Ellen Condliffe Lagemann speaks on her book Liberating Minds

_{Berkshire Citizens for Peace and Justice}

_{All BCP&J programs will be held at the Unitarian/Universalist Church,
175 Wendell Ave. in Pittsfield, MA.}

_{These events begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.}

NOTE: Our regular 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. vigil will take place at Park Square as usual every Thursday. It is now in its 16^th year without a Thursday when there was no one present. Please join us if you can.

Thursday, March 22, 2018 – Ellen Condliffe Lagemann

will speak on the subjects addressed in her latest book, LIBERATING MINDS.  As her title suggests, she eloquently makes the case for the multiple benefits of higher education in our nation’s prisons and also tells the stories of many formerly incarcerated college students and the remarkable transformations in their lives. As our country faces a decades-old legacy of over-incarceration created by mandatory sentencing, stop-and-frisk policing, and tough-on-crime policies, offering college education behind bars provides a corrective on the path back to a more democratic and humane society.

Among specific benefits from higher education in prisons that she touches on are greatly reduced recidivism, leading to potential savings in the staggering cost of prisons.

Such education also increases post-prison employment, allowing the formerly incarcerated to better support their families and to reintegrate successfully into their communities, providing positive role models.  In addition, programs offering higher education decrease the level of violence within prisons, improving conditions for both correction officers and the incarcerated.

Ellen is the Levy Institute Research Professor at Bard College, where she is also the Distinguished Fellow in the Bard Prison Initiative. Formerly she served as president of the Spencer Foundation and as dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The author or editor of eleven books, she has spoken extensively in the fields of education, the history of education, and philanthropy over the last thirty years.

She holds a Ph.D., with distinction, in History and Education from Columbia University; an M.A. in Social Studies from Teachers College at Columbia University; and an A.B., cum laude from Smith College.