America ReFramed

The Corridor

By Annelise Wunderlich and Richard O'Connell. A production of KQED.

THE CORRIDOR shows the inner-workings and challenges of San Francisco’s Five Keys Charter School − the first high school of its kind in the United States that provides incarcerated adults the opportunity to earn a high school diploma to prepare them for successful reintegration into their communities. 

Designed upon the premise that the key to reintegration is education, Five Keys Charter School strives to create alternatives to the revolving door of incarceration. Enrollment is mandatory for all incarcerated adults who never received a high school diploma. In addition to classes that range from algebra to civics, the school also offers lessons in art and meditation. For many of the students, the experience validates their humanity. As the they begin to think about what they might want to do differently in life, THE CORRIDOR invites viewers to ask: is education the first step along the pathway to restorative justice?