Reentry Radio

In this episode of Reentry Radio, PRI talks to Melissa Ader, a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society's Worker Justice Project, about conviction-related employment discrimination and the steps New York has taken to combat it. 

Former College Initiative (CI) mentoring coordinator, Alejo Rodriguez, discusses the mentor-mentee relationship in PRI's CI program. CI is a community of successful, positive, and supportive students, alumni, and staff dedicated to creating pathways from criminal justice involvement to college and beyond.

Over the course of several months, students in PRI's College Initiative (CI) program participated in a memoir writing program with Prison Writes, a writing program that uses a trauma-informed approach to bring workshops to incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and justice-involved individuals. In this episode, we speak with Jessica Hall, the founder and executive director of Prison Writes, and Brenneis Nesbitt, a CI student who participated in the memoir writing workshop.

PRI’s College Initiative (CI) program partnered with the StoryCorps Justice Project, which works to preserve and amplify the voices of individuals directly impacted by mass incarceration. In this episode, El Sun discusses the struggles he faced growing up and his experiences pursuing education during and after incarceration.

PRI's College Initiative (CI) program partnered with the StoryCorps Justice Project, which works to preserve and amplify the voices of individuals directly impacted by mass incarceration. Through a workshop with the Justice Project, CI students Tomas (above, left) and Victor (above, right) interviewed each other about their experiences pursuing education before, during, and after incarceration.

PRI's College Initiative (CI) program partnered with the StoryCorps Justice Project, which works to preserve and amplify the voices of individuals directly impacted by mass incarceration. Through a workshop with the Justice Project, CI staff member Carlos Quintana (above) interviewed CI student Derek about his experiences taking college classes while incarcerated, experiencing the elimination of Pell grants for incarcerated students, and continuing his education through CI after his release.

In 2017, PRI's College Initiative (CI) program partnered with the StoryCorps Justice Project, which works to preserve and amplify the voices of individuals directly impacted by mass incarceration. Through a workshop with the Justice Project, CI students LaStar (above, left) and Liz (above, right) interviewed each other about their childhood aspirations and their experiences with justice involvement and higher education.

The Prisoner Reentry Institute (PRI) at John Jay College partnered with the StoryCorps Justice Project in their mission to amplify the stories of people who have been directly impacted by mass incarceration and the justice system. In this episode, College Initiative students Deivy and Philip discuss their experiences being incarcerated, seeking higher education as a means of refuge, and dealing with family and other personal struggles.

Building Communities, Changing Lives: NYC Justice Corps, Part Two

What changes do justice-involved youth want to see in their communities? How can social engagement empower youth as community members? What does it look like when community leaders are committed to holistically supporting  youth? Take an inside look at the NYC Justice Corps program, which aims to change the dynamic between justice-involved young adults and the communities in which they live.

A Place to Call Home: Part 3

A Place to Call Home: Part 2

A Place to Call Home: Part 1

Reentry Radio: Intimate Partner Violence

Reentry Radio: Consequences for Communities