The Fortune News: April 2011 – Alternatives to Incarceration

THE FORTUNE NEWS

o t s e v i t a n r e t l A n o i t a r A Fortune Society Publication  Volume XLIV No.2  APRIL 2011

e c r a c n I

e v o r p m i ms a r g o r d p n d a e , s s a e i b t ni eu c n m e m d i o v n. c o i t a r e c These e ty, strengthen r a c n i n a e h f t a ar e y r e public s p s s e l s n o i l cost mil

SO WHY AREN’T

WE DOING MORE OF WHAT

WORKS?

“The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons” —dostoevski

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Table of Contents Our Mission Letter to the Editor A Letter from JoAnne Page, President and CEO Faces of Fortune Eye on Fortune News from DRCPP and The Word in Reform Justice Beat Lentes Latinos National Report New & Noteworthy Prison Programs Head Count: Youth and Alternatives to Incarceration, by Elizabeth Loebman "From Separate Beginnings to the United Front of Today, ATI/Reentry Programs are Critical..." by Tracie M. Gardner Center Stage

"ATI & Court Advocacy, A Symbiotic Relationship," by Jill Poklemba Action Alerts & Announcements On the Record: Musings from Fortune's Founder, David Rothenberg How to Bring The Castle to You, and more!

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Our Mission

Letters to the Editor

The Fortune Society's mission is to support successful reentry from prison and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of our communities.

August 1, 2010

We do this by: Believing in the power of individuals to change; Building lives through service programs shaped by the needs and experience of our clients; and Changing lives through education and advocacy to promote the creation of a fair, humane and truly rehabilitative correctional system.

CONTACT 212.691.7554 info@fortunesociety.org .

The Fortune Society 29-76 Northern Boulevard Long Island City, NY 11101

To learn more, please visit us at www.fortunesociety.org, contact us by phone or email, or simply stop by our Long Island City location!

Walk-in hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00AM–4:00PM.

Dear Editor,

Hello, my name is Phillip Ruiz, and I received a free publication of the Fortune News due to my incarceration. I was moved by the article “Education” printed June 2010 issue; it was all relevant to me being in prison and striving for a college education. I wanted to share a little of my educational growth and to encourage others to do the same. Thank you for keeping us informed!

Cordially yours,

Mr. Phillip Ruiz Penitentiary of New Mexico July, 2010

Dear Editor,

I received my first Fortune News subscription and I am very pleased with the positive progress that is being published in this publication.

I have been struggling to find information to assist me to be positive, so that I can reach my goal of becoming a successful citizen upon my release.

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A Letter from JoAnne Page, President & CEO

After seeing “The Castle Garden Center,” reading about “The Higher Education and Re-entry network,” and the community profiles, I have done some thinking, The patterns that are being set forth tell me that there are people who are committed to doing their best to help prisoners change their lives.

I am one in thousands who are incarcerated that believes the Fortune News allowed me to focus on a new change.

Thank you,

Joseph Nusbaum Pennsylvania Department Corrections Bellefonte August, 2010 Dear Editor,

I was grateful to receive the Fortune News June 2010 issue, even though I am not from New York. I find the publication informative - in particular, the articles on “Overcoming Discouragement to Achieve Success” by Anthony Tassi and “Education is Life” by Jay Dalton were both inspirational.

I sincerely thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Deon Cobb Western Tidewater Regional Jail Suffolk, VA.

you sit in(ATI). a courtroom watch I am passionate about Alternatives to Incarceration In 1980,and right out the Incarceration In 1980, right defense out of attorney plea bargaining, you’ll see that life of law school, I(ATI). became a criminal at the Legal Aid Society in law school,New I became criminal defense decisions are made in whatmost is often Brooklyn, York, awhere I worked for 2 ½ years. What I remember was attorney at the at Legal Societydoor in of people a matter of minutes, more my frustration the Aid revolving who continued toand come backthan with Brooklyn, NewI watched York, where I worked 95% sentences from this kind bigger cases. them take pleas that gotof them lockedresult up, when I knew that forwould 2 ½ years.

Whatfar I remember of plea bargaining. ifWhat is it have been better for most them and for the community theyFortune had received was my frustration at the revolving is towas stopthen the the machine services instead of incarceration.

In 1983, I able wenttotodo what Courtlong door of peopleProject who continued to develop come anenough for the judge, the prosecutor, Employment and helped alternative to incarceration program back with bigger cases.indictments I watched them and the defense attorney to seeThat the for people with felony who were facing significant sentences. take pleasisthat them locked up, human has being beforeits them.

And new program stillgot going strong, although the agency changed name to that CASES. when I knew that it would have been far perspective, coupled with an offer of When came to and Fortune in 1989, I had a fireservice in my belly aboutand Alternatives to better Ifor them for the community provision close supervision, Incarceration.

I still have that fire today.

When I walk through our program if they had received services instead of is often enough to change the outcome hallways, I seeIn the young people in our ATI of program their pantsthe and incarceration.

1983, I went to what a case –with giving thebaggy defendant cocky walks and their young young faces.

I knew that if we had not stepped in, they was then the Court Employment Project chance to earn a sentence of probation would be in prison now.

It breaks my heart to realize how many just like them are and helped develop an alternative to instead of incarceration. locked up because nobody intervened. incarceration program for people with The intervention of court advocates felonyofindictments were facingis with people Most the work wewho do at Fortune are comingofhome after being is onlywho the beginning the process, significant sentences.

Thatofprogram locked up. There is a level pain andisdamage that results from incarceration however. For six months to a year, the still that goingtakes strong, agency and a lotalthough to work the through once you’re out.

With our Alternative to and person must engage in our services has changed its name most to CASES. Incarceration clients, of whom are younger than our reentry clients, it is him work to break the patterns that led possible to keep such damage from happening.

When I came to Fortune in 1989, I had or her to the case that would otherwise aThere fire in mysome bellypeople about who Alternatives havetogotten them locked up.such Notaevery are are such a menace the community or in to Incarcerations.

I still have that person makes it through.

Some give pattern of destruction that there is no option but incarceration. However, our fire today.

When I walk through our up, some get rearrested, some simply society uses incarceration as a first choice rather than as the last alternative that program hallways, I see the young can the participation and it should be.

What I’ve learned over the years isnot thathandle incarceration is the decision people in our ATI program with their supervision requirements that come that happens when not much thinking goes into a plea-bargained case. If you sit in baggy pants and and their with this chance.

