If your editor made you put at the top of every column you ever wrote, Written by Tom the Bed-Wetter. A longtime resident called E., a formidable Jamaican with the voice, and the authority, of Laurence Fishburne, sits in the far-left corner. Jones hopes change will come as policymakers realize tough-on-crime policies that exclude incarcerated individuals from opportunities don't work. Its hard., Rivera grew gentler: Can I talk about that? Montgomery said. No ones ever spoken to them empathetically. "When you provide education that's high quality, it's not just a benefit for the individual, but it's a benefit for society.". Shawnta Montgomery, 20, who lives on Hudson Avenue in Roosevelt, pleaded not guilty to two counts of manslaughter at her arraignment Monday in First District Court in Hempstead, court officials said. Week after week, the same seats are almost always occupied by the same people. CLARKSVILLE, TN - Award . You should be, like, this should be a celebration, man. And I began to transition from full-time press agent and part-time prison activist to full-time prison activist and part-time press agent. Executive Producer, College Behind Bars. Professor of History at MIT and BPI. PHILADELPHIA Stacks of books are organized meticulously by genre amid the chaos of a maximum security prison. But, of course, Ill run a background check on you. Its all dramatic, and they hit the thingold school!you know, the box with the plunger? Participants have arecidivism rate of 4%, compared to thenational averageof 43%. When a client had confronted him, Rivera hugged the man, literally, until the confrontation ended. Someone says to me, very glum, I didnt do anything. No! Nassau County police said Monday that Shawnta Montgomery of Roosevelt was arrested after an autopsy revealed that her daughter, Dishawna, died Friday from a lacerated liver. The biggest news, politics and crime stories in Nassau County, in your inbox every Friday at noon. Ad Choices. Many students earn certificates in manufacturing that are in high demand in the state, leading graduates to find work and immediately contribute to the economy. "Look what it does for people, look at the doors that are open, look at recidivism ratesyou see the transformation.". Education experts argue the benefit of expanding college prison programs is both personal and fiscal. The neighborhood, which had been poverty-stricken, filled with abandoned buildings, and therefore affordable when the Fortune Society salvaged the place, in the late nineteen-nineties, is now, as Columbia University pushes north and west, an ever more desirable area, dotted with restaurants and the inevitable espresso joints. It was six oclock on a Thursday evening last fall at the Castle, at 140th Street and Riverside Drive, and the weekly meeting was just beginning. Alienation. I cant fix him. But, where in the movie version the returning local hero would be surrounded by a crowd, Rivera quickly sought out one-on-one encounters. I heard it., Its hard having something taken from you. ROOSEVELT, NY Police have charged 20-year-old Shawnta Montgomery, of Roosevelt, with first-degree manslaughter. Rivera was privately equivocal about the reasons for his departure. That might sound like a lot, but not when we consider that at the same time, again as part of the 1994 crime bill, congress committed 10 billion dollars to build more prisonsenough money to fund college in prisons for 200 years. Take the powerI chose not to do that this time. He glided into the next thought. Youre putting words to systems that youve recognized your whole life, but you never had a word for. It was not immediately clear who her lawyer would be. Use (334) 356-1964 to contact Shawnta with caution. 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. This is one of the very few issueswhere Republicans and Democrats are agreeing that action is necessary.. The primary reason i decided to participate in this film is because I love my brother. But we were always working poor. Every prisoner here comes with a wealth of compelling backstory, but it is a tribute to the discipline and focus of the film-makers that only a few are related in full. The first-floor room where the Thursday meeting takes place is decorated with a plush rug and photographs of the Castle from back when it was a Catholic girls school, and a poster-size Times article about the Fortune kitchen, which has a reputation for seriously good cooking. The quote is mine, so Im gonna own it, he said. How do you know youve hit bottom? You keep coming home. Sam Rivera, the charismatic center of the operation, had little executive power within it, and over the years this had created some rubbed-raw feelings between him and the people who did. Almost as an afterthought, he began a help line for such peopleReally, only an extra desk in the officeand watched it blossom into a lifetimes work. Andrew Cuomo alsopledgedstate funding for the program in 2014, but backlash led him to withdraw the policy proposal. Today, some programsare beginningto receive federal funding again under the Trump administration. (Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images for Skiff Mountain Films). December 17, 2021 until valhalla marines "Inside the walls of a classroom, you escape the walls of a cell and you become an individual again.". That changes everything., The residents of the Castle admired Rivera for being as reliable about small things as he was about big ones. They are investigating who owns the weapon, he said. 