A positive difference | Frank Noonan | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
Frank Noonan, Pennsylvania State Police commissioner, reminds us that we are presented with a new opportunity to help another person every day, regardless of where we are or the circumstances that surround us. "We have no control over our lives,'' Noonan said, "but we do have a choice to make a positive difference.''
Art's healing power | Pamela Jacques | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
Pamela Jacques, Graterford state prison counselor and artist, shares her message of healing and hope in a unique and beautiful way. Jacques reminds us that all life is precious and worthwhile, regardless of problems and pain we experience.
Jesus, What a Wonderful Name | The Gospel Messengers | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
The Gospel Messengers, Graterford State Prison residents join forces for a high-energy, foot-tapping musical presentation of an original song, "Jesus, What a Wonderful Name.'' Members of the group include: Joseph L. Best III, Glenn A. Jenkins Sr., Anthony Joyner, Antonio Mazzccua, Winfield Patterson, David Robinson, William H. Smith and Nathaniel West.
My offspring -- second chances | Eugene Myrick | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
Eugene Myrick, Graterford State Prison resident, talks about the soul and meaning behind the music. In his song, "My Offspring,'' Myrick uses his saxophone to describe the loving relationship he has with his children.
Remorse | Craig Datesman | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
In "Remorse,'' Graterford State Prison resident Craig Datesman describes the healing power of forgiveness after he had the opportunity to apologize in person to the sister of the man he killed.
Embrace your purpose | Kenya Mann Faulkner | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
"Life is not an accident, embrace your purpose,'' says Kenya Mann Faulkner, former Pennsylvania Inspector General. Faulkner struggled to know why her life was so hard, until she learned to accept the challenges as the force that shaped her into the person she has become.
"Gradual" and "Walk Me Home" | Cody Stuhltrager | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
Cody Stuhltrager, Graterford state prison resident, performs two original songs, "Gradual,'' about turning his life around, and "Home,'' about the dream of eventually returning to his family and home.
Re-humanizing inmates | Anthony Wyatt | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
Since when is the rape or assault of any human being something to laugh about?'' Anthony Wyatt, Graterford State Prison resident, talks about the public misperception that prison inmates are less-than-human and the dehumanizing prejudice toward convicted persons.
Red light, green light | Aaron Fox | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
In "Red Light, Green Light,'' Graterford state prison resident, Aaron Fox compares driving a car to following life's rules. We all make wrong turns, but Fox encourages us all to be vehicles for positive change and reminds us that it's never too late to switch direction.
Second chances | Norberto "Rob" Rosa | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
Norberto "Rob" Rosa, director of operations for New Leash on Life-USA, asks the question, "Doesn't every living creature deserve a second chance?'' A former prison inmate, Rosa now heads a program to train both inmates and dogs rescued from kill shelters, using positive reinforcement to teach both life-changing skills. Corry, a resident of Graterford State Prison, demonstrates accomplishments with his dog, Cash.
A difference from an unusual place | Luis Gonzalez | TEDxGraterfordStatePrison 2014
Luis Gonzalez, Graterford State Prison resident, had to hit bottom before he could heal. In his talk, "A Difference from an Unusual Place,'' Gonzalez speaks about his rise from an illiterate trouble-maker to a college graduate, now working to help young people chose education over incarceration through an inmate scholarship program.
Impossible, to possible, then probable | The Jabbawockeez | TEDxIronwoodStatePrison 2014
The Jabbawockeez is an all-male crew made up of six members from San Diego, California. The name originated from Lewis Carroll's book "Through the Looking Glass." The crew members wear white masks so that people will focus on their dance moves and not on the individuals.
Carrying the torch | Ruett Foster | TEDxIronwoodStatePrison 2014
Pastor Ruett Stephen Foster has over 30 years of experience as a teacher, counselor, and advocate for the children, youth, and families of Los Angeles. For the past 16 years, Pastor Foster has served as an ardent public activist for violence prevention. He and his wife Rhonda became assiduous advocates after the tragic and senseless loss of their innocent 7-year-old son, Evan, to gun violence in 1997. Pastor Foster continues to serve as an advisory board member for the Office of Restorative Justice of the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
The R in CDCR | Millicent Tidwell | TEDxIronwoodStatePrison 2014
Millicent Tidwell is the California Judicial Council's Acting Administrative Director. She previously served as the council's Chief Deputy Director, overseeing the Judicial Council's Leadership Services Division. Prior to that, she served for two years as the Judicial Council's Chief Operating Officer, directing the Operations and Programs Division. With more than 20 years of experience in the criminal justice field, she previously served as Director of the Division of Rehabilitative Programs for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation where she managed an annual budget of more than $450 million. Ms. Tidwell’s breadth of career experience includes policy making, strategic planning, partnership building, research, and evaluation and process improvement for complex and diverse organizations. Ms. Tidwell practiced law in Sacramento before turning to public service in 1999, when she went to work as a public safety policy analyst for the Office of Governor Gray Davis. A year later, she became Chief of Mentally Ill Offender Services at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. In 2005, Ms. Tidwell became Deputy Director of the Office of Criminal Justice Collaboration at the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, during which time she served on the Judicial Council’s Collaborative Justice Courts Advisory Committee. In 2013, she became the Director for the Division of Rehabilitative Programs at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where she served until joining the Judicial Council. Ms. Tidwell holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Sacramento State University, with a major in criminal law. She earned her juris doctorate from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento, and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1997.