But most do a courtroom and cocky watchwalks the plea bargaining, you’ll seesecond that life decisions are made young young faces.

I knew that if we had make it through and, by the end of in what is often a matter of minutes, and more than 95% of sentences result from not in, they would beFortune in prison process, have earned probation thisstepped kind of plea bargaining. is ablethe to stop the machine longaenough for now.

It breaks my heart to realize sentenced instead of being locked up. the judge, the prosecutor, and the defense attorney to see the human being before how many just like them are locked up them. And that new perspective, coupled with offer of service andto I amanpassionate aboutprovision Alternatives because nobody intervened. close supervision, is often enough to changeIncarceration the outcome because of a case our – giving the presence defendant chance toat earn a sentence of probation instead of incarceration.

Most of thethe work we do Fortune is in court and our willingness to work

with people who are coming home is only with those whoofenter our program The intervention of court advocates the beginning the process, however. after being locked up.

There is a level means both that we are For six months to a year, the person must engage in our services andgiving work people to break of and damage from chance to otherwise avoid the damage and pain thepain patterns that ledthat himresults or her to the case athat would have gotten them incarceration takes a lotmakes to work of incarceration theget tools to build locked up. Notthat every person it through.

Some give up,and some rearrested, through oncecan you’re With new lives in the community.

Mostthat of some simply not out. handle theour participation and supervision requirements Alternative to Incarceration clients, the clients who make it, who succeed come with this second chance. But most do make it through and, by the end of the most of whom are younger than our earningof that non-prison sentence, go process, have earned a probation sentence instead being locked up. reentry clients, it is possible to keep out into the community and we do not Idamage am passionate about Alternatives to Incarceration our presence in court from happening. see thembecause again – except, of course, for and our willingness to work with those whothe enter our program means that former clients who now both are Fortune There some people who aretosuch we areare giving people a chance avoid the damage and pain incarceration and employees.

I haveofthe joy of seeing aproviding menace to the community or inlives suchin thethose the tools to build new community.

Most of the clients who men and women daily, knowing amake pattern of destruction that there is it, who succeed earning that non-prison outthem into athe community thatsentence, Fortune go gave second chance no option but incarceration.

However, and we do not see them again – except, of course, at life.for the former clients who now our society uses incarceration are Fortune employees.

I have as thea joy of seeing those men and women daily, first choice rather than as the last We lockatup people too easily and too knowing that Fortune gave them a second chance life. alternative that it should be. What often. Going to court and fighting for We up people tooyears easilyisand to court to and fighting for an I’velock learned over the thattoo often. Going an alternative incarceration is a way alternative to incarceration is a way of plucking one person at a time of the incarceration is the decision that of plucking one person at aout time out fire of and giving them a real chance at life. happens when not much thinking the fire and giving them a real chance goes into a plea-bargained case. If at life.

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Faces of Fortune Erika Loseman Fortune Society Art Therapist My introduction to the Fortune Society was an email of a job posting for an Art Therapist.

Fortune’s population was unfamiliar to me – my experience had focused on children with medical disabilities, verbal and/or behavioral problems – but I felt my personality lends itself to helping people open up, no matter who they are. I was definitely up for the challenge, so I applied and here I am!

My first day as Fortune’s new Art Therapist was February 8th, 2010.

Once I settled into my role, I changed the format of the group from a free-forall open studio to structured directives with challenging themes and specific materials. My redesign was purposeful: to give participants a chance to explore and become comfortable with a variety of media, and spark emotionbased discussions in order to foster introspection and boost morale. The new structure took some getting used to, but after two sessions, the first thing clients would say is, “What’s the theme today, Miss E?” I love the work at Fortune, and am proud of the men and women I support.

I enjoy breaking down their guard to expressing feelings conceptually – and you can see the results in their art, which is rewarding for the clients and myself. I always leave my group with a smile, and a positive story or experience. One of my guys recently told me that art therapy feels like a family experience, because of the meaningful exchanges, and level of comfort he has in sharing with his peers.

I also learn from my group every

week – I don’t accept leaving anyone behind, and I know that eventually there will be a project that challenges a resistant client in just the right way – a new medium, or topic, or maybe just encouragement. At the end of the day, the fact that they trust me, and feel comfortable engaging in this fun, but challenging work with me, makes me feel validated that by giving them a safe space to feel, and speak, and be is sometimes enough.

really am – both who I was and who I had become. I felt comfortable and looked forward to this group, which I credit with preventing me from using/ drinking. It gave me a place to cope with all of my feelings and provided me with help when I needed it.

I turn 30 on March 4th. I am now happily working as a window washer.

I’m enrolling in a college program for AC & Refrigeration, attending regular AA meetings, staying clean and sober, spending time with family and friends, working out, and being healthy and good to myself. I came to Fortune feeling beat-up and hopeless and left feeling complete and having both a path and a direction to make it right. I know I have choices and will never go through this again.

Joseph Tulko Former Fortune Society client I first heard about The Fortune Society from Legal Aid when I was in Central booking in Downtown Brooklyn, after being arrested for possession and sale of heroin. I started abusing alcohol when I was young and moved quickly onto cocaine, then heroin. That all stopped when I arrived at Fortune on February 17, 2009. I remained clean from the moment I walked through Fortune’s doors.

Some of the services I participated in were Anger Management, Relapse Prevention, TARGET, Art Therapy, Acupuncture, Anti-stigma and the GED program. Fortune taught me how to live, stay clean and sober, and deal with my anger. I learned a lot about myself.

While in an art therapy group where I’d meet with therapist Erika Loseman, I learned how to deal with difficult events in my past which included being robbed by a family member, losing my job, relationship issues, financial hardship, and the death of my father.

My arrival at Fortune, at a time when I was really down, enabled me to develop guidelines and learn the best ways to handle my feelings, not just react.

Art therapy also helped me see who I

Anya Degenshein Fortune Society Court Advocate Criminal justice became a passion of mine in college: a friend’s involvement in the system led me to enroll in a class about prisons and structural inequality, which in turn provided me with the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for a class offered by the Cornell Prison Education Project at a maximum security facility. These three experiences, collectively, informed my decision to seek out work in the field of criminal justice after graduating.

It was my mentor and former professor from Cornell that suggested The Fortune Society as a potential employer, as another alumna had been working as a court advocate at the time. It didn’t take long to realize that Fortune was exactly what I had been looking for in an organization, and court advocacy, in particular, seemed a fantastic way to

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Fortune broaden my understanding of the legal system while working directly with clients. The work has certainly lived up to its promise; seeing families reunited, jobs attained, degrees achieved, and tremendous amounts of personal growth has been extremely rewarding.

