Reentry service providers have acknowledged that digital equity and digital life skills presents formerly incarcerated people with challenges during their reentry. In addition to this, a new phenomenon is emerging. As artificial intelligence and the “Internet of Things” transform the tech landscape, preparing formerly incarcerated individuals to safely navigate AI, and for careers in this evolving field, present a new set of both challenges and opportunities. Leaders from groundbreaking reentry and digital skills programs have adapted their curriculum and training to meet the needs of the community. This episode's guests are Aedan Macdonald, executive director and founder of "Justice Through Code" which aims to end the cycle of poverty that contributes to incarceration by providing life-changing access to the education, opportunities, and networks necessary to enter careers in the tech industry. Also, Javier Irizarry, an AI educator and the senior tech coordinator of support programs at John Jay College Institute for Justice and Opportunity which is dedicated to empowering justice-impacted and marginalized communities with digital literacy and AI skills for personal and economic transformation.
Both Sides of the Bars – Artificial Intelligence – Challenges and Opportunities for People in Re-entry
Reentry service providers have acknowledged that digital equity and digital life skills presents formerly incarcerated people with challenges during their reentry. In addition to this, a new phenomenon is emerging. As artificial intelligence and the “Internet of Things” transform the tech landscape, preparing formerly incarcerated individuals to safely navigate AI, and for careers in this evolving field, present a new set of both challenges and opportunities. Leaders from groundbreaking reentry and digital skills programs have adapted their curriculum and training to meet the needs of the community. This episode's guests are Aedan Macdonald, executive director and founder of "Justice Through Code" which aims to end the cycle of poverty that contributes to incarceration by providing life-changing access to the education, opportunities, and networks necessary to enter careers in the tech industry. Also, Javier Irizarry, an AI educator and the senior tech coordinator of support programs at John Jay College Institute for Justice and Opportunity which is dedicated to empowering justice-impacted and marginalized communities with digital literacy and AI skills for personal and economic transformation.
Both Sides of the Bars – Digital Ed. Programs for Incarcerated-Formerly Incarcerated People – July 2025
In the United States, over 600,000 people transition from prisons back into the community annually. While 82% of middle-skill jobs in the country demand digital proficiency, many incarcerated individuals struggle with digital literacy due to limited access to technology while in prison. Even with eventual access to cell phones and PCs, formerly incarcerated people may be unfamiliar with the skills necessary to operate them. Digital life skills training plays a crucial role in successful reintegration, enabling people to rebuild their lives by securing employment, accessing services, and simply navigating daily life in a digital world. This episode's guests are Adrienne Whaley, senior director of technology, training, and digital literacy at The Fortune Society, and Reggie Chatman, director of policy at Fortune's David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy.
Both Sides of the Bars – College In Prison – Increased Civic Engagement After Incarceration – May 12 2025
Providing incarcerated people with a college education has equipped them with the critical thinking skills, political awareness, and advocacy tools that have increased their civic engagement post-incarceration. Considering that Black and Brown people are disproportionately represented within the prison population, providing them with higher education has uniquely positioned them to challenge oppressive systems and drive policy change that benefit their communities. This episode's guests are Dr. Robert Tynes, the director of college-in-prison operations at the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), and Tammar Cancer, a formerly incarcerated man who earned a bachelor's degree in political science from BPI. He is the assistant to the executive director at the Center for Community Alternatives.
Both Sides of the Bars – Protecting Convicted People from Housing Discrimination – April 14 2025
Given the recent and abrupt erosion of anti-discrimination protections at the federal level, advocates say it is more important than ever to continue the fight for local-level laws to prevent discrimination against people with conviction records. This episode features two “Fair Housing” advocates: James E. Walker, Jr., founder and executive director of the Cleveland-based Greater Possibilities, and Marie Claire Tran-Leung, director of the Evictions Initiative Project at San Francisco-based National Housing Law Project. Both have fought to strengthen and enforce low-income tenants’ and homeowners’ rights, increase underserved communities’ housing opportunities, and preserve and expand the nation’s supply of safe and affordable homes. They discuss their work with respect to establishing local-level housing policies that prevent discrimination against people with conviction records.