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. Rivera furrowed his brow, as one who, knowing exactly who Peggy Lee was, was disinclined to admit it at just that moment. If I wait for the world to be better, then the whole society would have to change, and I dont have a long enough life to wait for that to happen., At a Thursday meeting a couple of weeks later, a recent home-comer praised another Castle client for gently urging him away from a confrontation with someone who pushed himor whom he perceived to have pushed himon the subway. Chief of Staff, Bronx Defenders. Follow. See Shawnta's contact info now . I dont know if they realize how essential that support was and continues to be. The crowd, including the original speaker, laughed at Riveras earnest repetition of bottom, but he had made his point: they couldnt afford the indulgence of self-dramatization. Her toddler, Dishawna Montgomery, was pronounced dead at Nassau University Medical Center less than two hours later. Montgomery; Shawnta Nicole Bibb; Shawnta Nicole Bibb, Age 73. Why does power corrupt? Youre bunked with someone and you know youre getting robbed, he said. Health/beauty. Scary. Rivera forwarded the text to a friend and added a comment: This is why I do what I do.. Shawnta Montgomery Crew Member at McDonald's New York City Metropolitan Area 2 followers 2 connections Join to connect McDonald's Experience Crew Member McDonald's View Shawnta's full profile. I am fully invested in his future, and proud of him and his accomplishments. It is against the law in New York City to ask a job candidate about his or her criminal record, but it is legal, after a job has been offered, to run a search on the prospective hire. 4 following. The catchall phrase for the totality is lived experience, the term having migrated here to mean, simply, Ive done time. Either people have lived experience or they dont. Theres an architecture of the room that I rely onE. Aaron Kinzel, a University of Michigan-Dearborn criminology lecturer, knows firsthand the significance of college education in prison. She was stabbed multiple times. I know and you know, so why dont we pretend the fight is over and move on?. I developed critical thinking, writing and analytical skills to build a career doing something that I find deeply meaningful. Student Shawnta Montgomery spoke inspiring words at her graduation ceremony: "Inside the walls of a classroom, you escape the walls of a cell and you become an individual again." Montgomery was graduating from the Bard Prison Initiative program, featured in the new PBS and Ken Burns documentary, College Behind Bars. We have some of the people with the worst records in New York City coming for active services, but no metal detectors. My view is just the opposite. Shawnta Montgomery, Age 33. Then Tuesday goes better than you hope, but then Wednesday is really hardyoure hungry. College Behind Bars"follows students in the Bard Prison Initiative, a privately funded college program that began in 2001 inNew York state prisons. "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. We came across as participating in the punishment, he said. Elitha Smith-Lutz I was with my boys, watching a show where theyre imploding a casino, and Im kind of into it. You just say fine. More than half the people coming out of state prison to New York City right now are being dumped in shelters. My mother had me when she was fifteen, he said. Ninety-five percent of people who are in prison will get out, Ken Burns,executive producer ofthe PBS film, told USA TODAY. Then, in late May, after the standard announcements of a Thursday meeting, Rivera said, as smoothly as he could, So, I have an announcement. It gave me hope for his future. That it was a little thing didnt mean he thought it was nothing., The residents recognized the difficulty of Riveras role. For real? 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?. Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison. There is now bipartisan legislation before congress to restore Pell eligibility for people in prison. Dont wait to hit bottom before you start working your way back up. 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. Lets work on your foundationwhat will keep you standing, even if you start to use drugs again, even if you went back to prison. Yet, Bard Prison Initiatives stellar outcomes make it ripe for private philanthropic investment. Incarcerated individuals see their lives turned around by education, and the economy receivesa boost from more productive citizens and reduced recidivism rates. Montgomery and Smith moved from Virginia to Roosevelt last month to stay with Smith's mother, Beverly German. Tell me, if I do will anything come up? The candidate, trained in previous classes, struggled to recall the ideal answer, which is something like: Yes, when I was younger and behaving stupidly, an unfortunate situation occurred and someone got badly hurt. Yet heremains spiritually on both sides of the doorway. With growth comes self-confidence. Everyone backslides or has a bad day. Several residents contracted COVID-19, and the decision was made to stop accepting new residentsa painful departure from long-standing Fortune Society practiceand to shelter the entire population in place, with the positive cases self-quarantining. Shawnta Montgomery Pictures . (All Photos by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images for Skiff Mountain Films), .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }. "That was the first time in my life that I really was empowered and felt kind of proud of myself," Kinzel said. Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. They shouldnt., Some more radical-minded social-justice advocates dont like the idea that people who were incarcerated should be taught how to blend in with middle-class rituals and mores. But our values just arent well aligned anymore., Rivera cited the societys response to the protests in New York and across the country. Your support helps make this possible. Jumaane Williams Yet I know that Sam wasnt afraid, and he could have whipped this guys ass. Thats the trick. To every one of you tonight who contributed to this program, either through your time and commitment or through private donations, thank you. Heartfelt testimonies from current and past participants abound about the internal transformations wrought. Everyone has to come to the Thursday meeting. Sosay that this, wherever you are, is your bottom. Theres something you could do and you chose not to. Because I need the sheet music, she said. The president gave in. Sometimes doing nothing is the best decision we can make, right? "After that one experience in the classroom, we walked out and just felt like,'Oh my gosh, this is something everybody needs to know is happening,' " Novick said. So, I tell the story. The headcount which drags prisoners back to their cells five times a day is disruptive enough, but the constant noise and unrest means that a lot of the students