The Revaluation Of Advocate And Reformer Of Legal Policies, Dyjuan Tatro
Senior advisor, Dyjuan Tatro breaks barriers and stigmas for within The House Democratic campaign with an inspirational turnover in background as an ex-gangster and convict, to a respectable advocate for criminal justice.
The start of Tartro begin in 1984 in Albany, NY, finding himself in a lack of comfort, safety, and education as an adolescent. By the age of 20, Tatro’s limiting opportunities helped support the road for selling drugs and being incarcerated for violent shootings.
Hudson Valley area Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney found value in the difference that make up Tatro, selecting him to become the senior adviser for diversity and inclusion.
Tatro is recognized for being on the 2019 PBS documentary series “College Behind Bars,” that gives insight on New York State’s Bard Prison Initiative that focus on group of intimates earning their degrees. Through the hardship of serving sentences for shooting two rival gang members and racketeering conspiracy, he successfully obtained a bachelor’s degree.
According to Tartro there is a lack of support within the federal government creating a wall for incarcerated people to not receive Pell grants in the year of 1994. The state of New York made a decision to follow suit with its own tuition assistance program, leading to a collapse in education within prison from 70 to four.
Tatro’s journey with education in prison made him realized his luck, since two of his bothers in the system did not receive the same opportunity. The privilege allowed him to be on the path he currently is today, with using his experience to lift these bans.
His support for New York college programs in prison falls on the fact that less than 4% of individuals who have received their bachelor’s degree from the Bard program and return have not returned, despite having a 40% recidivism rate.
In current climate there are about 2.3 million individuals in either one of the 1,833 state or 110 federal prisons, and are less than 1,5000 have access to the education.
Dyjuan Tatro being on the campaign creates a gateway for immediate and intentional change for an aspect of the criminal justice system that needs mending.