Discussion Topics: juvenile justice issues & facilities | institutional program development | debate | theological discussions | transition services and reentry supports | reentry relationship preparations | student and staff programmatic dynamics and specialized supports | higher education in prison
Travels From: Pennsylvania
While serving time at the Eastern New York Correctional Facility, Darryl Byers-Robinson chose to participate in the transformative program that is the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI). It changed his life forever.
During his schooling, he became a founding member of the BPI Debate Team. This group of inmates not only took part in debates with nationally renowned universities, they beat them: in 2015, Byers-Robinson’s team defeated Harvard University. Byers-Robinson’s journey, and those of several others incarcerated at the time, soon became featured in Ken Burns’ and Lynn Novick’s award-winning documentary College Behind Bars, available on PBS.
As a criminal justice advocate, he is a frequent public speaker, traveling across the country speaking to students, communities, legislators and at conferences supporting prison education reform.
Currently, he is the Assistant Program Director at a therapeutic youth program for victims of abuse and a Pastor at three area ministries. Additionally, Darryl works as an advisor to Pennsylvania colleges and universities on their higher education in prison programs.
