Curtis Carroll: What Can You Learn About Life When You Have A Life Sentence?

Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode Wisdom In Hindsight.

About Curtis Carroll's TED Talk

When Curtis Carroll was sentenced to life in prison, he decided to teach himself the ins and outs of the stock market. Today, he advocates for teaching others the importance of financial literacy.

About Curtis Carroll

Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll arrived in prison as an illiterate 17-year-old. After learning how to read, he taught himself to understand financial markets and stocks. Eventually, he began teaching fellow inmates how to make a financial plan for their futures through stock investments.

Carroll co-founded ProjectFEEL, a financial and emotional literacy program grounded in the philosophy of "Financial Empowerment Emotional Literacy." The program helps to identify the emotional needs and feelings that motivate actions in order to succeed in all aspects of life: personally, professionally, and financially.

After serving nearly 25 years of his sentence, Carroll will be up for parole in 2020. [Copyright 2019 NPR]