Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits down with veteran educator and prison education leader Dr. Ja’Ken Caston to explore what it truly means to teach beyond the margins. Drawing on over 25 years of experience across traditional schools, higher education, and correctional classrooms, Dr. Caston reframes education not as compliance or control, but as liberation.

The discussion traces Dr. Caston’s journey from urban classrooms in Richmond and Baltimore to teaching behind prison walls, highlighting how rapport, authenticity, and cultural respect are not “soft skills,” but essential tools for transformation. Together, they unpack the critical role of exposure, code-switching, and relevance in learning spaces; particularly for incarcerated men and disinvested learners who are too often underestimated or misunderstood.

At the heart of the episode is a dee ...