Of course, my work is just a small component of the collaborative effort undertaken by Fortune’s inspiring and dedicated staff, who together ensure that Fortune’s mission is carried out on a daily basis.

Fortune is a constant presence in the courts, even when our services are turned down or success is not achieved.

It is this relentless and unapologetic presence in the criminal justice system that makes Fortune such a wonderful and unique organization to work for and to learn from.

Eye on Fortune

By Rubi Hochland, Fortune Society client and volunteer JoAnne Page Presented with Linda Mills Awards for Community Service The Fortune Society, an organization which for 44 years has helped formerly incarcerated individuals successfully return to their communities, was recognized for its work by state parole chairwoman Andrea W. Evans. Ms. Evans presented Fortune Society President and CEO JoAnne Page with the Linda Mills Award for Community Service, named for a parole officer who died suddenly in 1991. Ms. Page received the award at a ceremony celebrating The Society’s newest venture, Castle Gardens, an 11-story mixed-use, green, supportive and affordable housing community in West Harlem.

Ms. Evans also presented Ms. Page with a check for $1,600, which was donated by employees of the Division of Parole. In return, the Fortune Society dedicated a brick inscribed with the words “unwavering dedication”, commemorating the longstanding relationship between the two

organizations. Twenty six formerly incarcerated residents of Castle Gardens also received certificates of achievement from the Division of Parole. The Division of Parole also presented a certificate of achievement to Larry White, who established Hope Lives for Lifers, a group that brings psychiatrists, educators, clergy and others inside prison to address the concerns of incarcerated persons. Mr. White is a former “lifer” who spent 32 years in prison.

Governor David A. Paterson also issued a citation recognizing The Fortune Society and acknowledging “the significant role that this organization has in assisting people who seek to rebuild their lives and become productive, contributing members of society.”

New Fortune Hard-Skills Training Programs, and a New Member of the Fortune Team to Lead these Exciting Initiatives!

In November, Fortune recruited a new Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Carin Clary. Carin will oversee the design, implementation, and management of several key projects and partnerships. Fortune is excited to offer our clients sector-based vocational

training in green collar trades and food services. We’re focusing on these industries as they are growth sectors with great opportunities for career advancement and also because they allow us a new opportunity to think about how we engage with wellness and sustainability in our day-to-day lives.

Some exciting projects are below: »»

»» »» »»

»»

Partnership with the Milano School of Management and Urban Policy at the New School to develop a business plan to launch a café onsite here at Fortune New NYSERDA-funded program to launch an Energy Efficiency Career Pathways Training A Business Advisory Council of industry experts to guide our program development

Partnership with Solar One to create an Energy Challenge for residents at Castle Gardens and family-oriented energy education workshops Partnership Brooklyn Grange Farm and Corbin Hill Road Farm, to provide internships and fresh, locally-grown produce to participants , and much more to come!

Having fun at the 2010 Annual Benefit and Awards Gala (from left to right) Glenn E. Martin, Director of DRCPP; Karen Williams, Producer of featured documentary “Bring Your ‘A’ Game”; Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ; Betty P. Rauch, Chair of the Fortune Society Board of Directors; JoAnne Page, Fortune’s President & CEO; Eric Krebs, Producer of “The Castle” play; and Sherry Goldstein, Fortune Society Chief of Staff. Photo: John Dalton

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News from the David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy (DRCPP) Introduction In 2007, The Fortune Society launched the David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy (DRCPP). While Fortune has always engaged in advocacy and community education, DRCPP is focused on the coordination of Fortune’s policy development, advocacy, technical assistance, training, and community education efforts. DRCPP integrates Fortune’s internal expertise – the life experience of our formerly incarcerated staff and clients and our first-hand experience as a direct service provider – with research and evaluation to advocate for a fairer criminal justice system; promote effective program models and needed supports for people with criminal justice histories; and change the counterproductive laws and policies that create unfair barriers to the successful reentry of people with criminal justice histories into our communities.

The Word in Reform

By Glenn E. Martin, Director of the DRCPP

As you know, the Fortune Society has over 44 years experience exclusively serving a criminal justice population and currently serves over 4,000 individuals with criminal justice histories annually. All of our programs are designed to meet the unique needs of this population through skilled, holistic and culturally competent assessment and services.

One of our greatest strengths, however, derives from our vast experience at providing alternatives to incarceration (ATI) and substance abuse treatment to criminal justice clients and the depth of trust and collaboration that we have built up among our criminal justice system partners. Fortune has established deep relationships with Drug Courts, judges, prosecutors, the defense bar, Parole, Probation

relationship with these stakeholders in the criminal justice system, our role in Rockefeller Drug Law Implementation has been unfortunately marginalized.

David Rothenberg founded The Fortune Society in 1967 after producing "Fortune and Men's Eyes," a controversial play about the horrors of the prison system, with his life savings. Photo: David Y. Lee

and community-based organizations over some 40 years of our providing alternatives to incarceration. We are also a member of the ATI and Reentry Coalition, a coalition of community service providers offering ATI and/ or reentry services (learn more about this in the following feature, “Justice Beat”). These organizations coordinate services and target populations in order to serve the maximum number of criminal justice clients effectively without duplicating services. Together, we serve thousands of men, women and youth each year – the vast majority of whom are poor people of color – who can be appropriately and safely supervised in the community.

According to the figures highlighted in a recent DCJS Preliminary Impact of Drug Law Reform Report, the numbers of people anticipated to be diverted to community-based treatment have not materialized. Although the ATI and Reentry Coalition has safely and successfully run ATI and reentry programs for years and continues to engage hundreds of men and women annually who are involved in the criminal justice system, we have not seen a large number of eligible defendants diverted into our programs.

Why is that? We believe that one of the reasons is that the Rockefeller Drug Law reform implementation plan did not include the critically important advocacy component needed to identify people and guide the stakeholders through the diversion process.

Although members the ATI and Reentry Coalition have a longstanding

While each of the above-mentioned diversions represents a second chance for someone, we also need to have the courage to widen the definition of addiction. The process and instruments currently being used to evaluate defendants allow people with addictions to fall through the cracks, and people who are clearly dependent are frequently rejected. Experience also tells us, however, that placing a defendant into an inappropriate level of care leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure and increased punishment.

