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After earning his bachelor's degree behind bars, formerly incarcerated man heads to law school

Published April 9, 2024 at 8:40 AM CDT
Benard McKinley got his bachelor’s degree through a Northwestern University program for incarcerated citizens and will be the first person from that program to attend law school. (Courtesy)
Benard McKinley got his bachelor’s degree through a Northwestern University program for incarcerated citizens and will be the first person from that program to attend law school. (Courtesy)

Benard McKinley will be among the hundreds of new students attending Northwestern University’s prestigious Pritzker Law School this year — but his path is unlike any of his fellow students.

McKinley got his bachelor’s degree through a Northwestern University program for incarcerated citizens and will be the first person from that program to attend law school. Benard hopes his success will inspire others in the Northwestern Prison Education Program.

McKinley and the program’s founding director Jennifer Lackey join host Deepa Fernandes to talk about his journey.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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