This was one of the most eye-opening conversations we’ve had in a long time.
For the past couple of years, Jennifer Berkshire has taught journalism and education policy in the Boston College Prison Education Program at MCI-Shirley, a medium-security facility in central Massachusetts. In this episode she shares what that work has taught her about schools, punishment, and what learning can look like when it is taken seriously by the people doing it.
Berkshire also interviewed men from the Boston College program who had since been released and were finishing their degrees on campus. With their permission, clips from those conversations are woven into the episode.
Guest Information
Jennifer Berkshire is a podcast host, coauthor, and educator. She co-hosted the Have You Heard podcast with Jack Schneider and co-authored The Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door and The Education Wars.
Show Notes & Recommendations
- Ear Hustle podcast
- John Lennon, “The Tragedy of True Crime”
- The Boston College Prison Education Program
- Coverage of social-emotional learning skills (Chalkbeat)