University Behind Bars: Reimagining Justice Through Education

Speakers | Caroline Parker and Ben Walker

Abstract

What is prison for? And who among us is capable of academic excellence?

Join the Department of Anthropology’s Seminar Series for a special event exploring these urgent questions. We'll begin with a screening of the Emmy-nominated documentary College Behind Bars. The film tells the moving story of incarcerated students pursuing degrees through the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI). With over 600 graduates, BPI is one of the most successful college-in-prison programs in the United States.

The film will springboard a vital discussion on expanding this work locally. We'll be joined by: 

• Dr. Caroline Parker, founder of Learning in Prison, who will share successes from UCL's pilot program at HMP Belmarsh and other UK initiatives.
• Dr Ben Walker, founder of The Crito Project, which has worked in partnership with the University of East Anglia since 2013 to deliver philosophy classes for incarcerated students across five different UK prisons. In that time we have taught over 700 hours of face-to-face philosophy classes, delivered at the same kind of level that our students on campus can expect.

This event is a chance to build solidarity, share ideas, and discuss how we can work as a community for a more just future. How can we have justice without education? Join us to explore the answer.