This is why we believe that while prosecutors should play a key role in assessing and warning of any potential risk to public safety, the fact is that if you’re a hammer everything looks like a nail, and prosecutors should not continue to solely man the narrow gateway to treatment. What you wind up with is the marked increase we see of defendants being diverted, some inappropriately, into long-term inpatient drug and alcohol treatment while others who can benefit from community based ATI go to prison and jail.

Members of the ATI/Reentry Coalition have successfully served men and women in their ATI programs for years by identifying good candidates for diversion from prison, advocating for their diversion, providing them treatment and other crucial services, monitoring their progress, and helping them reenter their communities successfully – all of which often prevent future crime. These programs have been independently studied and proven to be successful at meeting the needs of people involved in the system.

Why wouldn’t such proven-effective programs be better utilized by the state in order to help realize the full projected cost savings associated with drug law reform? Perhaps we should go back and tweak the reform language to demand that we engage our robust system of ATI and reentry programs.

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Fortune OCA must provide specialized training to judges system-wide and not just in the Drug Courts, so that diversions become a routine occurrence where appropriate. Additionally, courtordered professionally licensed assessments and recommended referrals to community-based agencies must be individualized, with less weight given to the prosecutor’s recommendations relative to clinical assessments and treatment mandates.

Finally, while the use of stimulus resources to help ensure the success of RDL reform was a brave and very progressive measure, if NYS is to adopt a truly holistic public health and safety approach to drug use, save taxpayer dollars, and undo the mass incarceration quagmire we’ve created, we need to make a long term strategic investment in ATI and Reentry. We need to say out loud that ATI and Reentry Programs are equal partners in our public safety plan for NYS.

Justice Beat

By Rubi Hochland, Fortune client and volunteer The New York City ATI/Reentry Coalition Services Report 2010 The ATI/Reentry Coalition is comprised of service organizations which provide alternatives to incarceration for those charged with a crime, while also serving those who’ve completed their sentence and are working towards community reintegration. Their 2010 Service Report, in addition to succinctly summarizing the challenges faced by the formerly incarcerated and the services these organizations provide to address their needs, also presents hard statistical data detailing the scope and efficacy of their programs. Additionally, it provides a comparison of the cost to taxpayers relative to funds currently spent on New York City and State Corrections.

The report begins with ATI/ Reentry Coalition’s assertion that its’ various programs enable the city to

“reduce crime and break the cycle of incarceration while saving tax dollars and communities.” This statement is followed by a chart representing the annual cost of various types of adult and juvenile incarceration, which range from $38,000-$261,000 per person, versus most ATI programs, which cost approximately $11,000 per person.

We are then informed that “less than 20% of Coalition program graduates have a new criminal conviction within two years.” The report specifically lists ten “challenges” faced by the formerly incarcerated, as well as a description of the Coalition’s response to each challenge. Part one concludes with several examples of formerly incarcerated clients who, through the various services and training programs provided by ATI/Reentry Coalition members – as well as their own dedication and efforts, have successfully reintegrated to become productive members of their communities.

Part two of the report introduces a color-coded map of the five boroughs, that illustrates the number of incarcerated persons from each New York City zip code. This map clearly shows that over 50% of those sent to prison from New York City each year come from neighborhoods, most of which are poor communities of color, representing only 16% of the City’s population. The report also lists the services offered by Coalition members in each borough.

Part three presents us with similar demographic illustrations indicating the ATI/Reentry Coaltion’s service distribution by zip code, as well as the number of clients served within the same geographic areas.

Part four describes the Coalition’s service outcomes for 2009, including programs devoted to reentry, families, youth, women, housing, employment, and substance abuse treatment. Across the board, the distinct and measurable success of ATI/Reentry Coalition programs can be clearly demonstrated.

For example, the Center for Employment Opportunity (CEO) was able to secure

1,125 full-time job placements in 2009 (with an average hourly wage of $9.50/ hr) – despite the difficult economic climate – for those with criminal convictions.

A cursory examination of this report, particularly the borough-by-borough breakdown of ATI and reentry services by zip code, brings into sharp relief the correlation between poverty and crime. I’ve no doubt the same type of analysis based on income levels would produce markedly similar results. Another conclusion concerns the relative ineffectiveness of our current system of justice, based as it is on archaic principles of fear and punishment as deterrents to crime.

The numbers generated in this report clearly illustrate that the majority of individuals, regardless of past circumstance, will respond positively when offered the opportunity to positively transform their lives.

Perhaps the most telling aspect of this report is the relationship between these counterproductive, incarcerationoriented laws and the resulting cost to the taxpayer. New York State spends 2.3 billion annually (half of which is spent on those in the prison system who hail from New York City) to incarcerate and dehumanize its citizens – a process that wastes both lives and badly-needed tax dollars. Simply put, the positive and remarkably successful alternatives provided by the ATI/ Reentry Coalition cost significantly less, increase public safety, and save lives.

The full report is available for free download at: http://www.ati-ny.org/files/ATI-final.pdf Members of the NY ATI/Reentry Coalition include: CASES (Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services), Center for Community Alternatives (CCA), Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), The Fortune Society, Legal Action Center (LAC), The Osborne Association, and the Women’s Prison Association (WPA).

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Lentes Latinos que yo debia tomar de ventaja de basa en el hecho de que estaba cansado de vivir la vida que había estado viviendo y cansado de dejar que mi familia seguira hacia abajo. También estaba cansado de tener millones de dólares, pero sólo lograr resultados de mil dólares; Yolanda and her daughter Destiny.

Por Yolanda Morales Para esta edición de las Noticias de la Fortuna, entrevisté a un hombre joven, que denominaremos J. – que a completado con éxito el programa de mejora de aprobación de la gestión de la isla de Rikers de la fortuna (R.I.D.E).

Este programa, del cual yo soy la Directora de la ayuda a los participantes para navegar la transición desde la cárcel a la sociedad como la manera más transparente posible. J. fue encarcelado en Rikers durante aproximadamente seis meses, y durante ese tiempo se dio cuenta de que Lentes Latinos tenía que tomar algunas decisiones graves sobre su vida. J. dice, “me di cuenta de que [el programa R.I.D.E.] era una oportunidad

National Report

By Andrew Frazier, Fortune Society Communications and Outreach Associate “Doing Time, With a Degree to Show for It”

By Ellen Condiliffe Lagemann; The Chronicle of Higher Education; November 28, 2010

This commentary concerns the relative costs of educating the incarcerated, which identifies education as a key factor in obtaining employment after release from prison. The author questions why most prisons across the country closed their college programs after the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 in light of studies, conducted from 1991 to 2004, demonstrating a lower recidivism rate among individuals who’ve earned college degrees while incarcerated.

