The introduction to the PBS NewsHour segment featuring JSP program participants is both haunting and hopeful:
“Tonight we hear from inmates at California’s San Quentin Prison who committed crimes when they were young and are serving up to life terms. They’re part of a weekly discussion group where they focus on self-improvement through discussion, education and counseling.”
One man featured has been in prison for 28 years – since the age of 17.
Another for 31 years, at the age of 19.
Many have no chance of parole. But they’re learning how to give their own self a second chance.
“When I first started I wasn’t able to talk about myself because I was too embarrassed and too ashamed to express the things that I had done…”
Former JSP Principal, Nancy Campbell facilitated the development of a design for transition services for 18-25 year old male inmates in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Working with the global design firm IDEO, JSP introduced PBS to some of the young men who participated in the project. These young men are part of San Quentin State Prison’s Kid C.A.T. (Creating Awareness Together) program that is dedicated to helping men, incarcerated as youth, understand the consequences of their actions and to live their lives as “examples of the human potential for redemption.”
In this unique Brief But Spectacular PBS episode, the voices of young male inmates and their experience being incarcerated gives us a deeper understanding of how we can support their transformation into responsible adult men.
Take a moment and watch the segment now:
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