Send me to the UN to advocate for prison education
As a long-term advocate for providing college education opportunities and the Director of Communications for Texas CURE, I have been invited to the United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Kyoto, Japan on April 20-27, 2020. While there, I will present on a panel which will allow me to present the need to create more prison college programs to an audience of international leaders, experts, and advocates. I need your help to get there.
Who am I?
My name is Dr. Adam Key and I believe prison education is one of the most important issues both in the US and internationally. I spent nearly a decade teaching prisoners in Texas as a faculty member at Lee College's Huntsville Center. While there, I founded the first prison debate team in Texas at the TDCJ Huntsville Unit who were undefeated against Texas A&M University and Wiley College's "The Great Debaters." I also hosted the first TEDx conference in a Texas prison which included a TEDx talk by prison debate team captain David Mains. I have spoken at numerous regional, national, and international conferences about the value of prison education including Yale University's RebLaw conference and given a TEDx talk on it myself. In 2017, I traveled to Kenya and Uganda to help assist the African Prisons Project in improving their prison education program. My book, co-authored by Mains, on prison education will be out this year.
Why am I asking for your help?
I am grateful to work at one of the few remaining open-access universities in the United States, the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Unfortunately, with a small school comes a limited budget and I was recently informed that they are unable to send me to Japan for this conference. This UN Congress only happens every 5 years, so this is a crucial time to advocate for prison education. Your donations can help get me there to amplify this important message on one of the most important international stages. International CURE has graciously covered my hotel, but as we are a volunteer organization whose primary focus for funds is improving prisoner conditions, I am on my own for the rest of it.
Funds will be used to cover flights, visas, meals, and other travel expenses. I would be eternally grateful for your support in getting me to the UN to advocate for this important cause.
