What prosecutors and incarcerated people can learn from each other | Jarrell Daniels

翻译人员: Yizhuo He 校对人员: Yue Wu

When I look in the mirror today,

今天照镜子时，

I see a justice and education scholar at Columbia University,

我的看到的是一个 哥伦比亚大学的司法与教育学者，

a youth mentor, an activist

一位年轻导师，一名积极分子，

and a future New York state senator.

和一名未来的纽约州参议员。

(Cheering)

（欢呼声）

I see all of that

我看到了我所有的这些身份，

and a man who spent a quarter of his life in state prison --

和一个曾在州立监狱 度过四分之一生命的人。

six years, to be exact,

准确的说，是整整六年。

starting as a teenager on Rikers Island

从我青少年时期差点害得 一个人失去生命开始，

for an act that nearly cost a man his life.

我就在里克岛（纽约监狱）服刑。

But what got me from there to here

但是使我从那里走到这里的，

wasn't the punishment I faced as a teenager in adult prison

并不是我青少年时期 在成人监狱所面对的惩罚，

or the harshness of our legal system.

也不是司法系统的严厉。

Instead, it was a learning environment of a classroom

事实上，一切全因 某个教室的学习环境。

that introduced me to something I didn't think was possible for me

在那里我接触到了我曾认为对我， 或整个司法系统来说

or our justice system as a whole.

都遥不可及的东西。

A few weeks before my release on parole,

在我假释的前几周，

a counselor encouraged me to enroll in a new college course

一名法律顾问鼓励我参与到 向监狱服刑人员提供的

being offered in the prison.

一门新的大学课程中来。

It was called Inside Criminal Justice.

课程的名字是《司法正义研究》。

That seems pretty straightforward, though, right?

听上去是不是简而易懂？

Well, it turns out,

事实上，

the class would be made up of eight incarcerated men

这门课上的学生是由 八名被监禁的犯人，

and eight assistant district attorneys.

和八名地方检察官助理组成。

Columbia University psychology professor Geraldine Downey

哥伦比亚大学的心理学教授 Geraldine Downey

and Manhattan Assistant DA Lucy Lang

和曼哈顿地区助理检察官Lucy Lang

co-taught the course,

一同教授了这门

and it was the first of its kind.

独一无二的课程。

I can honestly say

老实说，

this wasn't how I imagined starting college.

这并不是我想象中大学生活的开始。

My mind was blown from day one.

从第一天开始我的思想 就受到了冲击。

I assumed all the prosecutors in the room would be white.

我本以为屋子里的 检察官都会是白人。

But I remember walking into the room on the first day of class

但我记得当我第一天走进教室时，

and seeing three black prosecutors

看到有三名检察官都是黑人，

and thinking to myself,

我就在心里想着：

"Wow, being a black prosecutor --

“哇，当一个黑人检察官——

that's a thing!"

可能是最近的潮流！”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

By the end of the first session,

在第一阶段的课程结束时，

I was all in.

我已经全身心投入了。

In fact, a few weeks after my release,

实际上，在我被释放的数周后，

I found myself doing something I prayed I wouldn't.

我发现自己在做着我曾祈祷 自己不会再做的事情。

I walked right back into prison.

我再一次走进了监狱。

But thankfully, this time it was just as a student,

幸亏这次我的身份是一个学生，

to join my fellow classmates.

成为同学们中的一员。

And this time,

而且这次，

I got to go home when class was over.

我可以在课堂结束的时候回家。

In the next session, we talked about what had brought each of us

在下一阶段的课程中， 我们讨论了是什么

让我们成为现在的我们，

to this point of our lives

并一起出现在这个教室中。

and into the classroom together.

我最终还是做到了：

I eventually got comfortable enough

to reveal my truth to everyone in the room

把我为什么出现在这里

about where I came from.

告诉了班上的所有人。

I talked about how my sisters and I watched our mother suffer years of abuse

我告诉了他们，我和我的妹妹 是如何看着我们的母亲

at the hands of our stepfather,

我们的母亲被继父虐待了数年，

escaping, only to find ourselves living in a shelter.

最终我们逃了出来，生活在避难所里。

I talked about how I swore an oath to my family

我告诉了他们我当时是如何宣誓

to keep them safe.

