In Memory of Markus Batraki
November 10, 2023
Markus Batraki will be remembered by the Inside-Out community at Vancouver Island University for being a kind and compassionate leader. Markus was a role model and mentor to many students. He participated in three Inside-Out classes between 2021–2023 and encouraged and supported his colleagues every step of the way. Click here for more.
In Memory of Marco (Mu) Maldonado
October 19, 2023
We want to remember Marco (Mu) Maldonado, known by many in the Inside-Out community, who passed away suddenly this past Sunday. Mu was active in the Think Tank at Graterford and Phoenix for many, many years, and involved in the majority, if not all, of the trainings that were held in the Philadelphia area. His passing is a shock and source of sadness for countless Inside-Out folks. Click here for more.
In Memory of JoAnne Epps
September 23, 2023
On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, JoAnne Epps, Temple University’s 13th President, passed away suddenly while presiding at a memorial event at the university. Though not directly involved with Inside-Out, JoAnne was a very strong advocate for and supporter of the program. For that reason, we want to lift up her extraordinary life and legacy in this space. Click here for more.
In Memory of Ella Turenne
January 5, 2022
Ella Turenne passed away suddenly on the evening of Christmas 2021. The shock has been felt and expressed by the many, many people throughout her life who knew and loved her, including those of us who are part of the Inside-Out family around the globe. We’d like to share a little bit about Ella as we came to know her over the years. Click here for more.
In Memory of Marc Trice
August 12, 2021
The ACE Think Tank at the Oregon State Penitentiary and the University of Oregon’s Prison Education Program note with deep sorrow the recent passing of Marc Trice, one of our founding members. From the inception of ACE in 2010 through his release in 2015, Marc was a pillar of strength and inspiration, and one of our most consistently joyful members. Click here for more.
In Memory of Ben Hall
December 23, 2020
We want to share the news that Ben Hall recently passed away. For those who took the training in Oregon, you will, I’m sure, remember Ben. He was involved in working on our trainings with the ACE think tank for several years during his incarceration at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Ben brought smarts, humor, leadership, and heart to the training experience. He was a great gift to many. Click here for more.
In Memory of Deborah Leibel
December 5, 2020
We are sad to share the news that, on Thanksgiving morning, one of our Inside-Out instructors, Deborah Leibel, passed away after a long bout with cancer. Deborah attended the training in June 2014, and taught several Inside-Out classes in the Philadelphia jails through The Philadelphia Center, where she was a faculty member from 1990 to 2017. Click here for more.
In Memory of Thomas (Reem) Cotton
April 30, 2020
We are very sad to share the news that Thomas (Reem) Cotton passed away last night after an illness related to the Coronavirus. Many of the people in our network probably knew Reem, as he was part of the Graterford Think Tank for 10 or 11 years, and was probably involved in 20-25 Inside-Out Trainings. Click here for more.
In Memory of Rev. Dr. Leah Gaskin Fitchue
July 1, 2019
Rev. Dr. Leah Gaskin Fitchue completed the Inside-Out Instructor Training Institute in January 2018, and soon after, began teaching Inside-Out courses at the Alexandria Detention Center in Virginia. Her most recent class combined from the jail and students from Virginia Theological Seminary. Click here for more.
In Memory of Carolyn Schrock-Shenk
February 8, 2019
We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Carolyn Schrock-Shenk, an associate professor of Peace, Justice, and Social Conflict Studies at Goshen College in Indiana. Click here for more.
In Memory of Kay Harris
November 16, 2018
The Inside-Out family is in deep mourning over the loss of Kay Harris, who passed away on Friday, November 16, 2018, after a brief, sudden illness. Kay was both the midwife and backbone of The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, and has had a profound impact on the program’s evolution. Click here for more.
“Fighting to stop an injustice from continuing is not like ordering at a drive-up window. It’s like cultivating a tree. The tree might not be strong enough in our lifetime to spread its leaves very far but our children might appreciate its shade. We probably won’t get to live in a world where people are not dehumanized in the prison system. But we can live in a world where we don’t let it dehumanize us and expect that someday someone will live in that other world."
– A Former Inside-Out Student
