We return this week to the second part of the conversation between Kristina Byers and Anastazia Schmid. Schmid is an award-winning, formerly incarcerated scholar who went to extraordinary lengths to complete her education on the inside. We last heard Schmid describe the impact of Ball State University, which she attended while in the Indiana Women’s Prison, choosing not renew its contract with the Indiana Department of Corrections. This week, she expands on the research she and other prisoners did with the Indiana Women’s Prison History Project, and how their lived experience as prisoners allowed them to uncover dynamics other researchers had overlooked.

In future episodes, we will hear more from both of them about the structural barriers that prisoners face while seeking education. You can hear the first part of this conversation on our website, here.