要保障全家人的安全。

I even explained how I didn't feel like a teenager at 13,

我甚至向他们解释了当我13岁时 如何感觉自己不像是一名青少年，

but more like a soldier on a mission.

而像是一名正在执行任务的士兵。

And like any soldier,

并且，就像是任何一名士兵，

this meant carrying an emotional burden on my shoulders,

这意味着我的肩膀上 承载着情感的包袱，

and I hate to say it,

尽管我不想承认，

but a gun on my waist.

但是我还有一把别在腰间的枪。

And just a few days after my 17th birthday,

就在我17岁生日后几天，

that mission completely failed.

我的任务完全失败了。

As my sister and I were walking to the laundromat,

我和我的妹妹走在 去自助洗衣店的路上，

a crowd stopped in front of us.

在我们面前出现了一群人。

Two girls out of nowhere attacked my sister.

两个不知道从哪儿来的女孩 攻击了我的妹妹。

Still confused about what was happening, I tried to pull one girl away,

当我还弄不清楚到底发生了什么的时候， 我试图把其中一名女孩拉离我的妹妹，

and just as I did, I felt something brush across my face.

正当我这么做的时候， 我感觉有什么东西流淌过我的脸颊。

With my adrenaline rushing,

我的肾上腺素狂飙，

I didn't realize a man had leaped out of the crowd and cut me.

这时，有名男子从人群中 跳了出来拿刀砍向我。

As I felt warm blood ooze down my face,

正当我感觉到温热的血 在我的脸上缓慢流淌时，

and watching him raise his knife toward me again,

我看到他又一次拿刀朝我挥了过来，

I turned to defend myself and pulled that gun from my waistband

我试图掏出那把 别在腰间的枪来保护我自己，

and squeezed the trigger.

并扣下了扳机。

Thankfully, he didn't lose his life that day.

幸好，他没在那天失去他的生命。

My hands shaking and heart racing, I was paralyzed in fear.

我的手颤抖着，心跳加速， 我在恐惧中被吓得不能动。

From that moment,

从那时开始，

I felt regret that would never leave me.

我就感受到了永远也不会 离开我的悔恨之情。

I learned later on they attacked my sister in a case of mistaken identity,

后来我了解了到，他们之所以 攻击我的妹妹是因为认错了人，

thinking she was someone else.

他们以为我的妹妹是另一个人。

It was terrifying,

那是一次恐怖的经历，

but clear that I wasn't trained, nor was I qualified,

很显然，我没有经过训练， 也不够资格

to be the soldier that I thought I needed to be.

来成为一名我以为 我需要变成的士兵。

But in my neighborhood,

但在我的社区里，

I only felt safe carrying a weapon.

我只有持有武器的时候 才感觉到安全。

Now, back in the classroom, after hearing my story,

当我在那间教室 讲述了我的故事以后，

the prosecutors could tell I never wanted to hurt anyone.

检察官们能看得出来 我并没有想伤害任何人。

I just wanted us to make it home.

我只想我和妹妹能平安到家。

I could literally see the gradual change in each of their faces

在检察官们听了 班里其它被监禁的人

as they heard story after story

各自的故事时，我几乎能看见

from the other incarcerated men in the room.

他们每一个人 脸上的表情在逐渐变化。

Stories that have trapped many of us

那些故事把我们很多人都

within the vicious cycle of incarceration,

圈在残酷的监禁中，

that most haven't been able to break free of.

而大多数的人都走不出那个圈。

And sure -- there are people who commit terrible crimes.

的确，有些人犯下了可怕的罪行。

But the stories of these individuals' lives

但那些在这些人犯罪之前

before they commit those acts

所发生的故事

were the kinds of stories these prosecutors had never heard.

是这些检察官们从未听说过的。

And when it was their turn to speak -- the prosecutors --

当轮到这些检察官们说话的时候，

I was surprised, too.

我也感到很惊讶。

They weren't emotionless drones or robocops,

他们并不是被编好程序 送人进监狱的

preprogrammed to send people to prison.

没有感情的无人机或机械警察。

They were sons and daughters,

他们也是别人的儿女，

brothers and sisters.

别人的兄弟姐妹。

But most of all, they were good students.

但最重要的是，他们是好学生。

They were ambitious and motivated.

