“Because of Odyssey Beyond Bars, I found hope and the pathway to becoming a better man and father,” wrote one incarcerated learner at Oakhill Correctional Institution. So much has happened in the five years since Odyssey Beyond Bars (OBB) launched its first transformational UW composition course at Oakhill. We have more courses in more prisons, more books in more prison libraries, more plans to teach both men and women, and more pathways to college degrees. “Odyssey Beyond Bars—you understand and embrace the truth that you are not defined or confined by the failures of your past,” wrote one scholar at Columbia Correctional Institution.
After graduation, many alumni approach OBB with the same burning question: What’s next? They’re eager to remain in the company of powerhouse writers like James Baldwin and Joan Didion, but books can be hard to come by in prison—a reality evidenced by the 2,500 titles on the Department of Corrections’ growing banned books list. This is where OBB steps in. Earlier this summer, we delivered another installment of our ongoing library donation project to a record-breaking number of Wisconsin prisons.
Thanks to donations from Odyssey supporters, 625 brand new books currently support scholars at Columbia, Green Bay, Oakhill, Racine, Taycheedah and Waupun correctional institutions. The Odyssey community banded together to curate a list of beloved novels, poetry collections, nonfiction works, and more to share with OBB students and alumni. Names added include Ross Gay, Colson Whitehead, and Brené Brown. OBB staff are interested in your suggestions of which writers to add – use this form to share your ideas.
“I want to continue my education and build a future,” wrote one student at Oakhill Correctional Institution last fall. “I would have never thought I’d make it to college, and here I am!” OBB’s expanding course catalog has provided this alum and others like him more educational opportunities than ever. At Oakhill, students can add more UW-Madison credits to their transcripts while studying human behavior in Introduction to Psychology and, debuting this year, First-Year Seminar: The Power to Learn. Other facilities invited OBB to offer noncredit learning experiences through fiction and poetry workshops, The History of Public Education, and Introduction to College Reading and Writing. Although the subject matter may vary, all OBB programming empowers students to push through self-doubt and embrace the stories only they can tell.
As OBB closes its fifth year of operations, we challenge ourselves with a familiar question: What’s next?
More courses and pathways: UW-Madison’s new Prison Education Initiative (led by OBB’s Director Peter Moreno) is launching full degree programs in correctional facilities across the state—and OBB alumni are among the first prospective students to apply. Some OBB graduates are already on their way to associate’s and bachelor’s degrees.- More books: OBB will continue to listen and respond to incarcerated learners as they build reading wish lists and advocate for resources not currently available to them.
- More students: Later this year, OBB programming will debut at Taycheedah Correctional Institution. This long-awaited partnership with a women’s facility brings with it a new population of scholars to engage with in reading, writing, and critical thinking. We can’t wait to hear what they have to say.
More success stories: Meet Robert Taliaferro in this Badger Talks video, seen in the photo to the right as he earns his master’s degree. In the video, Robert says, “I’m so proud of the Odyssey Project. It’s such a great, great project. That Odyssey Beyond Bars class changed the whole dynamic of my life. I’m a lifelong learner.” We are working with other OBB alumni after release to keep their dreams alive. One recently freed OBB alum was ecstatic to learn he will be part of the Class of 2025 Odyssey course in Madison in September, continuing his learning outside prison walls.- More supporters: We have a growing number of donors joining us in transforming the lives of more incarcerated learners. For information about ways to donate to Odyssey Beyond Bars and/or the Odyssey Beyond Bars Future Fund, including through planned giving, contact Jenny Pressman at jenny.pressman@wisc.edu or visit our support page. Thank you for helping us change lives—and please tell everyone you know about our growing program!
