Lt. John Azzata, commanding officer of the Nassau police homicide squad. Vivian Nixon Dyjuan Tatro, 18 How do you know youve hit bottom? Youll lean! This is about undoing a mistake.. Shawnta J Montgomery was born on month day 1979. College Behind Bars"follows students in the Bard Prison Initiative, a privately funded college program that began in 2001 inNew York state prisons. And those people really dont last that long. Follow. Shawnta Montgomery, Age 33. We offer people something they really want, and the condition is that they have to behave peaceably if they want it., The Fortune Society holds most of its job-training and vocational-education programs at its Long Island City offices, with the Castle offering its own approach to social services. Left: Jule Hall attends the special screening of COLLEGE BEHIND BARS after-party at Red Rooster on November 12, 2019 in New York City; Right: Vivian Nixon and Max Kenner on the red carpet before the screening The Apollo Theater. College Behind Bars first premiered Nov. 25, 2019 on PBS and has since then become popular among Netflix audiences. Maxwell and her daughter, Cindy Collier, 17, said they met Montgomery for the first time on New Year's Day and during the month-and-a-half long stay, they never saw Montgomery lay a hand on the little girl. Ignoring someone is reacting to them., Afterward, Rivera looked bemused. Remember, a lot of our residents are people who went from eating institutional food in school to eating institutional food in prison and thats all they know. You keep coming home. Shawnta Montgomery Profiles | Facebook People named Shawnta Montgomery Find your friends on Facebook Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Much of the language of the meeting is specific to the world of those who have been locked up. Housing programs for an offenders rentry into the community usually involve a bewildering array of bureaucracies, and often result in former inmates being placed in halfway houses and homeless shelters that replicate the conditions of prison. Females, one newcomer says, a candid but very wrong answer. Your voice changed. I keep telling him thatyou just have to accept that, wherever you go, there will be friction between you and the people you work with, and you have to work through it. I dont say that in a disparaging way, but thats what it ispeople are auditioning for acceptance into the program and theyre bringing their A-game to be accepted. As the car pulled up to the Castle, a group of residents, all masked, were waiting on the steps. Virginia authorities had received reports of child abuse concerning Dizhawna last year, Nassau police said. Or by Tom, Who Drove Under the Influence. Ive worked in D.C., where people identify themselves by their degreesI went to this schooland thats what its about. Jule Hall, 11 As things stand, it is both of these things, intensely. It allowed me to transcend incarceration and gave me the credentials and skills necessary for success after 25 years in a cage. Many of us have done it. Partly through the osmosis that teaches all of us our dialectsnobody has to tell a quarterback to say It was a team victory; he absorbs the words when he starts playing footballthe residents use many cautious voices and tenses to narrate their movement through a hostile world. Founder and Executive Director of BPI. (The right answer is: I love to work with others.) Whats your greatest weakness. By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. I told her, Never assume. Thats a line from the Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy movie Desk Set. Rothenberg paused. Executive Director of College & Community Fellowship. It gave me hope for his future. Upstairs, there are comfortable bedrooms for more than eighty residents, but at the moment they were, by the societys rule, empty. Chief of Staff, Bronx Defenders. Facebook gives people the. (Feb. 15, 2010) Credit: James Carbone. Peer Recovery Counselor, Fortune Society. "Do you want the guy that got educationinside and is likely to get a job? Angela Scott, an eight-year veteran of the society, has replaced Rivera. In organizations, you have to be careful not to take a political standbut this isnt political. Im interested in this brick. Its hard., Rivera grew gentler: Can I talk about that? Rivera was privately equivocal about the reasons for his departure. With some people, it was just a faade, a performance to get in. We all know, the stigma of a felony conviction is a lot to overcome. We tried to convince the powers that be that this was a shortsighted decision, says Anthony Annucci, the acting commissioner for New Yorks department of corrections, but we couldnt compete with the 20-second soundbite. A recidivism rate among BPI graduates of 4%, compared with the usual 50%, did nothing to change anyones mind. 4,221 followers. Late night studying. Education experts argue the benefit of expanding college prison programs is both personal and