他们踌躇满志，充满动力。

And they believed that they could use the power of law to protect people.

并且他们相信自己能用 法律的力量来保护民众。

They were on a mission that I could definitely understand.

他们在执行一项 我绝对能够理解的任务。

Midway through the course, Nick, a fellow incarcerated student,

课上到一半的时候， 其中一名被监禁的同学 Nick，

poured out his concern

说出了他的困扰，

that the prosecutors were tiptoeing around the racial bias and discrimination

他说检察官们在刑事司法制度中 都是在种族偏见和歧视

within our criminal justice system.

的边缘踮着脚尖走。

Now, if you've ever been to prison,

如果你们曾去过监狱，

you would know it's impossible to talk about justice reform

就会知道只谈司法改革而不谈种族

without talking about race.

是不可能的。

So we silently cheered for Nick

所以我们都在心中暗暗为Nick打气，

and were eager to hear the prosecutors' response.

并急切地想知道检察官们对此的反应。

And no, I don't remember who spoke first,

尽管我并不能记清当时谁先开的口，

but when Chauncey Parker, a senior prosecutor, agreed with Nick

但当一位高级检察官： Chauncey Parker 表示同意Nick的想法，

and said he was committed to ending the mass incarceration of people of color,

并说他决心要结束针对 有色皮肤人群的大规模监禁。

I believed him.

我相信他能做到。

And I knew we were headed in the right direction.

并且我知道他正 朝着正确的方向前进。

We now started to move as a team.

我们开始像一个团队一样行动，

We started exploring new possibilities

开始探索更多新的可能性，

and uncovering truths about our justice system

并揭晓关于司法系统的真相，

and how real change

并且见证了发生在我们身上的

happens for us.

真实的改变。

For me, it wasn't the mandatory programs inside of the prison.

对我来说，那并不是在监狱内 被强制要求参加的项目。

Instead, it was listening to the advice of elders --

相反的，那是一个机会让我们能倾听

men who have been sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison.

被判在狱中度过余生的年长者们经验。

These men helped me reframe my mindset around manhood.

他们帮我重新塑造了我 对于成年人的思维方式，

And they instilled in me all of their aspirations and goals,

并且灌输给了我 他们所有的抱负与目标，

in the hopes that I would never return to prison,

希望我永远也不要再回到监狱。

and that I would serve as their ambassador to the free world.

他们希望我能充当他们 在自由世界的大使。

As I talked, I could see the lights turning on for one prosecutor,

正当我说着，我几乎能看见 有一名检察官的脸上像是被打了光，

who said something I thought was obvious:

他说了我觉得很明显的一件事：

that I had transformed despite my incarceration

他说我并不是因为 被监禁而改变了自己的，

and not because of it.

我的改变和被监禁无关。

It was clear these prosecutors hadn't thought much about

很明显，这些检察官 以前从没怎么想过

当他们成功将我们定罪后， 我们会面临些什么。

what happens to us after they win a conviction.

But through the simple process of sitting in a classroom,

但通过坐在这间教室 这个简单的过程，

这些律师们开始意识到： 把我们关起来

these lawyers started to see that keeping us locked up

didn't benefit our community

并不能造福社区，

or us.

对我们自己也没好处。

Toward the end of the course, the prosecutors were excited,

当这节课快结束的时候， 我们谈论了未来被释放之后的计划，

as we talked about our plans for life after being released.

这些检察官听到这些以后都很激动。

But they hadn't realized how rough it was actually going to be.

但他们并没意识到 这实际上会有多艰难。

I can literally still see the shock

我几乎能看到

on one of the junior ADA's face when it hit her:

其中一名助理地方检察官 脸上惊讶的表情：

the temporary ID given to us with our freedom

当我们自由以后，临时身份证明

displayed that we were just released from prison.

会显示我们刚被刑满释放。

She hadn't imagined how many barriers this would create for us

她想象不出这会给我们

as we reenter society.

重返社会造成多少障碍。

But I could also see her genuine empathy for the choice we had to make

但同时我也能看到她对我们 必须要做出选择的真切同情：

between coming home to a bed in a shelter

究竟是去睡在家里的床上，

or a couch in a relative's overcrowded apartment.

还是去躺在拥挤不堪 的亲戚家的沙发上。

What we learned in the class

我们在课上学到的，

worked its way into concrete policy recommendations.