Opponents note the cost of these

“Pero lo único que se destacó para mí la mayoría después de escuchar [descarga Planner] Sr. Tim Mann fue que éste puede ser el primer día del resto de mi vida”. Según j., su primera asignación en el programa era completar un plan de alta: un plan de acción para su eventual reingreso en la comunidad.

“Un plan fue generalmente el más lejano de mi mente,” dijo. “Pero, a continuación, cuando fui liberado, me llevaron a la sociedad de la fortuna, donde conocí a personas que habían tenido circunstancias similares que yo y me di cuenta de que yo había llegado al lugar correcto”. J. se reunió con personal de la fortuna, cuando se bajó y al escuchar los servicios ofrecidos ahi sabia que lo ayudaría en su búsqueda de ser un miembro productivo de la sociedad y convertirse en el padre que él hasta ahora no había podido ser.

Se matriculó en nuestro taller de servicios de empleo, y por primera vez sintió que podría responder preguntas acerca de su condena sin sentirse avergonzado. J. le dirá que inicialmente era una lucha para obtener un empleo debido a su historia reciente de encarcelación. “Me encontré con numerosas situaciones de discriminación mientras me entrevistaban,” J. dice, “pero sin embargo todo el personal en la fortuna me proporciono con el apoyo y la motivación necesaria para perseverar”.

J. ahora es un trabajor remunerado y dice que si no fuera por la ayuda que el obtuvo en la Sociedad de Fortuna – incluyendo la planificación de alta previa, servicios de administración de casos y apoyo constante de fortuna personal, habría ido hacia atrás haciendo lo que solía hacer ‘mejor’ (aunque incluso admite no era todo bueno en cometer): crimen!

Sobre el autor: Yolanda Morales es una ex prisidaria que hoy en día trabaja para la “Fortune Society” como Directora de los servicios de transición, incluido el programa R.I.D.E (mejoramiento de descarga de la isla de Rikers) cuyo objetivo es mejorar el proceso de liberación. Photo top left by David Y. Lee.

programs, but the author here points out that it is much more expensive to continue re-incarcerating those suffering from a lack of education.

the process of developing their own report, but in the meantime point to the study conducted in 2007 clearing the department of racial profiling.

The Center for Constitutional Rights is suing the New York City Police Department, based upon their study which concluded that the department has a widespread pattern of unnecessary stops and racial profiling in their stop–and–frisk policy. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has spoken out against this study, stating that the police department targets heavy crime areas and that these areas just happen to be in minority communities. Police officials are in

Protesting the lack of fruits and vegetables in their meals, no pay for work, poor living conditions and parole decisions, four prisons in Georgia were locked down for five straight days.

Unusually, cell phones were used to plan and stage the protest. The Georgia Department of Corrections has issued an internal investigation and security assessment. Possession of a cell phone by an incarcerated person is a felony in Georgia.

“Study Finds Street Stops by N.Y. Police Unjustified”

By Al Baker and Ray Rivera; New York Times; October 26, 2010

“Inmates use technology to organize state prison protest”

By Rhonda Cook; The Atlanta Journal Constitution; December 13, 2010

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New & Noteworthy Prison Programs

By Andrew Frazier, Fortune Society Communications and Outreach Associate Tarrant County’s Treatment Alternative to Incarceration Program Tarrant County Fort Worth, Texas

Above: Our dedicated Education team helps ATI clients learn English, prepare to pass their GED exam, and even apply for college! Photo: John Dalton.

Don’t mess with Texas! Texas is turning heads and becoming a leader in community corrections and alternatives to incarceration. Ever since the Texas Legislature passed Texas Government Code – Section 76.017 – establishing Treatment Alternative to Incarceration programs in each county or regional jurisdiction across Texas. The state has seen its prison population drop by 1,257 between 2008 and 2009.

Judges are considering the new law when sentencing individuals who have been arrested for any offense, other than Class C Misdemeanor, in which an element or use of alcohol or drugs is suspected to have significantly contributed to the offense for which the individual is arrested. Tarrant County’s program covers 40 counties and the law provides distinct parameters and quality control measures, including screening and regular assessments. Individuals qualify for the program if they can’t afford treatment, are high risk, and are convicted of a felony.

Head Count: Youth & Alternatives to Incarceration

By Elizabeth Loebman, former Fortune Society Director of Group Services There’s been a good amount of talk lately – more and more so from the federal government – about the need for reentry services that help people get jobs once they leave prison or jail.

At The Fortune Society, we recognized this need over 40 years ago, and it’s a primary reason the agency was founded. As Fortune evolved, we also became increasingly involved in Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) programs, into which defendants facing prison sentences of a year or more are diverted to community-based programs that include drug treatment, anger management, and counseling. When successful, these programs not only steer troubled youth toward a path of stability and greater self-efficacy, they are also tremendously rewarding for staff like me who have the privilege of helping clients every day to achieve these goals.

At the Fortune Society, the “typical” ATI client is a male between the ages of 1624, but we see females and older adults as well; clients are mandated from the court to attend our program for approximately six months (sometimes longer). “Our kids” face many challenges – they often live in dangerous, crimeridden neighborhoods, come from

broken families, attend gang-infested schools, have an incarcerated parent, have learning disabilities, have mental health issues, and/or are struggling with homelessness and substance dependency issues. All of these issues, combined with the “normal” struggles associated with adolescence and youngadulthood, mean that we as staff have our hands full.

Like most people mandated to participate in a specific program, ATI clients often complain at the beginning about “having” to attend programs.

But I believe that most of our clients eventually enjoy coming to Fortune.

Here, they have a safe, interesting, supportive environment where they can begin the difficult process of better understanding the issues that have served as barriers to their personal growth and success. Clinically, we do this through both individual counseling and group sessions by utilizing evidence-based curricula that allow the participant to focus on ways to better manage anger, substance use, mental health problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, and criminal behavior.

In addition, clients can take part in Yoga, art therapy, acupuncture, and other creative programs that promote awareness and discovery.

