In November 2023, the Northwestern Jail Schooling Program graduated its first cohort of scholars, and one among its graduates goes to a legislation faculty.
Since Benard McKinley obtained out of jail in December 2023, he has been busy preparing for some massive issues, a historic achievement.
The 39-year-old has been working, hanging out with family and friends, and getting ready for his first yr on the well-known Northwestern Pritzker College of Regulation in Chicago.
“Simply months in the past, I used to be nonetheless behind jail bars, and never figuring out precisely how the way forward for going to legislation faculty would end up. So to be dwelling and know I’m going to legislation faculty … is an incredible feeling,” Benard instructed The Guardian.
Benard, who spent over twenty years in jail, has turn into the primary individual from Northwestern College’s Jail Schooling Program (NPEP) to be accepted into any legislation faculty.
He achieved this milestone regardless of Northwestern’s low 4% acceptance price.
NPEP supplies bachelor’s levels to incarcerated people, a rarity within the US.
Regardless of his time in jail, Benard accomplished his bachelor’s diploma and utilized to legislation faculty on the Stateville Correctional Middle in northern Illinois.
Benard and his classmates have been among the many preliminary contributors in NPEP, with a complete of 4 teams, every comprising 20 incarcerated college students.
Northwestern College has verified that McKinley’s graduating class marks the primary occasion of incarcerated college students incomes bachelor’s levels from a high 10 US college, as per US Information & World Report rankings.
Benard shared his lifelong aspiration of attending school, which was interrupted when he obtained a prison sentence throughout his teenage years.
“I used to be already enthusiastic about attempting to go to school; I simply didn’t know the way or when that might occur,” he stated.
Benard was sentenced to almost 100 years in jail at 19 for a gang-related homicide.
In November 2023, the Northwestern Jail Schooling Program graduated its first group of scholars, and one among its graduates goes to legislation faculty.
He seized the uncommon alternative to pursue a bachelor’s diploma whereas in jail after being efficiently admitted to the extremely aggressive NPEP program, the place solely 40 out of 400 candidates have been accepted in 2023.
Benard confronted demanding tutorial necessities at Northwestern College, the place he engaged in rigorous research regardless of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His coursework spanned numerous topics corresponding to political science and thermodynamics.
Lastly, after incomes his GED in jail, he represented himself with no lawyer.
Bernard efficiently decreased his sentence from 100 years to 25 whereas representing himself in courtroom, serving your complete time period.
He additionally aided these missing entry to authorized help.
“I used to be giving again and contributing to those that have been in want of assist — , regardless of them being incarcerated with me, they have been nonetheless human beings,” McKinley stated.
Reflecting on his time within the NPEP program, Benard discovered it to be a transformative expertise, main him to reassess his id, targets, and understanding of societal points like systemic racism.
Regardless of being incarcerated, he initiated the legislation faculty software course of final yr, which included taking the LSAT examination, writing essays, and acquiring suggestion letters.
Bernard wrote about his journey from being incarcerated at 19 to incomes a level from a prestigious college in his software essay.
NPEP tutors typed his handwritten essays and wrote letters to assist his legislation faculty software.
“He’s simply an distinctive pupil on so many ranges. He’s rigorous, disciplined, desperate to study, enthusiastic about self-growth,” stated Northwestern Pritzker College of Regulation professor Sheila Bedi.
She additionally talked about that different Northwestern legislation college students have been enthusiastic about Bernard turning into a part of the neighborhood.
She expressed a need for extra packages just like NPEP.
The professor steered that many people like Bernard may make constructive impacts of their communities if supplied the chance.
Bernard goals to turn into a civil rights lawyer and arrange a authorized help clinic to help marginalized teams.
Being the primary in his household to attend school and legislation faculty, Bernard feels pleased with his accomplishment but additionally acknowledges the accountability it entails.
“It feels superb. I’m positively a constructive position mannequin for the long run technology and my household. So , I’ve a job to do,” he stated.
Watch Bernard McKinley’s interview with ABC Information under:
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