Our kids are our future, and it's crucial they believe it themselves. That's why TED Fellow Nadia Lopez opened an academic oasis in Brownsville, Brooklyn, one of the most underserved and violent neighborhoods in all of New York City — because she believes in every child's brilliance and capabilities.
In this short, energizing talk, the founding principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, and a star of Humans of New York, shares how she helps her scholars envision a brighter future for themselves and their families.
Nadia Lopez is the founding principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, where she is showing the world how underprivileged communities can beat the odds and create positive institutions that have a global impact.
You can read the transcript here.
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Prison. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Prison. Mostrar todas las entradas
domingo, 27 de noviembre de 2016
viernes, 25 de noviembre de 2016
Startling number of mental patients behind bars in US
The UK's prison problems, with many inmates suffering from mental illness, are mirrored around the world. In America there are thought to be three times more psychiatric patients in prison than in hospital. BBC correspondent Aleem Maqbool was given special permission to film inside Cook County Jail, Illinois, and to speak to the prisoners at this Chicago prison.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video below and answer the questions.
1. What is the percentage of American inmates suffering from mental problems?
2. What has Robert been charged with?
3. How many inmates live in the same room?
4. How much bigger is the percentage of incarcerated people with mental problems compared to patients in mental hospitals?
5. What are some of the words André uses to describe the hard life in prison?
6. Is there some provision for psychological treatment in the prison?
7. How can the problem of the massive number of inmates with mental problems be resolved?
This is what checking into America's largest mental health institution looks like. It's not its official role, but when 30% of people being shuttled around from cell to cell and locked away in this jail are thought to have psychiatric problems, that, by default, is what it's become.
We watched as this man was processed into the jail, having his mugshots taken. He was charged with criminal trespass, sleeping on someone else's property 42-year-old Robert is homeless and he has schizophrenia. We saw as he shuffled off into what is a tough world.
In parts of the jail, up to 400 inmates are kept in a single room, where they eat, sleep and live all together. Many, of course, have committed far worse crimes than Robert. Those we spoke to complained of the conditions they lived in, but didn't want to be recorded for fear, they said, of repercussions. But the number of those among the prison population with mental health problems appears to be ever-increasing. It's now thought there are more than three times the number of psychiatric patients incarcerated in America than are in hospitals.
People like Andre. He's been locked up because he stole groceries that he said he needed to eat. He, too, is schizophrenic.
Being incarcerated is no way to live. Not only being kept from your freedom, but surrounded with the people that's here, the people that's here, the violence, the ignorance, the incompetence, the mentality of the individuals that you're locked up with. It can really get hard, it can be dangerous.
There are some areas of the jail that do have the look of a treatment center. Those running this facility have at least recognised that mental health provision needs to be a huge part of what they do. The new warden of the jail is even a psychologist. But what they can't change is a system that means so many people who should be treated in the community end up being in a place like this.
We have people who are sick, not criminals, they’re sick, no different than if they had diabetes, but they have a mental illness. It’s not being treated. Why isn’t it being treated? Well, guess what States throughout the country, throughout the United States, have decimated the mental health programmes, so there are none, people scramble to find anything. So where do these people end up then in mass, in the jails, in prisons. And it's been going on now for decades.
There does seem to be recognition that too many people in America are going to jail, particularly those with psychiatric problems. That can only be resolved with fundamental changes in the justice system here and improved mental health provisions outside prison. But both those things feel a long way off.
Aleem Maqbool, BBC News.
Key:
1 30%
2 criminal trespass, sleeping on someone else's property
3 up to 400 inmates
4 three times bigger
5 violence, ignorance, incompetence, mentalityof the individuals
6 yes
7 by introducing changes in the justice system and improving mental health provisions outside prison
Self-study activity:
Watch the video below and answer the questions.
1. What is the percentage of American inmates suffering from mental problems?
2. What has Robert been charged with?
3. How many inmates live in the same room?
4. How much bigger is the percentage of incarcerated people with mental problems compared to patients in mental hospitals?
5. What are some of the words André uses to describe the hard life in prison?
6. Is there some provision for psychological treatment in the prison?
7. How can the problem of the massive number of inmates with mental problems be resolved?
This is what checking into America's largest mental health institution looks like. It's not its official role, but when 30% of people being shuttled around from cell to cell and locked away in this jail are thought to have psychiatric problems, that, by default, is what it's become.
