Redemption Behind Bars: Andrew Murphy on Prison Education that Heals

Sep 11

What if prison wasn’t the end of someone's story, but the beginning of a powerful transformation?

In this soul-stirring episode, Dr. Payal Beri sits down with Andrew Murphy, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Inmate Education Association (WIEA), to discuss how higher education, empathy, and human dignity are reshaping the lives of incarcerated individuals, many of whom were once seen as beyond redemption.

Through personal stories, lived experiences, and hard truths, Andrew shares how WIEA’s groundbreaking college-in-prison program is restoring hope, reducing prison violence, and helping incarcerated men become change agents in their communities, even from behind bars. Together, Payal and Andrew explore the deep stigmas society places on the incarcerated and why we must rethink justice, humanity, and redemption.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why transformation behind bars is not only possible - but essential
How education and faith-based identity formation impact recidivism and violence
The myth of "once a criminal, always a criminal" and how that mindset fails communities
Real-life stories of rival gang members finding unity, fathers inspiring their grandsons, and men rewriting their legacies
What families of the incarcerated learn when someone they love transforms inside
Why supporting prison education helps break intergenerational cycles of crime