Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle del Hudson
Charles Moore and one of the RTA members in Green Haven
Rehabilitation Through the Arts for Incarcerated People
Por Elizabeth Liotta
August 2024In the United States, where over 1.8 million people are incarcerated, the Rehabilitation through the Arts (RTA) program in New York helps develop essential life skills, promoting a justice system approach based on human dignity rather than punishment. The organization fosters productivity among inmates within prison, prepares them to reconnect with their families, and strengthens their connection with their communities once released. This approach breaks the generational cycle of incarceration and drastically reduces recidivism rates.
The prison population in New York State, where RTA is active, reflects the national problem of institutionalized racism and barriers to economic and educational opportunities in underserved communities. Forty percent of incarcerated individuals in New York enter prison without a high school education, and people of color are disproportionately represented in the state's prisons: 75% are Black and Latino. In 2018, Black people made up 15% of New York State's population but 48% of the prison population.
To combat these numbers and redefine the time people spend in prison, RTA offers a variety of programs including theater, visual arts, dance, music, voice, and writing. Each program is designed to foster personal growth, self-expression, and community building through creativity. While nationally over 60% of released individuals recidivate within the first three years, less than 3% of RTA participants do.
“In the beginning, the program's purpose was to give inmates an opportunity to perform a play and thus convey a positive message in the correctional facility, but over time, RTA evolved to teach not only theater but also communication skills, team building, a sense of community belonging, and the discipline to achieve their goals,” explained Charles Moore, Director of Programs and Operations at RTA.
Moore was also incarcerated and was part of the RTA program. “When I was still in prison in 2001, I remember seeing a poster inviting interested people to attend a play in the correctional facility, and I decided to go see it. The play was in three parts, and I watched it two nights in a row. On the second night, I realized that some inmates were on stage participating in the play. I asked a friend how it was possible for those people to be part of the play, and that’s when I first heard about Rehabilitation through the Arts, and I decided to enroll two years later. I had always been interested in theater, although more in stage management, so it seemed like a great opportunity,” said Charles.
**Movie Premiere: Sing Sing**
The film **Sing Sing** by the independent American entertainment company A24 Films LLC, starring Colman Domingo and a cast largely composed of RTA alumni, premieres nationwide on August 2. Based on the RTA theater program, the film explores redemption, resilience, and the transformative power of the arts. **Sing Sing** tells the journey of individuals within the prison system who find hope and purpose through their participation in RTA, rta-arts.org.
For La Voz readers, Moore reflects, “Remember that we can all make mistakes. We should not be judged solely by the worst thing we have done in our lives. Rather, we should be evaluated by the person we have become and the good contributions we can make to the community after correcting our bad decisions. What matters are the actions we take to amend our wrongdoings, like joining support programs like RTA or BPI to become better people.”
RTA impacts the lives of people in various correctional facilities in New York State, including Bedford Hills, maximum security for women; Collins, medium security for men; Fishkill, medium security for men; Green Haven, maximum security for men; Sing Sing, maximum security for men; Taconic, medium security for women; Wallkill, medium security for men; and Woodbourne, medium security for men.back to top
COPYRIGHT 2024
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
To combat these numbers and redefine the time people spend in prison, RTA offers a variety of programs including theater, visual arts, dance, music, voice, and writing. Each program is designed to foster personal growth, self-expression, and community building through creativity. While nationally over 60% of released individuals recidivate within the first three years, less than 3% of RTA participants do.
“In the beginning, the program's purpose was to give inmates an opportunity to perform a play and thus convey a positive message in the correctional facility, but over time, RTA evolved to teach not only theater but also communication skills, team building, a sense of community belonging, and the discipline to achieve their goals,” explained Charles Moore, Director of Programs and Operations at RTA.
Moore was also incarcerated and was part of the RTA program. “When I was still in prison in 2001, I remember seeing a poster inviting interested people to attend a play in the correctional facility, and I decided to go see it. The play was in three parts, and I watched it two nights in a row. On the second night, I realized that some inmates were on stage participating in the play. I asked a friend how it was possible for those people to be part of the play, and that’s when I first heard about Rehabilitation through the Arts, and I decided to enroll two years later. I had always been interested in theater, although more in stage management, so it seemed like a great opportunity,” said Charles.
**Movie Premiere: Sing Sing**
The film **Sing Sing** by the independent American entertainment company A24 Films LLC, starring Colman Domingo and a cast largely composed of RTA alumni, premieres nationwide on August 2. Based on the RTA theater program, the film explores redemption, resilience, and the transformative power of the arts. **Sing Sing** tells the journey of individuals within the prison system who find hope and purpose through their participation in RTA, rta-arts.org.
For La Voz readers, Moore reflects, “Remember that we can all make mistakes. We should not be judged solely by the worst thing we have done in our lives. Rather, we should be evaluated by the person we have become and the good contributions we can make to the community after correcting our bad decisions. What matters are the actions we take to amend our wrongdoings, like joining support programs like RTA or BPI to become better people.”
RTA impacts the lives of people in various correctional facilities in New York State, including Bedford Hills, maximum security for women; Collins, medium security for men; Fishkill, medium security for men; Green Haven, maximum security for men; Sing Sing, maximum security for men; Taconic, medium security for women; Wallkill, medium security for men; and Woodbourne, medium security for men.back to top
COPYRIGHT 2024
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
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