BOURNE—To build knowledge from the power of human connection, the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office is proud to present the Frederick Douglass Project for Social Justice.
The project brings community members together with incarcerated individuals to talk and learn from each other during structured conversations. It fosters learning and ignites a mutual transformation that enriches lives and reshapes our broader community.
During the pilot event on March 25 and future events throughout the year, the Sheriff’s Office will invite 20 community members to the correctional facility to meet 20 incarcerated individuals. The event includes an orientation, tour of the facility, facilitated introductions, and small group conversations over dinner.
“These conversations will correct misconceptions that incarcerated individuals are fundamentally different from everyone else,” said Barnstable County Sheriff Donna D. Buckley. “The average length of stay in the Barnstable County Correctional Facility is less than a year. Most of the people jailed here will soon return to society, and their successful rehabilitation depends on citizens who understand their challenges.”
Georgetown University Professor and Founder of the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice Marc Howard, and his staff will lead the discussion at the first event. Howard’s own life was transformed the first time he went to a prison to visit his childhood friend, Marty Tankleff, who had been wrongfully convicted of a double murder. That visit—and his ongoing relationship with Marty— became the genesis of his career as a criminal justice reform leader, both at Georgetown and through the Douglass Project. Founded in 2019, the project is offered at prisons and jails nationwide.
“Jails are built in isolated areas, but the reasons people end up in jail and their chances of successful re-entry must be front and center for community leaders, policymakers, educators, public safety officials, business owners, and good neighbors,” Buckley said.
The Frederick Douglass Project is an ongoing program at the BCSO. We welcome members of the public to sign up at Visitation Participation to get on the guest list for these events.