In Memoriam 2023: Tom Jewell & Dale Herbeck
As 2024 dawns we honor the passing of two distinguished members of the collegiate debate and NPDL families. John Katsulas, Director of the Fulton Debating Society at Boston College, pays tribute to the rich lives and careers of Tom Jewell and Dale Herbeck, who will live on in the hearts of those who know them……
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NPDL in DC!
On November 17, 2023, NPDL.ORG traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet and discuss our program with the men and women currently incarcerated within DC DOC’s Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF). Breaking down some of the barriers which seek to divide our universal human community always feels energizing, but there was something truly special about entering this particular…
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NPDL’s 1st Community Team Wins Big at NCA
NPDL recently worked in partnership with the American Debate Association, the American Forensic Association, and Boston College’s Fulton Debating Society to stage our first public debate event at the National Communication Association’s 109th Annual Convention. We proudly forwarded a co-ed team of formerly incarcerated students from 3 different states to make the case for prison voting rights…
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NPDL in Ohio
The National Prison Debate League is honored to welcome the newest team to the NPDL family in Mansfield, Ohio! On October 24th, we launched NPDL training for a group of 12 men currently residing within Richland Correctional Institution (RiCI). During introductions, it became abundantly clear that this group is special. Unsurprisingly, these gentlemen creatively reimagined…
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Breaking New Ground in Connecticut!
NPDL programming is now active within the Connecticut state prison system! On October 10th, we welcomed a talented team from CT-DOC’s York Correctional Institution into the league! The ladies of York are now the second full women’s team to enter the NPDL after the strong team of remarkable ladies from the Women’s Center in Maine…
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Wake Forest University vs. Maine State Prison
April is “Second Chance Month”, and this event really put the notion of redemption under a microscope. Resolved: The United States should abolish life without parole sentences. For the incarcerated men from Maine State Prison (MSP) this topic was far from an academic exercise. The Pine Tree state doesn’t have a parole system, so every…
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Harvard University vs. Maine Women’s Center
After debuting in Maine DOC last Fall with a co-ed team of incarcerated students, the NPDL is proud to highlight our first all-women’s team! Led by Victoria Scott, a co-captain of the joint 2022 team which beat MIT, this amazing group of ladies represented to the fullest against a very strong Harvard University team. The…
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Boston College vs. Maine Correctional Center
Most prisons keep their doors tightly locked at all times as a functional imperative. However, on April 11, 2023, administrators at Maine Correctional Center (MCC) boldly opted to open them a bit. The result: an absolute transformation of the space from isolation to community. NPDL staff, Boston College’s Fulton Debating Society, the Women’s Center (WC)…
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NPDL Spring Recap
The NPDL’s 2023 Spring season was epic! We expanded our programming within Maine’s Department of Corrections and staged three unforgettable events: April 11-Boston College vs. Maine Correctional Center (MCC) Environmental Policy (Carbon-Tax) April 18-Harvard University vs. Maine Women’s Center (WC) Economic Policy (Paycheck Fairness Act) April 25-Wake Forest University* vs. Maine State Prison (MSP) Legal…
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NPDL and Prison Education
On December 14th, 2022, NPDL leadership joined in community with other educational, correctional, legislative, business, and peer leaders from all six New England states to work collaboratively as a part of the New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison (nebhe.org/commission). The Commission is funded by the Ascendium Foundation and represents…
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