Even when it’s challenging, I cannot

think of a more meaningful way to spend my workday. ATI kids are funny, creative, high-spirited, and extremely intelligent. Because of the personal bonds that we develop with our clients, there is nothing that matches the joy received when an ATI graduate returns to visit and says, “I’m in college,” or “I have a job,” or even “I just came to say hi.” In six months, we can’t change everything, but those kinds of moments show that we’ve at least planted the seed of positive change.

Last fall, I ran an ATI group composed of 12 males ages 16 to 24. As a learning exercise, I conducted a round-robin activity in which I asked each group participant to share how many years of incarceration he was looking at if he hadn’t enrolled in ATI: “…seven years…,” “three to five…,” “just one…,” “ten to twelve...,” they responded.

Afterwards, I asked one member to add them up. In total, the group members were looking at 67 years in prison - at a cost to the taxpayer of between $2.55 million - $1.75 billion. So you see that by participating in ATI programs, not only are these kids learning the critical life-skills they need to stay out of prison and jail, they’re actually saving New York State a lot of money along the way.

So, it’s worth it – for the state, for the taxpayer, for the kids, and for me.

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From Separate Beginnings to the United Front of Today, ATI/Reentry Programs Are Critical to New York’s Criminal Justice System

By Tracie M. Gardner, Director of NYS Policy at the Legal Action Center In the 21st century criminal justice landscape, New York State is nationally known for its highly effective network of alternative to incarceration (ATI) and reentry programs. With the largest such system in the country, New York – unlike the other most populous states, California, Texas and Florida – has seen crime and incarceration rates plummet while simultaneously saving many millions of dollars each year.

Providing a range of critical services – from pre-trial advocacy to communitybased supervision and employment assistance – this infrastructure of ATI/ Reentry programs has become a model for smart-on-crime policies across the nation.

But it was not always this way. Indeed, both ATI/Reentry programs and the state’s policies supporting them have come a long way since their scattered origins decades ago. In an era of “tough-on-crime” policies – the widely criticized Rockefeller Drug laws among them – and the largest expansion of jail and prison capacity in the state’s history, individual organizations responded to a need for rehabilitation amid the rhetoric of punishment.

For example, the Women’s Prison Association, founded in 1845, answered the need for women-specific services. In 1967, the Manhattan Court Employment Project was created as the country’s first pre-trial diversion program to use social services in order to reduce incarceration rates. And so it went, with more organizations forming over the years to provide alternatives to jail or prison, each funded through private grants or the sponsorship of individual government officials.

It wasn’t until the early 1980s that government began systematically supporting the ATI programs, which had continually proved their worth both as critical social-service agencies and as cost-savers. In 1983, the State Legislature created the largest stream of funding for this

array of experiments, labeling them “Demonstration Projects,” to support the establishment of an infrastructure of ATI and reentry programs and to test new approaches. The Classification/ Alternatives to Incarceration Act was close behind in 1984, bringing regular state monitoring into the process. While the Legislature added funding for the Demonstration Projects for the first 15 years or so, most of the funding over the past decade has been included in the Executive Budget, in recognition of their integral role in the criminal justice system.

Still, relying on legislative adds meant yearly struggles for precious funding, so advocates – led by the Legal Action Center – banded together in the 1980s under the informal banner of the New York ATI/Reentry Coalition. Together, coalition members – including The Fortune Society – push not just for program funding, but also for “smarton-crime” laws that divert individuals from incarceration when appropriate; facilitate successful reentry; and protect people with criminal histories from discrimination in employment, housing and health care. One of the group’s biggest victories came in 2009 with the reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, moving the state away from harsh mandatory minimum sentences and toward safer communities by helping to break the cycle of drug use and crime. As stated so well by Division of Criminal Justice Services Acting Commissioner Sean M. Byrne, ATI/Reentry programs and advocates have become “fundamental to the functioning of criminal justice.”

Fast forward to the current funding crisis. Despite widespread recognition that ATI and reentry programs are an integral part of the criminal justice system and essential to New York State’s ability to continue to increase public safety and save taxpayer dollars, severe budget cuts in recent years are threatening their survival. Facing this battle in addition to its legislative agenda, the Coalition is working to

identify cost savings in the system that can be reinvested in ATI and reentry programs.

Case in point: With more than 8,000 prison beds now empty – thanks to the success of the very programs being cut – the coalition is pushing for the state to eliminate unused prison capacity and expand highly effective work‐release programs that help individuals transition from prison into the community, thereby freeing up even more prison beds. By closing unneeded facilities, the state can save tens of millions of dollars that are badly needed to reduce its deficit and pay for essential services. Some of those savings should be reinvested in ATI and reentry programs, which can then yield additional savings by helping to further reduce crime rates and the prison population.

Decades after the Rockefeller Drug Laws began a nationwide trend of ineffective tough-on-crime laws and mandatory incarceration sentences, New York State has the opportunity to restore ATI/Reentry funding and create a new legacy of public safety: policies that improve lives, drive down crime rates, and save the state millions of dollars that can be redirected to education, healthcare, economic development and a reduction in the tax burden on all New Yorkers.

For more information about the New York ATI/ Reentry Coalition, of which both The Fortune Society and the Legal Action Center are members, please see the “Justice Beat” feature on page 7 of this issue.

The Fortune Society and the Legal Action Center are long-time allies in the important work of advocating for the rights and fair treatment of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals.

About the Author: Tracie M. Gardner joined the Legal Action Center in October 2000 as Director of New York State Policy. She coordinates LAC’s advocacy, grassroots organizing, lobbying, and policy work on issues relating to HIV/AIDS, criminal justice and substance abuse in New York State. She is also the coordinator of the Women’s Initiative to Stop HIV/ AIDS, NY (WISH-NY), an advocacy project of LAC that she founded to address the escalating rates of HIV infection among women and girls of color. Prior to joining the Legal Action Center, Ms. Gardner worked in various capacities on national and New York HIV/ AIDS policy and advocacy, beginning in 1987.

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Center Stage: “Self-Portraits” in Erika Loseman’s Art Therapy Class In The Fortune Society’s Art Therapy class, taught

by Art Therapist Erika Loseman, students have the chance to explore a variety of artistic media through structured, thematic, discussion-driven group sessions. Each group begins with brief checkin, during which participants answer the question, “How did you celebrate your freedom in the past week?” Then the theme is presented, and the group has a chance to learn about each other’s experiences through discussion of the chosen topic.

