Translator: Delia Cohen Reviewer: Ellen Maloney
Welcome to TEDxIronwoodStatePrison.
My name is Mark Anthony Taylor,
and I consider it an honor and a privilege to be on this stage.
A true visionary by the name of Delia Cohen introduced us
to the TED philosophy.
A philosophy rooted in the belief that freely shared and worthy ideas
has the potential to change lives, to change futures, and ultimately,
to change the world.
A project of this nature would not have been possible
without someone of Delia's stature spearheading our efforts.
There are no words that I can say that will accurately convey
the magnitude of my gratitude for the unprecedented opportunity
she has given us.
So on behalf of everyone in attendance,
I would like to say thank you to Delia Cohen.
(Applause)
In collaboration with Ms. Cohen, a core group of prisoners
went above and beyond to organize today's event.
The dignified manner in which these men conquered a mountain
of seemingly insurmountable obstacles has reignited my belief
in the resilience of the human spirit.
Core team, please know that your hard work is appreciated.
(Applause)
Secretary Beard, Warden Long, Chief Deputy Warden McDowell,
Associate Warden Smith, Captains Covello, Gonzales, and Rowe,
Lieutenant Abril, and Public Information Officer Mike Smith all went
to great lengths to support this independently organized TEDx event.
Their unwavering support proved invaluable.
Few people have positively influenced as many lives as youth offender advocate
and Anti-Recidivism Coalition Founder, Scott Budnick.
(Applause) (Cheers)
Although today's event will cover a range of disciplines, a portion
of today's presentations will reflect Scott's vision of a more equitable
criminal justice system.
By never giving up on the youth of our nation, he is moving
our society toward the realization of an enlightened ideology that respects
the dignity of all human beings.
For that, we should all be eternally grateful.
And last, but most certainly not least, I would like to thank our audience.
Your presence here today serves as a source of inspiration to all of us
who are striving to change our lives.
So thank you for that.
(Applause)
Now, I'm going to ask everyone in attendance
to do me a really, really big favor.
Please suspend any preconceived notions
that you may have about prisoners, because as you will see today,
most of those notions are probably untrue.
To my dismay, the same cannot be said for prison food.
(Laughter) (Applause)
Everything you have heard about that is indeed true; it is horrible.
(Laughter)
Thankfully, today's event is catered, so worry not.
(Laughter)
All joking aside, Ironwood was chosen to host this event,
because of the groundbreaking work taking place inside this institution.
Believe it or not, the men in here have raised over $20,000 a year
for charitable organizations.
The Ironwood Braille program has produced over 80,000 pages of Braille
for visually impaired California community college students.
Youth offenders, with the help of some of you seated in this audience today,
are turning their lives around and taking control of their own destinies.
And 1,288 college degrees have been earned right here in this prison.
(Applause)
The distance learning paradigms promoted by Palo Verde College
have instilled hope in thousands of prisoners.
And as you all well know, once the eternal flame of hope ignites, no amount
of adversity can extinguish it.
A college education when utilized correctly pushes us closer
to our violent principles and forces us to confront the contradictions
between our stated ideals and our past destructive behavior.
That is why a college education is at the epicenter of my journey
of personal transformation.
And that is why I can be firm in my convictions,
not the criminal conviction that landed me in prison,
but the moral convictions that will one day set me free.
Simply stated, the most effective way to end mass incarceration in this country
is to begin mass education in our communities,
as well as in our prisons.
(Applause)
That being said, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, also known as ARC,
utilizes education, job placement, policy advocacy, and healthy support
networks to enhance their multifaceted approach to rehabilitation.
And I'm here to tell you that those of us who are incarcerated wholeheartedly
support ARC's innovative strategy because not only does it save lives
and salvage futures and reunite families,
but it also helps us actualize our full potential, and that is important.
Because even though we are confined in prison, we are not confined
in our dreams and aspirations.
And the moment that we realize each of us has the power to actively shape
our conditions, instead of being shaped by them, that was the moment
that a world of infinite possibilities revealed itself to us.
Hence our guiding principle and theme for the day:
infinite possibilities.
Before I pass it to Steve, our emcee, I would like to say one last thing.
If we as a nation can find the compassion to show troubled youth that our country
values them, and is willing to invest in them,
then I can assure you that the vast majority of these young men and women
will rise above the existential challenges they face while they simultaneously
carve out brighter, more promising futures.
And by doing so, they will teach us all a little something
about the transformative power of hope.
(Applause)