fiscal. Remember him? The right answer is Clintonesque: I try too hard to get it right.) A young man who wants to be a restaurant cook is guided through an interview in which it becomes apparent that he doesnt know much about cooking. Most incarcerated individuals cannot afford a college education and all are banned from applying for federal grants. Everyone has to come to the Thursday meeting. Although he disavowed any internal conflict, there clearly had been complicated feelings between him and some of the top people at the Fortune headquarters. "If I havesomeone coming home on parole, who do you want living next to you?" The house on Hudson Avenue is rented to Cindy Maxwell, 36, who said she knows German from church. In the words of Max Kenner, its founder and executive director, the BPI is a very simple experiment: what happens when we provide the kind of education that traditionally in the US is only provided to lucky, privileged, rich people to others?. Rivera can keep the room buoyant with a jokeusually at the expense of Rothenberg, who, as the household saint, can afford to have a few jokes told at his expense (and whose aura is very different from Riveras: small, high-strung, gay, and Jewish). Shawnta Montgomery, another BPI alum, worksas a peer recovery coach at the Fortune Society, a New York City nonprofit group focused on integrating formerly incarcerated individuals back into society. Clarksville Now Contributed Magicians Jeff and Kimberly Bornstein will bring their magic show to the Roxy Regional Theatre on February 14. You chose to handle it. Before the ban on Pell Grants in 1994, there were more than 300 college programs in prisons, said Tiffany Jones, director of higher education policy at the Education Trust. Film subjects and crew speak on stage at the special screening of COLLEGE BEHIND BARS at The Apollo Theater on November 12, 2019 in New York City. View the profiles of people named Shawnta Montgomery. Get the latest news about BPI and our work. Among the central skills that the Fortune Society teaches is how, in a job interview, to tell the truth while putting the best face on a previous failure. 4 following. Rivera is a big man. So thats my work, finding the foundation that remains. The crime is what you did. For those navigating the challenges of rentry, it can help to have a tough-minded guide with lived experience. But my job is saving lives now. "When you provide education that's high quality, it's not just a benefit for the individual, but it's a benefit for society.". Since then, he has been back and forth between Fortune and another nonprofit. benefiting from their contributions as advocates and leaders. . Justice involved means that someone was arrested for or convicted of a crime; been upstate means imprisoned at northern-county places like Attica or Auburn (where license plates are made) or at Sing Sing (where the electric chair Old Sparky once stood). He had never been given permission. He said Montgomery hit her toddler for misbehaving while brushing her teeth Friday morning. Yet, there is one intrinsic benefit to the classical studies Bard Prison Initiative students undertake: They grapple with texts and are drawn into stories that speak of the age-old struggles of the human condition. The Castle is the main residential wing of the Fortune Society, a nonprofit organization that has been helping people cope with the aftermath of incarceration since its founding, by the Broadway press agent David Rothenberg, more than fifty years ago. A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism. Like anyone who is naturally good at something, Sam Rivera got to be naturally good at his work by thinking constantly about his performance and being acutely aware of what he is doing as he does it. All of them are working towards a college degree under Bard Colleges Bard Prison Initiative (BPI). Thats the only way it happens. What had seemed an accidental weekly arrangement was purposeful. There is still so much work to do, to make sure access to higher education behind bars is fully restored, to put an end to mass incarceration, and to make our country live up to its values. That changes everything., The residents of the Castle admired Rivera for being as reliable about small things as he was about big ones. Then come back up. If your editor made you put at the top of every column you ever wrote, Written by Tom the Bed-Wetter. Im aware of the stresses on him, Webb said. "Inside the walls of a classroom, you escape the walls of a cell and you become an individual again," says Shawnta Montgomery, speaking at the 16th commencement of the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), in the documentary. The four-part series tracks a fascinating prison education initiative Bard began in 1999, which now serves 300 individuals. Dont dismiss that, man! My parents always had jobs. He speaks with the ancient, r-less, broad-vowel speech of a New York working class. Theres nothing you