以后都会变成具体的政策改善建议。

We presented our proposals

我们毕业时将我们的提案

to the state Department of Corrections commissioner

上呈给了州惩治局的专员

and to the Manhattan DA,

和曼哈顿的地方检察官，

at our graduation in a packed Columbia auditorium.

地点就在座无虚席 哥伦比亚大学大礼堂。

As a team,

作为一个团队，

I couldn't have imagined a more memorable way

我已想不出还有什么 更有纪念意义的方式

to conclude our eight weeks together.

能为我们朝夕相处的 这八周画上句号。

And just 10 months after coming home from prison,

仅在我被释放回家的十个月后，

I again found myself in a strange room,

我再次发现自己 身处一间陌生的房间里，

invited by the commissioner of NYPD to share my perspective

是因为收到纽约市警局 局长的邀请，要在一次警务峰会上

at a policing summit.

分享我的观点。

And while speaking,

正当我演说时，

I recognized a familiar face in the audience.

我认出了观众席中 一张熟悉的面孔。

It was the attorney who prosecuted my case.

是那位起诉我案件的律师。

Seeing him,

看到他，

I thought about our days in the courtroom

让我想起了七年前

seven years earlier,

我们在法庭中的那些日子，

as I listened to him recommend a long prison sentence,

当时我听见他建议让我坐很久的牢，

as if my young life was meaningless

就好像我年轻的生命毫无意义，

and had no potential.

也没有任何潜力。

But this time,

但这次，

the circumstances were different.

情况有些不一样了。

I shook off my thoughts

我甩开我的那些想法，

and walked over to shake his hand.

走过去握住他的手。

He looked happy to see me.

他见到我很开心。

Surprised, but happy.

有些惊讶，但总体还是开心。

He acknowledged how proud he was about being in that room with me,

他承认和我同在 那间房间中有多自豪，

and we began a conversation about working together

接着我们开始讨论一起合作

来改善社区的状况。

to improve the conditions of our community.

And so today,

所以，今天，

I carry all of these experiences with me,

我的这些经历，

as I develop the Justice Ambassadors Youth Council at Columbia University,

帮助我成立了哥伦比亚大学 的司法大使青年会，

bringing young New Yorkers -- some who have already spent time locked up

将曾被监禁过或还在上高中的

的年轻纽约人

and others who are still enrolled in high school --

together with city officials.

加入到城市官员的队伍中来。

And in this classroom,

在这间教室中，

everyone will brainstorm ideas

每个人都会通过头脑风暴

about improving the lives of our city's most vulnerable youth

来想出办法，在城市中最脆弱的青年人

before they get tried within the criminal justice system.

因犯罪被司法系统采取行动之前， 改善他们的生活。

This is possible if we do the work.

只要我们行动，这是可能实现的。

Our society and justice system has convinced us

我们的社会和司法系统 一直在说服我们：

that we can lock up our problems

我们可以把我们的问题关起来，

and punish our way out of social challenges.

用惩罚来摆脱社会挑战。

But that's not real.

但现实并非如此。

Imagine with me for a second

请大家和我一起想象一下

a future where no one can become

在未来，任何人想要当

a prosecutor,

一名检察官，

a judge,

法官，

a cop

警察，

or even a parole officer

甚至是假释官，

without first sitting in a classroom

都必须要先坐在教室中

to learn from and connect with

了解并连接那些

the very people whose lives will be in their hands.

命运会被交到他们手上的人。

I'm doing my part to promote the power of conversations

我正在尽己所能来促进交流的力量，

and the need for collaborations.

和与他人合作的必要性。

It is through education

正是通过教育，

that we will arrive at a truth that is inclusive and unites us all

我们才能在追求正义 的过程中找到包容一切

in the pursuit of justice.

并团结我们所有人的真相。

For me, it was a brand-new conversation

对我来说，这是一次全新的谈话方式，

and a new kind of classroom

一间新式的的课堂

that showed me how both my mindset

向我展示了我心中的想法

and our criminal justice system

和刑事司法系统是如何

could be transformed.

一起被改变的。

They say the truth shall set you free.

人们说真相会带给你自由。

But I believe

但我相信，

it's education

解放你的，是教育

and communication.

和沟通。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）