A screening of the documentary Rikers: An American Jail, followed by a panel discussion at the American Bar Association Tuesday March 28, 2017 “You can’t reform a concentration camp.” Johnny Perez (center) Last night was the second time I viewed Bill Moyer's documentary, Rikers: An American Story. I saw it the first time on PBS. Click on the underlined title to watch it yourself. As with my first viewing, it was painful to hear the first hand testimony of survivors of Rikers. Though Mr. Perez noted in the discussion after the screening, “No one really survives Rikers.” The experience is something a person learns to live with, at best. No one survives unscathed. Yes, it is so painful
BIG THANKS to Michael Che, Justin Corney and SNL for their generous donation of tickets to SNL Live to auction for Prison Writes. Through the site Charitybuzz, and the assistance of Lindsey Arenberg from NBC, Prison Writes raised $6318 to continue our writing workshops with youth who are experiencing re-entry, in detention, or are in an Alternative to Incarceration program. Prison Writes workshops focus on developing literacy skills to enhance communication, self-expression and advocacy. As our readers know, Justin is a contributor to our blogs, and if you haven’t read one of his entry’s, I suggest you take a moment to do so. His immediate and evocative writing brings the reader into his