Education and re-integration | Renford Reese | TEDxIronwoodStatePrison 2014
Dr. Renford Reese has been a professor in the policitical science department at Cal Poly Pomona for 18 years. He is the author of five books including "Prison Race." Professor Reese is the Founder/Director of the Prison Education Project (PEP) and the Reintegration Academy for Parolees. With the assistance of 300 university volunteers, PEP provides academic programming to inmates in seven California state prisons.
Dare to dream again | Prophet Walker | TEDxIronwoodStatePrison 2014
When Prophet Walker was an infant, his birth mother succumbed to a heroin addiction. At 16, he was sentenced to six years in prison for robbery and great bodily injury, stemming from a fight with other teenagers. Prophet vowed to turn his life around and while still in prison, he helped start a program that gives incarcerated youths the ability to earn a two-year college degree. Over 100 of its graduates have now left prison and enrolled in four-year college programs, including Prophet himself, who enrolled at Loyola Marymount University. Prophet also co-founded the Watts United Weekend, which brings together young residents of local public housing projects before they turn into gang rivals. He is a founding member of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, which supports prison and sentencing reform while helping young people get a fresh start after incarceration.
Johnny Appleseed | James A. White, Jr. | TEDxIronwoodStatePrison 2014
Jim is an incarcerated veteran who served in the US Marine Corps for six years as a helicopter crew-chief. He flew in Cuba, then combat flying in the Civil War of Santo Domingo (1965), and an extended tour in Vietnam. He then inter-service transferred into the Army as an officer, where he served as a helicopter pilot. He served in various airborne units while serving multi-tours in Vietnam, first flying Aero-Scouts and then Cobras for a classified operation. Jim is a disabled veteran from the Vietnam War. He has written and published books about his military service, including a well-received book "Laotian Highway Patrol," which is a historical novel based on his flying Cobras for MAC-V-SOG. Jim is a Life Member of the Special Operations Association, the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, and the Disabled American Veterans Association. He is the co-founder of the HMM-262 Helicopter (Vietnam) Association. He and his wife have four children.
From impossible to probable | The Jabbawockeez | TEDxIronwoodStatePrison 2014
The Jabbawockeez is an all-male crew made up of six members from San Diego, California. The name originated from Lewis Carroll's book "Through the Looking Glass." The crew members wear white masks so that people will focus on their dance moves and not on the individuals.
The disgrace removal process | Charity Chandler | TEDxIronwoodStatePrison 2014
Charity Chandler is an academic counselor at Loyola Marymount University where she received her B.A. in 2012. She's current pursuing an M.A. in Public Administration from Cal State, Northridge. Charity is also a member of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Because of her experience in both the juvenile justice and foster care systems, Charity passionately advocates for change within both systems with a special interest in preventative measures and eucation. Charity is a loving partner and mother to 3 sons and is also raising a nephew.
Lyrics from lockdown | Bryonn Bain | TEDxIronwoodStatePrison 2014
Bryonn Bain is Brooklyn's own prison activist, actor, hip hop theater innovator, and spoken word poetry champion. Wrongfully incarcerated during his second year at Harvard Law School, Bain was featured on 60 Minutes after writing "Walking While Black: The Bill of Rights for Black Men," which received the largest reader response in the history of The Village Voice. Currently an artist in residence and visiting scholar at NYU, Bain has taught courses on hip hop, spoken word, and the prison crisis at Harvard, Columbia, and Riker's Island. Executive produced by Harry Belafonte and directed by Gina Belafonte, Lyrics from Lockdown is a multimedia, hip hop theater production based on Bain's experience of wrongful imprisonment. Bain's latest project, Life after Lockdown: The Digital Mixtape is executive produced by the legendary first Hip Hop DJ Kool Herc. Working in collaboration with the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions in Brooklyn and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition in Los Angeles, the LAL Mixtape includes music and videos inspired by Lyrics from Lockdown and provides resources for people returning home from prison.