PRISON FELLOWSHIP: Columbia University

From Incarceration to the Ivy League
  • Reentry
From Incarceration to the Ivy League

It’s safe to say Columbia blue suits David Norman much better than his prison jumpsuit ever did.

He sat in the front row with Columbia University’s class of 2016, graduating as the oldest member at age 67.

The Harlem native only had one day of high school under his belt before going to prison for the first time, according to the New York Daily News.

By Emily Andrews
January 6, 2017
Columbia University | David Norman
Mixing board image 2 feature
  • Warden Exchange
  • Feature Stories
  • Prison & Prisoners
Creating Harmony Through Hip Hop at Rikers Island

Remember the classic Coca-Cola ad from the 1970s? The one about teaching the world to sing in perfect harmony? The marketers knew they could touch a chord in people’s hearts about the power of music to promote peace, to unify.

That’s what young prisoners at New York’s Rikers Island—the nation’s second largest jail complex—are experiencing.

By Heidi Baumstark
July 6, 2016
Columbia University | Creating a Constructive Prison Culture | Hip Hop | music | New York | Rikers Island

SELECT A TOPIC

  • Advocacy & Reentry
  • Angel Tree
  • Families of Prisoners
  • Feature Stories
  • From the CEO
  • Hope Events
  • Inside Journal
  • Press Releases
  • Prison & Prisoners
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Prison Fellowship International
  • Prison Fellowship News & Updates
  • Reentry
  • Second Chance Month
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Warden Exchange

MOST POPULAR

Snapshots From 2025: A Year of Ministry at Prison Fellowship

December 17, 2025

Prison Fellowship Awarded $5 Million Grant From Lilly Endowment Inc. To Broaden Its Reach in Sharing Stories of Radical Restoration

December 11, 2025

My Story: Brandy

December 10, 2025

PRISON FELLOWSHIP IN THE NEWS

View our latest press releases and hear what other publications are saying about Prison Fellowship and our programs.

    Churches grow outreach year-round through Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree Program
    How Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Program Helped an Incarcerated Father Rebuild His Family
    Safer Supervision Act would restore sanity to federal supervised release
    South Florida kids with incarcerated family find comfort on the basketball court
VIEW MORE NEWS

LATEST VIDEOS

WATCH ALL VIDEOS