I was once an ardent non-believer in higher education in prison. I always believed my tax dollars should be put to better use. But that was before I was on this side of the barbed wire. Now I recognize the importance and need for college for incarcerated persons. Coming into prison with an education is not an asset, it is actually a hindrance. I was extremely fortunate to have obtained my BS and MS degrees before I started engaging in illicit acts. I'm very proud of my deg

Dontie Mitchell, as you may have read in prior posts, was sentenced at seventeen. Dontie has now spent over half his life in prison. He is courageously fighting for his freedom to pursue the opportunites that were robbed from him as a teenager. Yes, I am flipping the script. Dontie was sentenced for robbery, but Dontie was the first one robbed. Dontie is fighting for the opportunity he was never given, not by his parents, his community, or our society. Rather than providi

We are pleased to introduce our new Advisory Board member Chris to you. Chris brings extensive experience as a person who was formerly incarcerated and a former gang leader, who has used his experience to positively influence others. The following is an excerpt from his autobiography. On January 15, 1991, I, Christian Claudio, entered the New York Criminal Justice system. I sat alone inside a 6x9 prison cell with 37 years remaining on my sentence. There I sat inside my pris