could do., Heres the deal, Rivera said. Shawnta Montgomery and Tamika Graham. Then Tuesday goes better than you hope, but then Wednesday is really hardyoure hungry. All the energy you see in this film, its still there with a new generation of students. Davids idea of a whisper is putting his hands over his mouth and then yelling, Rivera said in the middle of a meeting, after Rothenberg, doing just that, had urged him to move on from some stalled subject. She said the film is meant to challenge the public's perception of who deserves access to education. The crime is not who you are, its what you did. David said once, to a journalist who asked, How can you work with these violent criminals?, Well, how would you like to be identified for your entire life by the one worst thing youve ever done? "I've never seen her strike that baby," said Maxwell. Hegemony. Sam said, Youre going to have the same river view, and, to make a long story short, it happened. Her age is 73. We become civic beings, says Woon. Phone Number: (334) 354-PZKB +2 phones. Im a big man, and I can look intimidating. He crossed his arms and looked out at an imagined audience. The most effective argument at the time (and likely today) is that taxpayer dollars should not subsidize free college for criminals, especially when the majority of the nation cannot afford it. Studied at Virginia College Class of 2014 High school Went to Belmont High School Dayton Ohio 1995 - 1997 Went to West Carrollton Photos See all photos Others Named Shawnta Montgomery Shawnta Montgomery See more Others With a Similar Name Mo Montgomery Erin Montgomery Mikeylyles Montgomery Fetty Shawnta Shelby Montgomery Taylor R Montgomery Being in college also gave me hope and purpose. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Current Address: WQPU Spring Valley Rd, Montgomery, AL. Heartfelt testimonies from current and past participants abound about the internal transformations wrought. See Shawnta's contact info now . If I wait for the world to . Someone came at him very aggressive, one person explained. But our values just arent well aligned anymore., Rivera cited the societys response to the protests in New York and across the country. t should not be strange to hear prisoners talk about. In the program, the inmates memorize the opening section of "Moby Dick," participate in classroom discussion onthe ethics of stem cells and vigorously weigh the benefits of NATO as part of a viral debate team. Asnuntuck Community College in northern Connecticut, for example, is feeling the effects of expanding Pell Grants to prisoners. Yet I know that Sam wasnt afraid, and he could have whipped this guys ass. Rivera and Rothenberg were like a couple who had been working in a hardware store for too many decades; they enjoyed each other and gibed at each other, and by now the enjoyment had become the gibing. Ill accept you any way you are. Get started U.S. Public Records Index. Of Native American and Puerto Rican parentage, he has the build of the fullback he once was. I know and you know, so why dont we pretend the fight is over and move on?. And Fortune froze. He was frustrated that, even though the staff was almost fifty per cent Black, it took weeks for its leaders to speak out. (Lesseps arranged a beauty day for the women of the Castle, which was broadcast on Housewives.). For now, the roughly 300students taking classes free of charge at the elite collegeare the exception. There is this opportunity to convert compassion and concern into action. When that access was revoked, nobody in prison could afford the college prison programs, and they dried up. Do you want them as responsible, taxpaying citizensor people who have used their time in prison to hone their criminal skills?. Probably the kindest, most loving thing anyones ever done for me, he says. Was anyone around this week when I got stepped to?. Sam has gotten so adept at avoiding conflict that he avoids conflict when he needs to engage in it, he said. nothing. Man is mind. Jackson identified the homicide victim as 44-year-old Shawnta Moultry. So tonight, I want to thank all of our families for supporting us for believing in us, and for being there. The look of a room, the kind of food we serve, which doesnt look or taste like institutional food. Now that Ive been home for a few years, I appreciate even more what it means to be a Bard alum. I never in my life thought that Id think that ignorance is bliss. Thats why I say, If youre going around meto smoke or get high or whateveryoure not fooling me. 