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How Does A Rikers Inmate Become a Hero?

Part 5 of the TED Radio Hour episode The Hero's Journey.

About Ismael Nazario's TED Talk

As a teenager, Ismael Nazario spent more than 300 days in Rikers Island's solitary confinement before being convicted of a crime. He describes how every day was a test to survive.

About Ismael Nazario

When Ismael Nazario was a teenager, he was arrested for robbery and sent to Rikers Island.

Nazario's story was part of a report by the Center For Investigative Reporting focusing on teens in solitary confinement.

Now Nazario works as a case manager for the Fortune Society where he helps former inmates from New York's Rikers Island jail reintegrate into society after their release.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR/TED Staff