We watched as this man was processed into the jail, having his mugshots taken. He was charged with criminal trespass, sleeping on someone else's property 42-year-old Robert is homeless and he has schizophrenia. We saw as he shuffled off into what is a tough world.
In parts of the jail, up to 400 inmates are kept in a single room, where they eat, sleep and live all together. Many, of course, have committed far worse crimes than Robert. Those we spoke to complained of the conditions they lived in, but didn't want to be recorded for fear, they said, of repercussions. But the number of those among the prison population with mental health problems appears to be ever-increasing. It's now thought there are more than three times the number of psychiatric patients incarcerated in America than are in hospitals.
People like Andre. He's been locked up because he stole groceries that he said he needed to eat. He, too, is schizophrenic.
Being incarcerated is no way to live. Not only being kept from your freedom, but surrounded with the people that's here, the people that's here, the violence, the ignorance, the incompetence, the mentality of the individuals that you're locked up with. It can really get hard, it can be dangerous.
There are some areas of the jail that do have the look of a treatment center. Those running this facility have at least recognised that mental health provision needs to be a huge part of what they do. The new warden of the jail is even a psychologist. But what they can't change is a system that means so many people who should be treated in the community end up being in a place like this.
We have people who are sick, not criminals, they’re sick, no different than if they had diabetes, but they have a mental illness. It’s not being treated. Why isn’t it being treated? Well, guess what States throughout the country, throughout the United States, have decimated the mental health programmes, so there are none, people scramble to find anything. So where do these people end up then in mass, in the jails, in prisons. And it's been going on now for decades.
There does seem to be recognition that too many people in America are going to jail, particularly those with psychiatric problems. That can only be resolved with fundamental changes in the justice system here and improved mental health provisions outside prison. But both those things feel a long way off.
Aleem Maqbool, BBC News.
Key:
1 30%
2 criminal trespass, sleeping on someone else's property
3 up to 400 inmates
4 three times bigger
5 violence, ignorance, incompetence, mentalityof the individuals
6 yes
7 by introducing changes in the justice system and improving mental health provisions outside prison
domingo, 10 de julio de 2016
Extensive listening: Song redemption
John Legend is on a mission to transform America's criminal justice system.
Through his Free America campaign, he's encouraging rehabilitation and healing in our prisons, jails and detention centers, and giving hope to those who want to create a better life after serving their time.
With a spoken-word prelude from James Cavitt, an inmate at San Quentin State Prison, Legend treats us to his version of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song." "Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom?"
Through his Free America campaign, he's encouraging rehabilitation and healing in our prisons, jails and detention centers, and giving hope to those who want to create a better life after serving their time.
With a spoken-word prelude from James Cavitt, an inmate at San Quentin State Prison, Legend treats us to his version of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song." "Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom?"
martes, 5 de julio de 2016
A ride home from prison
This short New York Times documentary profiles a former prisoner who guides men released from life sentences in California through their first hours of freedom.
Self-study activity:
Watch the documentary and say whether the statements below are true or false.
1 Carlos Cervantes has got used to driving long distances to pick up released inmates.
2 Carlos spent 16 years in prison.
3 Carlos usually knows very little about the people he collects.
4 Carlos didn't have this kind of help when he was released.
5 Many prisoners are terrified at the idea of being released.
6 Released prisoners are given $200.
Every ride home is different. A lot of times when I feel like I’m used to getting up in the morning and driving three, four hours into these prisons, the middle of nowhere to pick up another lifer, I figure I’d be used to by now, but I’m not. Knowing that I’m picking someone up that’s just finished doing twenty-five years kind of takes me into how I felt back in 2002 when I was there.
Good morning, sir. We’re here to pick up a Mr Stanley Bailey.
Okay, from Iron Wood?
From Iron Wood, yes.
Well, you’ll have to pull over here and wait over here.
Perfect. I’ll just make a u-turn. Okay.
When I was incarcerated I was a teenager, 16 at the time. I took a twelve-year plea bargain from attempted murder ended up doing 10 years and eight months I got released when I was 27 and I’m looking at the world to kind of find that release for my brothers and sisters that are still locked up.
Being able to help someone makes me grateful, it’s like a privilege, like an honour.
