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Blog Tag: Second Chance Month

April 21, 2025

Distilling life’s complexities: Matthew Feeney’s writing

By Elizabeth Shatswell, Correctional Education Manager, JSTOR Access in Prison
Poet Matthew Feeney crafts language that cuts through the noise of modern life, offering distilled expressions of humanity shaped by incarceration, identity, and introspection. His evocative work—layered with metaphor, symbolism, and emotional precision—reminds us to write as if our lives depend on it​

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April 18, 2025

Beyond the books

By Elizabeth Shatswell, Correctional Education Manager, JSTOR Access in Prison
In this reflection on education and transformation, Elizabeth Shatswell introduces two powerful Second Chance Month essays by incarcerated scholars Juan Portieles and Brian Newman. Their stories, shared through JSTOR Access in Prison, explore education as a path to optimism, purpose, and freedom—with lasting ripple effects across their communities.

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April 3, 2025

The smell that carries us through: One editor’s response to On My Way to School by Shane Moffat

By Elizabeth Shatswell, Correctional Education Manager, JSTOR Access in Prison
In this JSTOR’s Second Chance Month essay, Shane Moffat reflects on early school experiences, the sensory memories of his bus rides, and his enduring love for education. Through vivid storytelling, he challenges readers to consider access, equity, and the power of memory—even behind prison walls.

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April 1, 2025

Disrupting the notion of utopia through education: A reflection on Vy Thang’s journey and essay, “How Getting an Education Became My Purpose”

By Elizabeth Shatswell, Correctional Education Manager, JSTOR Access in Prison
Vy Thang’s reflection on education challenges idealized notions of utopia shaped by historical trauma and incarceration. His story illustrates how liberal arts learning becomes a powerful act of self-discovery, resistance, and community building.

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