The masks featured here were created by Art Therapy participants during a session focused around gaining a personal understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. To create these “self-portraits,” each client was given the task of choosing a mask with which they identified (based on mask features, ethnic traits, etc.). Each client was then blindfolded, and as a group they explored the masks with their fingertips, discovering how the various masks/faces felt. Pairs of clients then worked together – still blindfolded – to create masks using plaster cast strips and water. They had to find new ways to communicate and work together without the benefit of sight. For example, they used their language abilities to ask for things and their hearing abilities to sense where people were in the room.

Following the creation of the masks, each client was again blindfolded before writing a paragraph about their experience. Without sight, they had to use their other abilities to try and measure the page and judge where and how to write. They shared their experiences of being frustrated, angry that something (a sense) was taken away from them, and nervous and scared about whether someone was coming into the room or up next to them.

Participants then related these experiences to the real world – for example, how would you use your other senses to avoid falling onto the tracks in the subway? Clients expressed how their perceptions of individuals with disabilities had changed, including: “I now have respect for people with disabilities instead of sympathy. This is hard!” and “You can’t take your independence for granted.”

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ATI & Court Advocacy: A Symbiotic Relationship

By Jill Poklemba, Senior Director of Grant Writing at The Fortune Society The primary gateway into our ATI program for individuals facing a felony conviction and at least a year of incarceration – instead of going to prison – is through court advocacy. At Fortune, we have an amazing team of court advocates who work closely with lawyers, prosecutors, and judges to convince them that participation in Fortune’s rigorous ATI program is a more effective option than incarceration.

Court advocacy is a critical component in the process of diverting people into community based treatment and services. Advocates also identify and screen all potential ATI candidates to ensure that we carefully select those who are a best fit for the program, based on a range of factors. Once enrolled, clients are mandated to checkin with the judge every 6-8 weeks, when court advocates present updates on their progress. For most clients, the ATI program is 6 months long, but the time can be extended, depending on the case. Court advocates interact regularly with ATI counselors and other program staff throughout that time period to find out how the clients are doing and to ensure that they can make the best argument for their continuation in the ATI program. At Fortune, ATI clients can participate in the ATI program and simultaneously get access to a comprehensive array of services that will support their positive growth and development and help them overcome any barriers to success.

According to Fortune’s Senior Director of ATI/Family Services, Peggy Arroyo, “ATI clients engage in ways that are amazing!” Many had horrible attendance records in the public school system, which all too often does not give students the personal care and attention they need to be successful.

At Fortune, they participate in group services with a focus on developing critical life and coping skills and also receive regular individual counseling.

Most importantly, we also focus on

their education by strongly encouraging them to enroll in our adult literacy, ESOL, and/or GED classes, where they can receive more individualized attention than most of them received in the public school system and make steady progress toward increasing their literacy and math skills.

Two of Fortune’s recent ATI clients offer a glimpse at the profound impact that the ATI program can have on a person’s life and future opportunities: »»

»»

T. was charged with attempted murder and assault in the second degree two years ago for a gangrelated violent crime. Through the determination of his court advocate, T. was given a chance to participate in the ATI program. While at Fortune, he enrolled in ESOL classes to improve his English skills. He had nearly perfect attendance, built strong relationships with people in the program, and did very well even after completing the ATI program.

While skeptical of his potential for success at first, on December 14, 2010, the Assigned District Attorney said, “I was glad the Court took a chance on him after all, and I am proud of how well he has done in Fortune’s ATI program and afterwards.” He was able to re-plead to a misdemeanor and receive a conditional discharge. In fact, the judge even took him aside and asked if he would be willing to speak to young gang members in the future.

D. was charged with a felony conviction in 2006. Back then, he was living a reckless life and getting high every day. His court advocate worked with him to help him get into the ATI program, and he spent 8 months in our education and career development programs.

Just 2 months ago, D. returned to Fortune and has successfully obtained his GED. Now, he’s working closely with a program called the College Initiative to apply to college with hopes of someday running his own business. While at

Fortune, D. said that Eric Appleton, Fortune’s Director of Education, was his favorite teacher, who opened him up to new ideas and creative activities. Most of all, he helped D. think about being there for his daughter, who is now two years old. In his own childhood, D. suffered from horrible neglect.

Now as a father himself, he sees his daughter every other weekend and enjoys every moment he spends with her.

With the enactment of Rockefeller Drug Law (RDL) reform, we anticipated many more people being diverted to our ATI programs. However, we have yet to see a measurable increase, partly due to the fact that New York State did not allocate resources for court advocacy when it enacted the new law. The David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy (DRCPP) at Fortune has advocated for a broader array of solutions that increases judicial discretion and makes effective use of the many communitybased options available. Fortune is now seeking increased funding from private foundations, so that we can continue growing and developing the ATI programs our clients so desperately need in order to build drug- and crimefree futures.

About the Author: Jill Poklemba is Fortune’s Senior Director of Grant Writing. Jill joined The Fortune Society in May 2010 and has over 10 years of experience working in the human services field, with a particular emphasis on public policy analysis and advocacy, fund development, and communications. Prior to joining Fortune, Jill was the Director of Communications and Fund Development for STRIVE International, where she was responsible for public and private grant writing for New York headquarters and its network of over 25 national and international affiliates. She has also worked as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and the NYS Assembly Committees on Social Services and Children & Families. Jill obtained her MPP from Rockefeller College at the University at Albany, SUNY and her BA in Psychology from the College of William and Mary.

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Action Alert!

Prisoners’ Legal Services LOSES FUNDING, RISKS CLOSURE Prisoner’s Legal Services (PLS) – a longtime advocate for the rights and fair treatment of incarcerated individuals, and an ally of The Fortune Society – needs YOUR HELP TODAY! As most of you know, PLS is a statewide legal services organization created in the wake of the Attica riot in 1971 and has since become a vital part of New York’s criminal justice system by providing no-cost prisoners’ legal representation.

PLS did not receive any funding in the 2010-2011 budget and the lack of funding left PLS and our clients in desperate need of your help!

We are urging you to please sign their petition to Governor Cuomo TODAY. Visit www.thepetitionsite. com/1/PLSNY to sign the petition online, or sending your letter of support to: Karen L. Murtagh-Monks, Esq., Executive Director Prisoners’ Legal Services 41 State Street, Suite M#112 Albany, NY 12207

In the Next Issue:

Employment & Reentry Please send your stories, articles, or creative work to the address listed on Page 14 of this issue.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: June 29, 2011 Please note that not all submissions will be printed, and that Fortune News reserves the right to edit submissions as appropriate. Submissions that are not printed in this periodical may be selected to appear on the Fortune Society’s blog.

