Full Description
Thirteen men sentenced to die by incarceration at a maximum-security prison pushed themselves to enroll in the first face-to-face bachelor's degree completion program for incarcerated students in the state of California. Sentenced to life without possibility of parole, they pursued higher education as the path toward rehabilitation and transformation, changing the trajectory of their lives. Based on in-depth interviews, each journey is at times heartbreaking, infuriating, and deeply inspiring, as the men work through early childhood traumas, learning disabilities, failures, and guilt. Author Taffany Lim also explores her own growth and evolution as a result of years of investment in each student's personal success.
Learn more at www.hopethroughhighered.com
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
The Changing Landscape
The Prison BA Graduation Initiative (PGI)
The Students
Hope, Transformation, and the Ripple Effect
Chapter 1: Samual Nathaniel Brown
Early Years
College
The Crime
LWOP
Turning Point
Lancaster—A College Man
Transformation
The Future
Chapter 2: Allen Dean Burnett II
Childhood
Home Life
An Emancipated Minor
Crime
LWOP
Turning Points
Education
The Future
Chapter 3: Billy G.
Early Years
Crime
Change
Survival
The 10-Year Wall
Lancaster
The Impact of College in Prison
The Future is Now
Chapter 4: J.H.
Early Childhood
Crime
College
Home
Chapter 5: Jason Keaton
Early Years
Crime
Prison
Turning Point
Transformation
Bachelor's Degree
Planning for the Future
A College Graduate
Chapter 6: Thaisan Nguon
Early Years
Gang Life
Crime
Prison
Honor Yard
Home
The Future
Chapter 7: Tin Tri Nguyen
Early Years
Adolescence and the Teen Years
Crime
The Journey to a BA Degree
Transformation
Challenges
Coming Home
The Ripple Effect
The Future
Chapter 8: Charlie Praphatananda
Early Years
LWOP
Transformation
The BA and Transformation
Commutation
The Future
Chapter 9: Risala Rose-Aminifu
Early Years
The Crime
Prison
Hope
The Road to College
The Change
The Sky's the Limit
Chapter 10: Jeff Stein
Early School Years
High School
Adulthood
The Crime
Prison: Hope Lost
Transformation
Transformation and Hope
Graduate
Chapter 11: Thomas Franklin Wheelock
Early Education
Teen Years
The Crime
Life Without Possibility of Parole
A Small Change Within
The Power of the Bachelor's Degree
The Classroom
A Free and Educated Man
Chapter 12: Daniel Whitlow
Early Education
Crime
Prison
Golden Eagles
Transformation
Commutation
Dreams for the Future
Chapter 13: Chay Dara Yin
Early Years
Crime
Prison
Turning Point/Education
The Ripple Effect of a Free College Graduate
The Future
Chapter 14: Reflections
Today
Glossary
Suggested Reading
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
