The Transformative Journey of Higher Education in Prison: A Class of One

This volume follows one man’s revolutionary journey from deficient early education to his incarceration on North Carolina’s death row, where he was given the opportunity to pursue higher education. By pairing Lyle May‘s engaging first-person account with current scholarly literature, this book examines the complex relationship between the United States’ educational and penal systems.It also documents the role of education in May’s contributions to society through writing, teaching, and activism.Flouting the stereotype that people sentenced to long prison terms lack an ability or desire for higher education, May’s experience champions individualism as a means of overcoming most environmental challenges to learning, personal growth, and societal involvement.With the right amount of motivation and dedication, even prison walls do not preclude significant contributions to the community or participation in criminal justice reform.Granting access to higher education in places that often lack