Stanley, what’s up?
Thanks for the ride.
You’re ready or what?
Yeah, more than ready.
Well come on.
Thank you.
We’re now trying to take care of the first few hours at the very least.
I appreciate that, thank you.
When I do this open-heartedly, I don’t know who that person is, why he’s getting out, why he was arrested, why he did all that time but saying, you know what, regardless of what happened, I’m here. Most of the guys I that get out have families that are diseased, most of them don’t have friends anymore. A lot of these guys are actually scared. Their biggest fear is to fail.
You know, I’m not that young anymore, I’ve got to start a whole new career, so I don’t think I’m starting from scratch. I’m gonna have my hands full just getting on my feet.
It comes with the territory, you know. When I got out I had a pretty heavy burden on my shoulders, you know, I had already had to pay rent, and then not having like somebody who really talked to and could relate, that, that just torn me down.
The fear of going back, the fear of saying, you know, this is a revolving door for you, being institutionalised.
The motions that I go through, you don’t know how to deal with them. You always try to isolate yourself. Sometimes I feel like I’m still institutionalised.
I used to go the bathroom, take a shower and I used to just cry. I didn’t know how to deal with it.
Of all the things that everybody talked about doing when I got out, I told them, men, I just want to sit on the grass under a tree. I haven’t been under a tree in, you know 25 years.
It’s beautiful out here.
I don’t have any time to waste on jail anymore.
Yeah, this is going to take some getting used to.
It’s real uncomfortable, it’s going to take a minute. I haven’t heard a car go by in almost 30 years.
I think it’s therapeutic for me releasing someone that information that I know and teaching them kind of how it’s going to be, how you want this to end up, how you want to continue living life. Within those twenty-four hours if you don’t have the support necessary or the belief in yourself that’s necessary for you to continue on, then you struggle.
Coming out is a lot of pressure. When I first got out, I was scared, I’m not going to lie, I was terrified.
We give hope to other people that are behind the walls still just waiting to come out and we make this a safe place for people to transition to society. Welcome to your house, because this is going to be your house.
Three days ago he was a lifer. His mentality was as a lifer. And a lifer is I’m spending the rest of my life in prison. And all of a sudden, boom, you’re out. The $200 that they give you as escape money and for them to say, okay, go live a life, go try to make it. People never see the potential in someone. They figure we could categorise them as they were, they’re prisoners, they’re inmates that’s what they are. When we talk about throw away the key, lock them up, you don’t give people enough opportunities. I think that’s our biggest problem.
Key:
1F 2F 3T 4T 5T 6T
Self-study activity:
Watch the documentary and say whether the statements below are true or false.
1 Carlos Cervantes has got used to driving long distances to pick up released inmates.
2 Carlos spent 16 years in prison.
3 Carlos usually knows very little about the people he collects.
4 Carlos didn't have this kind of help when he was released.
5 Many prisoners are terrified at the idea of being released.
6 Released prisoners are given $200.
Every ride home is different. A lot of times when I feel like I’m used to getting up in the morning and driving three, four hours into these prisons, the middle of nowhere to pick up another lifer, I figure I’d be used to by now, but I’m not. Knowing that I’m picking someone up that’s just finished doing twenty-five years kind of takes me into how I felt back in 2002 when I was there.
Good morning, sir. We’re here to pick up a Mr Stanley Bailey.
Okay, from Iron Wood?
From Iron Wood, yes.
Well, you’ll have to pull over here and wait over here.
Perfect. I’ll just make a u-turn. Okay.
When I was incarcerated I was a teenager, 16 at the time. I took a twelve-year plea bargain from attempted murder ended up doing 10 years and eight months I got released when I was 27 and I’m looking at the world to kind of find that release for my brothers and sisters that are still locked up.
Being able to help someone makes me grateful, it’s like a privilege, like an honour.
Stanley, what’s up?
Thanks for the ride.
You’re ready or what?
Yeah, more than ready.
Well come on.
Thank you.
We’re now trying to take care of the first few hours at the very least.
I appreciate that, thank you.
When I do this open-heartedly, I don’t know who that person is, why he’s getting out, why he was arrested, why he did all that time but saying, you know what, regardless of what happened, I’m here. Most of the guys I that get out have families that are diseased, most of them don’t have friends anymore. A lot of these guys are actually scared. Their biggest fear is to fail.
