaluate, compare, and contrast outcomes, reflecting on their own academic journeys so far through analysis, questioning, and reflection. Students will watch and evaluate documentary clips, identify central ideas and key details, and ask clarifying questions. Students will work in groups to complete a collaborative jigsaw activity.  In their exploration of these broader themes, students will become familiar with the concept of mass incarceration, the imprisonment of millions of Americans, disproportionately black and Hispanic adults, many of whom are parents or guardians to children in school. A 2016 report by the Economic Policy Institute argues that the collateral effects of mass incarceration contribute to the racial gaps in academic performance between black and white students, and some argue that mass incarceration serves as a present-day extension of Jim Crow. About the author: Vivett Dukes is a middle and high school English Language Arts teacher in New York City.

After watching select video clips about the structure of the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), the effects of mass incarceration, and the purpose of prison, students will analyze and discuss the politics of offering college courses to incarcerated individuals in U.S. prisons. Since federal funding for prison education programs was eliminated in 1995, BPI is one of a limited number of college degree granting programs available in U.S. prisons.   Students will: Analyze video clips from College Behind Bars; Examine key claims, figures, and statistics about incarceration in the U.S.; Establish supported arguments and participate in classroom discussions.  About the authors: Alex Geyelin and Skyla Sale are 8th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies teachers on Oahu, Hawaii.

In this close reading English Language Arts activity set, students examine and discuss the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), a program that offers Bard College degrees in select New York State prisons. Students who are accepted into this degree program follow the same course of study for the same degrees as a Bard student does at Bard College. These activities emphasize one BPI student’s story, from his life prior to prison through his experiences as a student in the BPI program to life after leaving prison. These materials examine the stories through an ELA lens, but the nature of the content and the focus on personal narratives bring to the forefront social, economic, and social justice issues. These activities ask students to expand their understanding of “close reading.” Students will be asked to listen to and observe the language of each clip closely. Students will not be literally reading a text for comprehension, but will instead analyze and derive meaning through careful listening to spoken words and careful observation of individuals’ actions and other visual cues presented in each clip. In doing so, students will be close reading audio-visual media as text for comprehension and deeper understanding.      Opening Statement:       "During my interviews for College Behind Bars, I didn't have a particular thought process or approach to answering the interview questions. My language and insights were the natural outgrowth of the education I received with the Bard College Prison Initiative (BPI). Today, there exists great consensus that mass incarceration is a social problem. In the early 1990s, it was portrayed as the appropriate response to the activities of so-called "superpredators." The label confused me. It conflicted with the person I knew myself to be. Enrolling in BPI gave me the tools that would assist my understanding of the world in which I lived and myself. By the time we began working on the film, I had completed my undergraduate degree and devoted a lot of time to reflecting on why I was in prison. I felt prepared, and empowered, to tell my story." -Jule Hall, BPI Graduate About the author: Heidi Miller, MFA, is an arts educator based in New York, New York.

Explore the transformative power of education through the eyes of a dozen incarcerated men and women trying to earn college degrees – and a chance at new beginnings – from one of the country’s most rigorous prison education programs. Access College Behind Bars resources here.

This four-hour film series tells the story of a small group of incarcerated men and women struggling to earn college degrees in one of the most rigorous and effective prison education programs in the United States—the Bard Prison Initiative. Through the personal stories of students and their families, the film puts a human face on America’s criminal justice crisis, exploring the transformative power of higher education and our failure to provide meaningful rehabilitation for the over two million Americans living behind bars.