WEBVTT NOTE Michael Santos in conversation with Damond Talbot. Lightly edited from the supplied transcript. Timings follow the recording. 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.760 I'm really glad to introduce you to somebody who's been so instrumental in helping 2 00:00:04.760 --> 00:00:09.960 Prison Professors make a change. Mr. Talbot, could you tell us a little bit about our experience 3 00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:12.300 of bringing Prison Professors into this penitentiary? 4 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:16.400 Yeah. So here at USP II, we've strived to make the 5 00:00:16.400 --> 00:00:21.720 PSAP program the best it can. We're so thankful to have you involved 6 00:00:21.720 --> 00:00:25.500 in everything, including the students. We have currently 7 00:00:25.500 --> 00:00:28.000 26 guys in our class. They've been 8 00:00:28.067 --> 00:00:33.087 spreading the knowledge and the skills among others here at this facility. 9 00:00:33.087 --> 00:00:37.927 I think we're on the leaderboard right now, and that's what we strive to be, the top. 10 00:00:37.927 --> 00:00:43.027 It's so awesome to see the change. Guys are hungry. Guys are motivated. They're trying 11 00:00:43.027 --> 00:00:47.347 to do what's right for them. They're building their biographies. They're working. Their families 12 00:00:47.347 --> 00:00:52.607 are actually out there adding stuff to the backgrounds, and these profiles are just so 13 00:00:52.607 --> 00:00:57.900 instrumental in their growth. We're excited to be working with you at Prison Professors. 14 00:00:57.900 --> 00:01:00.555 And you said that there's 26, but 15 00:01:00.555 --> 00:01:04.655 today we've reached hundreds of people. Just tell the group a little about the 16 00:01:04.655 --> 00:01:07.200 receptivity they had in getting the message. 17 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:10.300 Yeah. So today, we actually met with Pen II general population 18 00:01:10.300 --> 00:01:15.155 and then I unit, the RU unit, and we had over 300 19 00:01:15.155 --> 00:01:19.995 men that came in. It was receptive. I one and I two, I think you're going to see a 20 00:01:19.995 --> 00:01:24.115 huge influx there on the Prison Professors page. 21 00:01:24.202 --> 00:01:26.842 And I think that we're going to keep this thing growing. 22 00:01:27.022 --> 00:01:29.982 We're trying to smoke everybody in the BOP. 23 00:01:30.262 --> 00:01:34.562 We want to be number one, and we're just thankful for what you're doing. 24 00:01:34.742 --> 00:01:38.422 Well, I'm grateful. And yesterday, we also reached guys that were serving... 25 00:01:38.662 --> 00:01:44.282 What was the makeup of the people in our population group yesterday where we spoke? 26 00:01:44.422 --> 00:01:50.842 Yeah. So yesterday, we were at Pen I in the morning, and we had over 135 lifers there that attended. 27 00:01:51.382 --> 00:01:54.000 It was a packed crowd. When you talk to them, 28 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.510 there's not a lot of hope, and they all came out of that room 29 00:01:57.510 --> 00:02:02.710 so hopeful, ready and excited to jump into 30 00:02:02.710 --> 00:02:07.230 the Prison Professors group. And then at the medium, we met in the visiting room. It was awesome with 31 00:02:07.230 --> 00:02:12.250 Warden Law and another group of 100-plus men that showed up. We're 32 00:02:12.250 --> 00:02:15.400 excited. This is an awesome program. 33 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:19.200 It's awesome to see the growth of these guys, and that's what we're going to continue to do. 34 00:02:19.200 --> 00:02:24.677 This prison leads the nation, and it's really because of this man, Mr. Talbot. I'm so grateful to him. 35 00:02:24.677 --> 00:02:29.957 I'm so grateful to the wardens who allow us, to the regional director, Brian Burkholz. 36 00:02:29.957 --> 00:02:34.437 We are really striving to be the change that we want to see in the world, 37 00:02:34.437 --> 00:02:37.000 and it wouldn't happen without Mr. Talbot. 38 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:39.597 We want to give free educational resources to every person in 39 00:02:39.597 --> 00:02:44.100 prison, and I'm just thankful for the opportunity to be able to serve this mission. 40 00:02:44.100 --> 00:02:45.900 God bless. Thank you. Thank you.