The Fortune Society does not provide pen pals. If you are seeking a correspondent, we recommend you contact: WriteAPrisoner.com; P.O. Box 10; Edgewater, FL 32132. With the exception of limited post-incarcerative custody and child support issues, The Fortune Society does not provide legal advice or representation. If you need legal services in New York, we recommend you contact: Legal Services of New York; 350 Broadway, 6th Floor; New York, NY 10013.

Food for Thought

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.”

– Brian Polley; Norfolk, MA Above: ATI services at Fortune include individual and group counseling, which serve as safe spaces in which participants can learn and practice the values and skills needed to maintain crime-free lives. Photo: David Y. Lee

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“On the Record” - Notes from Our Founder, David Rothenberg Michael Vick enjoyed an All-Star season as the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. Each Sunday, as his gridiron talents were on display, sports commentators insisted on rehashing his recent past. As most Americans know, Vick was convicted, sentenced, and imprisoned for a crime. He did his time and there should be little debate whether he is entitled to resume his career. The prison was his punishment.

It should not continue for the rest of his life.

Because he is an extraordinarily talented athlete … and big money is at stake with the national Football League, with much posturing, he was permitted to re-enter the fray.

On a Sunday that Vick was leading the Eagles to a victory over their rivals, the NY Giants, 60 minutes profiled actor – producer Mark Wahlberg, now one of the most successful men in Hollywood. On that program, Wahlberg disclosed that he did time as a young man in Massachusetts. On air, he was appropriately contrite and candid about his post-prison accomplishments.

There are many highly visible people who have been incarcerated and created a new life, or in the case of

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SUBMISSIONS Please send your written or creative work to the following address to be considered for publication in a future issue of the Fortune News.

Fortune News Submissions Colleen Koch, Editor c/o The Fortune Society 29-76 Northern Blvd.

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Martha Stewart, picked up where she left off. Charles Dutton, the talented actor, speaks openly about his eight years behind bars in Maryland … and his introduction to the theatre while a prisoner. His prison acting led him to a new life after his release.

Why, then, is it so difficult to believe that men and women can reclaim their lives and move in another direction.

We see it by the thousands every year at The Fortune Society. Their career changes are not headline making, under the media radar, but are equally dramatic, as formerly incarcerated persons become human resource counselors, attorneys, teachers, medical assistants, entrepreneurs and a variety of other mainstream occupations. In almost every instance, they have to overcome legal and social barriers.

However, the public has been bludgeoned by television and movie tales of crime and prison, so much so that it is susceptible to any political and profit making scheme that is served up.

The reality is that we have created a criminal justice system that nurtures negativity and thrives on its failures.

The issue is, and always has been; that the prison system is counter productive the greater needs of society. If we had to begin from scratch and construct a system that addresses crime, we could not create a greater disaster than the irrelevant and dangerous prison system in America today.

Yet new jails and prisons are under construction all over the country, in spite of the declining crime rate and the inability of institutions to address cause and effect of crime. There are big profits in building new prisons and maintaining the inadequate old ones.

We don’t need any new construction.

For starters, if all 50 states would reexamine their drug laws and drug addiction, we could dramatically reduce our inmate population. We need to view drug addition as we do alcoholism – as a disease to be treated.

Our drug laws, at point of arrest, conviction and sentencing, have been

Above: Tune into David’s show “Any Saturday” on WBAI Radio (99.5 FM in NYC), Saturdays from 8:00-10:00am) for more! Photo: David Y. Lee.

disproportionately targeted at people of color, and the poor. They have not addressed drug use and sales among the entire population.

Recidivism is job insurance for the archaic prison system. When the crime rates decline, parole violations increase, a way of keeping institutions filled. Recidivism is high because prisons are designed to keep men and women returning to them. Society, because of media drama, continues to view prison as the panacea for the crime they view nightly on televisions’ dramatic TV shows.

We are hearing new sounds in the state capitols as we do after every election. In New York, we can only hope that our new leaders listen to the wise observations about crime and punishment from the men and women who have lived and survived the prison experience. They need equal access to our elected officials, comparable to the profiteers who keep the prison industry in business.

There are many more people than Michael Vick out here and they are affecting our quality of life in our cities and towns. If they overcome the barriers of prison life and societal ignorance, they can make remarkable citizens.

14 The Fortune News

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SUPPORT FORTUNE NEWS! The Fortune News is an important part of our history and mission to change minds through education and advocacy that work to rectify unjust and counterproductive criminal justice policies. Unfortunately, we have no funding for it.

Fortune needs your support now to continue producing and distributing this valuable resource.

Please send your taxdeductible gift today to the address listed on PG 14.

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BRING "THE CASTLE" PLAY TO YOU! The Castle was conceived, co-written, and directed by Fortune Founder David Rothenberg, and is co-written and performed by Vilma Oritz Donovan, Kenneth Harrigan, Angel Ramos, and Casimiro Torres – all of whom are former clients of The Fortune Society. This breathtaking drama follows the formerly incarcerated cast, which has collectively served over 70 years in prison, as they relate their harrowing, real-life journeys through adversity, crime, and redemption.

The Castle recently completed its 14-month-long Off Broadway run at the New World Stages where it opened in April of 2008. The first play in Off Broadway history to have a cast composed entirely of formerly incarcerated persons, The Castle has received significant critical acclaim. The cast of The Castle still performs this vivid and inspiring work in prisons, colleges, hospitals, and community organizations all around the nation.

David Rothenberg, Founder of the Fortune Society and the play's director, said recently that, "Fortune Society's play, The Castle, has taken wing. We have recently performed at a conference of federal probation/parole officers in Jacksonville, Florida; a national convention of state governments in Washington DC; and at a reentry conference in Greenwich, Connecticut."

If you would like to book a performance of The Castle, please contact Eric Krebs, the producer, at 212-967-7079, or EKTMinc@aol.com. For additional information, please visit: www.thecastletheplay.org.

Above: Fortune staff members organized last Thanksgiving to help serve food at the Bowery Mission Thanksgiving Dinner. Photo: John Dalton

Above: David and the cast of “The Castle” play (see above, right for details) perform at Congregation Rodeph Sholom in NYC. This Spring, “Released,” a documentary about this compelling original drama, is premiering. Photo: David Y. Lee

Above: Education is fundamental to success in today’s economy. Here, dedicated volunteer teacher Patricia W. works with Paul S., a Fortune client, in class. Photo: John Kefalas

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