This Woman Earned 3 Degrees During 23 Years in Prison

    By NowThis

    Published on 2/14/2023 at 6:00 PM

    Romarilyn Ralston earned 3 degrees during her 23 years in prison. Now, she’s working to help other people who were formerly incarcerated to find community and hope through higher education too.

    This video was made in collaboration with Galaxy Gives and REFORM Alliance. To learn more, visit galaxygives.com and reformalliance.com.

    More Videos

    NowThis Impact
    E23

    The Origins of the Death Penalty & Its Stain on America

    "It’s about vengeance and some of our ugliest societal impulses and urges" — We’re uncovering the roots of the death penalty in America & how it’s been allowed to continue

    NowThis Impact
    E22

    Kids Are More Depressed Than Ever — Here’s What We Can Do

    "They’re facing a different world than we did" — Youth mental health hasn’t plummeted in a vacuum.

    NowThis Impact
    E21

    Could These Prisons Be Literally Poisoning Residents?

    "They’re treating those people as if they are garbage" — Prisons like this one in Pennsylvania are built in polluted areas, and the toxicity is suspected to be causing major health repercussions, even deaths among the incarcerated population

    NowThis Impact
    E20

    How This Org is Helping the Formerly Incarcerated Pursue Higher Education

    Leaving prison and coming to campus can be intimidating, but this org is helping those who’ve been incarcerated receive encouragement and support as they pursue higher education

    NowThis Impact
    E19

    A Day’s Worth of Prison Food

    Ever wonder what food in prison really looks like?

    NowThis Impact
    E18

    This Woman Earned 3 Degrees During 23 Years in Prison

    Romarilyn Ralston earned 3 degrees during her 23 years in prison.

    NowThis Impact
    E17

    Voter Disenfranchisement, By the Numbers

    Last year, 4.6 million people could not vote due to felony convictions — that’s 1 in every 50 adult citizens.

    NowThis Impact
    E16

    Could Lyrics Get You Arrested? How Racism Impacts Rap

    "Hip-hop and rap [are] targeted because [they are] dominated by young Black males and that’s unfortunate" — Young Thug and Gunna are just two of the many rappers who’ve faced charges for their lyrics.

    NowThis Impact
    E15

    Regaining the Right to Vote in Mississippi

    "If this law didn’t exist, we could change some elections in Mississippi" — Nearly 1 in 10 Mississippians have lost their right to vote due to a prior felony conviction.

    NowThis Impact
    E14

    Giving Birth While Incarcerated

    ‘We are all diamonds.

    NowThis Impact
    E13

    Is Violent Crime on the Rise?

    Certain crimes did spike in 2020, but not as much as some politicians and pundits say, and not for the reasons they’ve cited.

    NowThis Impact
    E12

    Fighting Blight in Baltimore

    'The fight against blight is actually a fight for healthy, whole, vibrant communities’ — After seeing a group of kids playing near an unsafe demolition site, Baltimore resident Nneka N’namdi made it her mission to fight urban blight.

    NowThis Impact
    E11

    The U.S. Is Failing Those Dealing With Addiction — Here’s What Must Change

    "If we want people to make different choices, we have to give them better options" — Here’s how we can rethink our response to people struggling with addiction

    NowThis Impact
    E10

    Four States Outlawed Slavery in the 2022 Election. Now What?

    Slavery was on the ballot in five states during this year's midterms — yes, you read that right.

    NowThis Impact
    E9

    Why Does the Criminal Legal System Treat Some Kids As Adults?

    "Kids really are different in important ways that matter from a jurisprudential standpoint" — Modern science tells us that our brains are still developing up until our mid-20s, so why does our criminal legal system treat kids the same as adults

    NowThis Impact
    E8

    How One Police Chief Is Changing the Conversation Around Addiction

    "[We have] more people dying of drugs than ever in the history of our country…what we’re doing is not working" — Here’s how an Ohio police chief is shifting the response to drug use from punishment to treatment

    NowThis Impact
    E7

    How Probation and Parole Create Intergenerational Poverty

    Probation and parole were historically meant to help individuals involved in the justice system get back on their feet, but they’ve since become barriers that keep people trapped in poverty — here’s what needs to change to truly support those leaving jails and prison

    NowThis Impact
    E6

    Public Safety: How Do Community-Based Solutions Work?

    "It’s now time for us to invest, deeply, in community-based solutions as a complementary strategy to policing" — The Newark Community Street Team involves the community in violence intervention and response, modeling a new path forward

    NowThis Impact
    E5

    John Legend: How Prop 47 Gives People a Clean Slate

    ‘How are we safer if 80 million people can’t get a job?’ — John Legend explains how expunging records not only helps formerly incarcerated individuals move forward but, in turn, creates a brighter future for whole communitiesThis video was made in collaboration with Galaxy Gives and REFORM Alliance.

    NowThis Impact
    E4

    John Legend on How California's Prop 47 Invests in Public Safety

    California's Prop 47 is flipping the script on what ‘public safety’ means by prioritizing people over punishment — watch John Legend break down how it’s already helping communities in California

    NowThis Impact
    E3

    How Technical Violations Keep Those on Parole or Probation Stuck

    ‘We have created a generation of people who have to live their lives on the margins of society, and you can’t be safe on the margins’ — Here’s what technical violations are and why so many people get taken back to jail, not for breaking laws, but for simply breaking the rules

    NowThis Impact
    E2

    America’s Prison System: Explained

    ‘Investments in people, not jails and prisons, leads to a decrease in crime’ — We’re breaking down the history and stats behind America’s prison system and the misconceptions that keep incarceration rates growing

    NowThis Impact
    E1

    How Felonies Keep Formerly Incarcerated People Stuck

    Did you know that having a felony means you can’t coach a Little League team?