You know, I’m not that young anymore, I’ve got to start a whole new career, so I don’t think I’m starting from scratch. I’m gonna have my hands full just getting on my feet.
It comes with the territory, you know. When I got out I had a pretty heavy burden on my shoulders, you know, I had already had to pay rent, and then not having like somebody who really talked to and could relate, that, that just torn me down.
The fear of going back, the fear of saying, you know, this is a revolving door for you, being institutionalised.
The motions that I go through, you don’t know how to deal with them. You always try to isolate yourself. Sometimes I feel like I’m still institutionalised.
I used to go the bathroom, take a shower and I used to just cry. I didn’t know how to deal with it.
Of all the things that everybody talked about doing when I got out, I told them, men, I just want to sit on the grass under a tree. I haven’t been under a tree in, you know 25 years.
It’s beautiful out here.
I don’t have any time to waste on jail anymore.
Yeah, this is going to take some getting used to.
It’s real uncomfortable, it’s going to take a minute. I haven’t heard a car go by in almost 30 years.
I think it’s therapeutic for me releasing someone that information that I know and teaching them kind of how it’s going to be, how you want this to end up, how you want to continue living life. Within those twenty-four hours if you don’t have the support necessary or the belief in yourself that’s necessary for you to continue on, then you struggle.
Coming out is a lot of pressure. When I first got out, I was scared, I’m not going to lie, I was terrified.
We give hope to other people that are behind the walls still just waiting to come out and we make this a safe place for people to transition to society. Welcome to your house, because this is going to be your house.
Three days ago he was a lifer. His mentality was as a lifer. And a lifer is I’m spending the rest of my life in prison. And all of a sudden, boom, you’re out. The $200 that they give you as escape money and for them to say, okay, go live a life, go try to make it. People never see the potential in someone. They figure we could categorise them as they were, they’re prisoners, they’re inmates that’s what they are. When we talk about throw away the key, lock them up, you don’t give people enough opportunities. I think that’s our biggest problem.
Key:
1F 2F 3T 4T 5T 6T
miércoles, 1 de junio de 2016
Talking point: Prison life
This week's talking point is prisons. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas come to mind more easily the day you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
What do you think life in a typical prison is like?
What does an inmate do on a typical day?
What do you know about the cells, food, facilities, activities for prisoners?
Do prisons have any ‘advantages’?
What disadvantages can you think of?
Should prison be more about punishment or rehabilitation?
What alternative to prisons can you think of?
Can crime be prevented or is it inherent to human nature?
Have you heard of programmes like restorative justice (where the criminal comes face to face with the victim)?
Does justice change much from one country to another?
Decide on a fair form of punishment for these criminals:
1 A 90-year-old man who is found guilty of income tax evasion over a period of 50 years.
2 A woma who is found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. She swerved to avoid a pet cat and caused the death of a motorcyclist.
3 An airport employee who stole valuable items from suitcases that were left on carousels. She sold them for cash, or gave them away as presents.
4 A 17-year-old who has been caught shoplifting trainers. It’s the first time he’s been caught, but at home the police find a large collection of sportswear.
To illustrate the point you can watch this short video on Halden Prison (Norway), the most humane prison in the world.
What do you think life in a typical prison is like?
What does an inmate do on a typical day?
What do you know about the cells, food, facilities, activities for prisoners?
Do prisons have any ‘advantages’?
What disadvantages can you think of?
Should prison be more about punishment or rehabilitation?
What alternative to prisons can you think of?
Can crime be prevented or is it inherent to human nature?
Have you heard of programmes like restorative justice (where the criminal comes face to face with the victim)?
Does justice change much from one country to another?
Decide on a fair form of punishment for these criminals:
1 A 90-year-old man who is found guilty of income tax evasion over a period of 50 years.
2 A woma who is found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. She swerved to avoid a pet cat and caused the death of a motorcyclist.
3 An airport employee who stole valuable items from suitcases that were left on carousels. She sold them for cash, or gave them away as presents.
4 A 17-year-old who has been caught shoplifting trainers. It’s the first time he’s been caught, but at home the police find a large collection of sportswear.
To illustrate the point you can watch this short video on Halden Prison (Norway), the most humane prison in the world.
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