Barnett Chair Symposium Highlights the Power of Prison–Community Partnerships
On March 20, USF School of Law welcomed more than 200 attendees for the 2026 Barnett Chair Symposium, Inside Out: Transforming Lives Through Prison-Community Partnerships. The event brought together advocates, practitioners, and storytellers working at the forefront of criminal justice reform.
Hosted by the law school’s Racial Justice Clinic (RJC), the symposium showcased collaborations between incarcerated individuals, community organizations, and legal advocates that are driving meaningful change, both inside prisons and beyond.
The keynote featured a powerful conversation with RJC Director, Professor Lara Bazleon, and Ear Hustle podcast cohosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods. Together, they reflected on the origins of the groundbreaking podcast, which was created inside San Quentin, and how storytelling can shift public understanding of incarceration.
Sharing clips and behind-the-scenes insights, Poor and Woods spoke candidly about the moments that shaped the show, the challenges of collaboration, and the responsibility that comes with amplifying voices from inside. What began as a small idea has grown into a platform reaching millions, offering a rare, humanizing window into life inside prison.
During the symposium’s first panel discussion, Jemain Hunter and RJC client Jessie Milo discussed the work of their organization, Arms Down, a mutual-help group for firearm offenders at San Quentin. Panelists, including Hunter, Milo (joining remotely from San Quentin), Greg Fidell of the Brady Center, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, and RJC Assistant Professor Gabby King, explored how Arms Down addresses the root causes of violence and supports rehabilitation.
A second panel highlighted the role of media and communication in bridging the gap between prisons and the public. Representatives from more than a dozen additional organizations were on site to educate attendees on the critically important work they do in supporting reform and rehabilitation.