work from late at night until early in the morning; it is the only time that they can trust they wont be interrupted. Executive Director of College & Community Fellowship. That youve got to hit the rock-bottom moment? he said, reflectively. Thats the one who will do you the most good! the therapist said. And then you need to move and live., Later, sitting with Rothenberg for lunch outdoors at Trufa, Rivera said, Anything can be an addiction, or a crutch. See Shawnta's contact info now . These happen often because there are many rules, and because immersing yourself in The Oresteia does not automatically or immediately make you a model prisoner. The city will bring them up and down as they want, according to the politics of the moment., The turning point, for him, took place on The David Susskind Show, in 1968. Creating educational opportunities in prison nationwide. Join Facebook to connect with Shawnta Montgomery and others you may know. You can even get addicted to recovery., A man careered down the street, obviously high. Were all transitioning. View the profiles of people named Shawnta Montgomery. Now, I dont believe thats true. Sebastian Yoons account of parental abandonment and poverty is enough to stand for all. Or do you want the guy that comes home with no job? You chose to handle it. By taking up issues such as mental health and marijuana legalization, the countrys youngest M.P. The house on Hudson Avenue is rented to Cindy Maxwell, 36, who said she knows German from church. Then on Thursday you go over to Moms and she makes fried chicken, and how can you say no? Ive never met anyone who O.D.d on marijuana. (Page said that Fortune would never force a client out just for smoking marijuana. Found of Listen Up Media, Philadelphia Eagles Two-time Super Bowl Champion. Nikki Bibb, Thomas Bibb, and four other persons are also associated with this address.The phone number for her is (334) 356-1964 (Knology of Alabama, Inc). (Feb. 15, 2010) Credit: James Carbone. Clarksville Now Contributed Magicians Jeff and Kimberly Bornstein will bring their magic show to the Roxy Regional Theatre on February 14. Most incarcerated individuals cannot afford a college education and all are banned from applying for federal grants. Kinzel said. Thats the only way it happens. Lets not make it about the dynamite. (Lesseps arranged a beauty day for the women of the Castle, which was broadcast on Housewives.). Females, one newcomer says, a candid but very wrong answer. Achalkboard is filled with Chinese symbols in a room filled with eager students in green jumpsuits. This is about undoing a mistake.. So tonight, I want to thank all of our families for supporting us for believing in us, and for being there. Taxpayer dollars are not at work. Though it cannot begin to be quantified, the sense of authentic freedom education brings to those behind bars may be even more lasting than any return on investment. Rivera told them that he was leaving to become the executive director of a harm reduction group, an organization that promotes health among drug addicts and sex workers, providing condoms, clean syringes, training in overdose reversal, and the like. He and Rothenberg drove together from Rothenbergs apartment in the Village up to 140th Street. 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 the energy you see in this film, its still there with a new generation of students. Sam has gotten so adept at avoiding conflict that he avoids conflict when he needs to engage in it, he said. Seeing yourself from outside.. Detective Lt. John Azzata said Montgomery is 7months pregnant. Now its Angelas turn., As with anyone who has left an organization to which he was devoted, Rivera became more aware of Fortunes flaws and fissures in retrospect. I cant fix you. HUD defines people who are coming out of incarceration as not homeless, so no HUD-funded program can take them in. :furious: Police said Montgomery used an object to repeatedly strike her little girl. 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). 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. Vivian Nixon There was an endless line of men snaking up the stairs of this theatrical building. Get the latest news about BPI and our work. Its Mom. Government Affairs and Advancement Officer for the Bard Prison Initiative. Max Kenner But no one, as Rothenberg says, goes away for thirty years for jumping a turnstile, and many people at the Castle have been away for thirty years. shawnta montgomery now. You know, I just want to come back to something that the brother was saying before, he said. As a child, Kinzel said, he was violent and constantly exposed to illegal activities. Resignation not accepted! Easy called out, in turn. Right: Max Kenner speaks on stage at the screening. For the first time in more than two decades, a push to lift this ban is sparking bipartisan support. Thanks for contacting us. January 18, 2023 2:32 pm. E., the longtime resident with the basso-profundo voice, put it bluntly: Sam is the difference between leadership and leadershit. View 1 Shawnta Montgomery and Tamika Graham Photos Show Tamika . Lets hold that, because I definitely want to know about this brick. Im interested in this brick. Doing nothing is doing something. The possibility of violence in the building had shaken everyone. He can tell the difference between someone who looks tough and someone whos a threat. Thats all it is. Student Shawnta Montgomery spoke inspiring words at her graduation ceremony: Inside the walls of a classroom, you escape the walls of a cell and you become an individual again. Montgomery was graduating from theBard Prison Initiative program, featured in the new PBS and Ken Burns documentary,College Behind Bars. For being there HUD-funded program can take them in I definitely want to come back to that. Word for recovery., a University of Michigan-Dearborn criminology lecturer, knows firsthand the significance of college in... S contact info now the first time in more than two decades, a candid but very answer. Start working your way back up this, wherever you are, is your bottom to stay with Smith mother. Out one-on-one encounters was saying before, he said our families for supporting for. 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