In 2008, Sarah Higinbotham, while working on her Ph.D at Georgia State University, wanted to teach a literature class in a Georgia prison. Much to her surprise, she discovered that no college education programs existed in Georgia prisons at the time. So she started one.

Incarcerated men signed up for her no-credit classes to study Shakespeare, Milton, Baldwin, and more on a college level.

One class led to another.

In 2010 she was joined by Atlanta musician and GSU writing instructor Bill Taft.

The word got out. Faculty at GSU and elsewhere asked if they could join Sarah and Bill to teach in the prison.

Today, Common Good Atlanta includes over 100 professors from area colleges and 700 incarcerated students have joined together in four prisons and a downtown Atlanta class to participate in a liberal arts education.

Students and instructors have described Common Good Atlanta as one of the most powerful, transformative learning experiences they’ve ever been involved in. This 2022 documentary (57 min.) shows the power of the liberal arts to restore hope and dignity in this age of mass incarceration.

WATCH FULL FILM BELOW

Common Good Atlanta (57 min.) is available for FREE viewing (SEE ABOVE) in honor of the students at Phillips State Prison who inspired the startup of the program.

DOWNLOAD VERSION AVAILABLE ($20) FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. Send payment via PayPal (haljacobs@gmail.com) or Venmo (@HJacobsCreative) with a request for Common Good Atlanta download access.

Screenings & Digital License

PREVIOUS SCREENINGS

Burruss Prison
Community Documentary Night
Emory University’s Emeritus College
Emory University’s Oxford College
Emory University Rose Library
Georgia Public Broadcasting
Global Feminine Film Festival
Metro Reentry Facility
2022 Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival
Plaza Theater
University of Georgia, Dept. of English
WABE

INTERESTED IN HOLDING A SCREENING?

If your group or organization is interested in a virtual or public screening, please e-mail haljacobs@gmail.com for details.

A digital site license allows colleges and universities unlimited streaming for the life of the file on a closed, password-protected system. Institutions may not charge admission or ask for donations during showings. We will deliver the file in MP4 format with closed captions. Please e-mail haljacobs@gmail.com for details.

Currently, students, faculty & staff at Emory University, Georgia State University and the University of Georgia receive free access to this film through their libraries.

Feedback

“A truly wonderful film. I have seen it several times and every time is like, the first time. It is art and story! And learning. And community. Has anything remotely like this been done before? Hal’s casting this as a movement (and a moment) in time, fairy-tail like (yes!) while also starkly honest in its subject matter, surely sets it apart. This is about we human beings in this place, where the only distinction that matters is unity (and COMMUNITY) through life’s enrichment — for the Common Good. [Dr. Jamil Zainaldin, Past President, Georgia Humanities]

“I just watched CGA and was so moved by all of it, especially the joy and creativity that reverberated between the students and teachers. You really were able to capture Sarah's ability to inspire the students. I loved the scenes in Atlanta, the murals, the college campuses, and the outdoor places which gave such a contrast to the experience of being incarcerated. And the love! Oh my gosh, the love between them all was so visceral. It was great.”

“I found myself thinking about something Toni Morrison wrote in "Rootedness." Discussing the goals of her own creative work within novels, Morrison wrote: "It should be beautiful, and powerful, but it should also work. It should have something in it that enlightens; something in it that opens the door and points the way. Something in it that suggests what the conflicts are, what the problems are." I loved the documentary because it was beautiful and because it was powerful, but I also really appreciated how it does the delicate work of opening the door and pointing the way forward.”

“It is inspiring to hear that there are people who care about reforming the system (and that those people are not far away). The most inspiring thing I heard tonight came from Janine. She said: “When you leave prison you don’t know what you want to do, but you do know who you need to be.” I think she makes a point that every college student needs to hear: I especially.”

“The topic of higher education in prison has been a controversial topic in politics for many years now.  This documentary and the insight from the panel help to form more of a firm view on how I view the idea. I think higher education can only have positive outcomes, and I think it is truly transformative, life-changing, and life-saving for incarcerated individuals.”

“Not only is this program providing them with the chance to cultivate their minds, but to also cultivate their identities – both of which I personally find very important."

“My favorite parts of the documentary were the ones where the students were expressing themselves; whether it was through acting out different scenes in their plays, making books, or creating music, it connected the audience to the film.”

Extras…