406. Proximity, Community, Compassion: How to Harness Humanity around Criminal Justice - Marc Howard
Listen to this episode
Overview
Meet Marc. He is one of the country’s leading voices and advocates for restoring humanity to the American criminal punishment system. He’s the Founder and President of the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, a nonprofit that launched in 2020 and allows members of free society to connect with people in prisons to discover firsthand our common humanity and advocate for systemic change. As a professor at Georgetown University, his “Prisons and Punishment” course has become one of the most sought-after courses — co-taught with his childhood friend, Marty Tankleff, who was wrongfully imprisoned for almost 18 years. Students re-investigate likely wrongful conviction cases and create documentaries that suggest innocence and advocate for exonerations. Join us for this conversation that we hope will open your hearts to recognize the humanity in all of us.
💡 Learn
Overview of the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice
What most people get wrong about the criminal justice system
How members of free society can advocate for systemic change
Exploration of what happens when everyday people visit prisons
Today’s Guest
Marc Howard, Founder and President, Frederick Douglass Project for Justice + Professor of Government and Law, Georgetown University
“Whether through your philanthropy, your feet, or your screens, open your hearts to the recognition that people are greater than the worst thing they’ve ever done, and people can change and not only that, but they can actually become forces for good.”
Episode Highlights
Marc’s story and journey to where he is today (4:00)
Overview of Frederick Douglass Project for Justice + Harnessing Humanity in Prison (18:30)
What happens when people visit these prisons (30:00)
The impact of this work on Marc (41:00)
Marc’s One Good Thing: Take people where they are. (49:00)
Becky’s One Good Thing: Look up Tremain Wood’s case in Oklahoma (Link below)
How to Connect with Marc and the Frederick Douglass Project (54:00)
Powerful Quotes
“There are so many wrongful convictions in this country and I think that everybody intuitively can agree that it is wrong. It's morally wrong for somebody to be in prison for something that they didn't do. Sometimes there can be mistakes made, a lot of times there's misconduct made and that occurs repeatedly and then there's a system that's hell-bent on keeping the door shut and not correcting mistakes.” -Marc
“If somebody close to you committed a crime, and even an awful crime that you absolutely abhor, and that you wished had never happened, and could anyway undo, you would still love that person.” -Marc
“When I started teaching, I discovered a classroom full of just wonderful people. And I know that this is paradoxical because these are people who've harmed others and I never want to minimize that. I never want to forget that, but there are also people who have grown and who have changed, who are capable of a lot more.” -Marc
“If we give them that voice, that platform, that opportunity, that preparation, they're not going back to crime, but they're going to succeed. They're going to thrive. They're going to be role models. They're going to help inspire kids from going down that path. So we need to find a better way.” -Marc
“I know this topic is heavy, but we have to have these hard conversations because there are human beings out there who need our advocacy, they need our support, they need our listening ears, they need their stories to be told.” -Becky
“They start realizing that there's so much more that unites them than divides them, whether they're incarcerated or not, but they're very similar.” -Marc
“I think it's important to take people where they are, and I never want to force somebody into something they're not comfortable with. So if just listening is enough to move somebody, that's fine too. But I think that when people are moved to action, I think that I can guarantee that it will be so rewarding.” -Marc
Tremane Woods Case Links
Davis Vanguard article about his case
Death Penalty Information Center’s Deeply Rooted Report
Deeply Rooted Oklahoma Case Spotlight: Tremane Wood
Connect with Marc + The Frederick Douglass Project for Justice
Frederick Douglass Project for Justice / Georgetown Prisons and Justice Initiative / Marc’s Website / Marc’s Instagram / Marc’s Twitter
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Connect with Becky
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