Conference to Examine Educational Access, Equity for Incarcerated People

The Emerson Prison Initiative is hosting a one-day conference, “Innovation in Access and Equity for Incarcerated People in Massachusetts,” featuring speakers, panels, and a documentary screening centered around the value of education in prison.

The event will take place Friday, March 24, 9:00 am-5:00 pm, in the Bill Bordy Theater, 216 Tremont St, and will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.

Lawyer, poet, and 2021 MacArthur Fellow Reginald Dwayne Betts will be the keynote speaker. Betts is founder and director of Freedom Reads, an organization that installs libraries in prisons across the country. There will be a panel on data and research on the impact of college in prison, as well as a panel of formerly incarcerated college students. Thought leaders, including Lee Pelton, president and CEO of The Boston Foundation and former Emerson president, will discuss the issue with Massachusetts legislators.

A screening of the Ken Burns and Lynn Novick documentary, College Behind Bars, will be followed by a moderated discussion.  

The conference, a chance to learn more about college in prison and its benefits for Massachusetts, is open to the public. To register for sessions, in person or via livestream, visit Eventbrite.