From Plea to Degree: College Education in New York Prisons

For some, the college experience brings to mind memories of frat parties, full lecture halls, and late nights spent typing up essays. For others, these memories are replaced by handcuffs and jail cells. Inmates of Walkill Correctional Facility in upstate New York and Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan are amongst the few who have access to college accredited courses during their time in prison. In collaboration with New York University and The New School, amongst others, some New York prisons are allowing inmates to participate in college-accredited courses. José Diaz, Kaitlin Noss, Zishan Urgulu, and Hannah Levy share their insights regarding the U.S. penal system and the power of education.Produced by Sonya Lustig, Quinn Cawley, and Justin Rai