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Maximum security inmates beat Harvard in an hour-long debate

Harvard University is known for its debating prowess. But its revered debating team got a little more than it bargained for when it faced the team from Eastern New York Correctional Facility two weeks ago.
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The Bard Debate Union at Eastern Correctional Facility has bested The University of Vermont, The U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and now Harvard since its 2014 inception. (Bard Debate Union/Bard College)
The Current10:04Maximum security inmates beat Harvard in an hour-long debate

Debating Harvard students, the national champion, may seem intimidating to most but inmates from Eastern New York Correctional Facility were up for the challenge.  The inmates debated in favour of giving US public schools the right to deny enrollment to undocumented students....something they opposed in real life.

After an hour of debate between Harvard and the incarcerated men, the winners were — the inmates.

The Bard Debate Union's most recent victory against the Harvard College Debating Union is the third out of four total debates Bard Prison Initiative members have ever participated in. (angela n., Flickr cc)

It's part of an educational program offered through New York State's Bard College.  About 10 to 15 per cent of the prison population is enrolled in the college.

Max Kenner is the Executive Director of the Bard Prison Initiative. We reached him in Annandale-on-Hudson, in New York State.
 

This segment was produced by The Current's Ines Colabrese. 
 

RELATED LINKS

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Harvard's prestigious debate team loses to New York prison inmates

Why you shouldn't be surprised prisoners crushed Harvard's debate team

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