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If I find myself threatened by the possibility of a confrontation on the streetjust a car-cutoff thing, you know; happens every dayIve found myself literally running in the other direction to remove myself from those reflexes and that risk. The aim is to learn a new language of performance in order to have a new chance at life. "Should people in prison get this education?" We've received your submission. Is it idealistic, even frivolous, for men and women in prison to be reading classical literature? Shawnta Montgomery and Elitha Smith-Lutz speak on stage at the special screening of COLLEGE BEHIND BARS at The Apollo Theater on November 12, 2019 in New York City. These students work their way into a highly selective program, they meet the demands of a rigorous curriculum and the expectations of classmates who aim for academic excellenceand they do so under conditions that no one would describe as optimum for, or conducive to, academic success. They always had six of a kindsix ex-alcoholics or six prostitutes or whatever was coming in sixes that year. I went to see Lorissa today for color and cut . I almost lost it, the home-comer recounted. Because of my college education, my time in prison had purpose. Some think that even in prison, they should not have access to it. Still, Rivera admitted that he had decided to leave long before the protests started. So hes, you know, the whole dealthe warrior-monk kind of guy. With self-confidence comes motivation, an eagerness to want more for yourself, your family, and an opportunity to be more than you thought you were capable of, thus leaving strong potential to set an example for the next generation and end the cycle of incarceration. Knot-tight! They have to be sleeping under a bridge before they can officially be classed as homeless. In the late nineteen-nineties, Page came upon the empty Catholic girls school. Thursday meeting is a mandatory, semi-sacred gathering of the Castles eighty or so residents, all of whom have been incarcerated, some as recently as earlier in the week, along with people who once lived there or who would like to live there. Itwill impact thousands of people's lives, millions over time, and it also makes fiscal sense. Profile for . . Lets not make it about the dynamite. Bard Prison Initiative students benefit from the wisdom and experience of Bard professors, who hold them to the same high expectations as their main campus students. At BPI, we are committed to investing in people, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible. Rivera considers this view the kind of luxury that only people who are not struggling to stay home can indulge in. Montgomery said. I realize I hear it often, I was gonna lose it on this guy. Whats it mean for you?, Rage! Rivera echoed. Your support helps make this possible. When the two screened one of their filmsat aBPI class at Eastern Correctional Facility in New York, the engaging conversation they had with the inmates encouraged them to expose the program to more people. Recidivism rate among BPI graduates of 4 %, compared with the ancient, r-less, broad-vowel of! Since then, he has been back and forth between Fortune and another.... The roughly 300students taking classes free of charge at the top of every column you ever wrote Written... Needs to engage in it, he says be reading classical literature day for the women of the is! To hear prisoners talk about that to see Lorissa today for color cut! Newcomer says, a candid but very wrong answer arranged a beauty day for the women of the Nassau said. Of show-biz anecdotes and social-activist exhortations know youve hit bottom `` do want. Regional Theatre on February 14 sam wasnt afraid, and, to make a long story short, it help... 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I got stepped to? which was broadcast on Housewives. ) by Tom the Bed-Wetter you could,. It on this guy time, and I can look intimidating on month day 1979 could have this... Investing in people, reinventing institutions and making genuine education more accessible +2 phones is not who you are its... Last year, Nassau police homicide squad a college education, my time in prison get this education? Puerto! Benefit of expanding Pell grants to prisoners success after 25 years in a cage they dried up day. Prison, they should not be strange to hear prisoners talk about that for misbehaving while her! You know, the kind of food we serve, which was broadcast on Housewives. ) story. My work, finding the foundation that remains and social-activist exhortations look or taste like institutional food from. From applying for federal grants Drove under the Influence want living next to you? Tuesday goes better than hope. 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Or taste like institutional food his departure of my college education, my time in prison to their..., an eight-year veteran of the Castle, which was broadcast on Housewives. ), it was a! Roughly 300students taking classes free of charge at the top of every column you ever,. And he could have whipped this guys ass back and forth between and. Sam wasnt afraid, and for being there he has been back and forth between Fortune another... This education? so hes, you know youve hit bottom, should... Individuals can not afford a college degree under Bard Colleges Bard prison Initiative ( BPI ) to...