Rehabilitation Through the Arts

Rehabilitation Through The Arts (RTA) was founded by Katherine Vockins in 1996 in Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York and now operates in six men's and women's, maximum and medium security New York State prisons: Sing Sing, Bedford Hills, Woodbourne, Green Haven, Fishkill and Taconic. RTA is the lead program of Prison Communities International, a 501c3 tax-exempt non-profit organization. RTA brings art workshops in theatre, music, dance, visual arts, writing and poetry behind the walls to over 230 incarcerated men and women. Mission Statement: RTA uses the transformative power of the arts to help people in prison develop skills to unlock their potential & succeed in the larger community.

Background

RTA began in Sing Sing with a group of men who wanted help writing and presenting a play, and has since expanded to include dance, movement, visual arts, voice, music, literature and creative writing.

RTA uses the transformative power of the arts to help people in prison develop skills to unlock their potential & succeed in the larger community.

The Program

RTA runs innovative workshops in theatre, dance, visual arts, music and creative writing. Men and women perform in workshop presentations and full-scale productions of both original and published works.

The arts develop the ability to communicate, collaborate, set goals and imagine alternate scenarios. Even in the harsh environment of prison, trust and community build. On release, many RTA alumni work in gang prevention, substance abuse and educational programs that help others make better choices in life.

Two research studies demonstrate the positive effects of RTA's program. John Jay College of Criminal Justice's 2003 study with the NYS Department of Correctional Services showed that RTA participants had fewer infractions than a control group. A 2010 study conducted by SUNY Purchase and the NYS Department of Correctional Services concluded that RTA participants complete the GED earlier in their incarceration, more RTA participants complete educational programs beyond the GED, and that after joining RTA, participants spent an almost three-fold increase in time enrolled in post-GED courses than those who did not participate.

RTA invites over 250 community guests, including family members of participants in some facilities, to its full-scale productions in Sing Sing Correctional Facility each year. These are extraordinary opportunities for the public to witness the intelligence, talent and humanity behind prison walls, and for families to see the effort their loved ones are making to change.

RTA's classes and productions are facilitated by 25 teaching artists who fan out to remote prisons across three state counties. These are professional artists and experienced teachers - most have advanced degrees and many teach in prestigious academic institutions.

To learn more or to support RTA, go to www.rta-arts.org.

Twitter: @RTA_ARTS Instagram: @rta_arts

Theatrical Productions

The following plays were produced as a part of Rehabilitation Through The Arts at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Ossining, NY:

Twelfth Night

The Wizard of Oz

Golden Boy

Our Town

A Few Good Men

Superior Donuts

Starting Over

Macbeth

Of Mice and Men

West Side Story

Stories from the Inside Out

The N_____ Trial

Breakin' the Mummy's Code^[1]

Jitney

Fine Print

12 Angry Men^[2]

Stratford's Decision^[3]

Reality in Motion

SLAM

Voices From Within

A Few Good Men

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

The Sacrifice

An Evening of Theatre, Four Original One-Act Plays

When We're Home

Reality in Motion

Productions Outside of Sing Sing Prison:

The Bull Pen

Two Trains Running

Jitney

Ma Rainey

The Wiz

The Odd Couple

Death of a Salesman

Same Thing Makes You Laugh, That Thing Gonna Make You Cry

Cafe of the Heart

Benefits and Events

RTA held its first New York City Benefit performance From Sing Sing to Broadway – An Evening Without Walls in June 2006 at Playwrights Horizons Theatre, with special guest performance by Charles Dutton.

RTA's November 2010 benefit "The Inside Story", directed by Connie Grappo, featured Broadway actors Lee Wilkoff and Anne Twomey, performances by RTA alumni and an exciting auction of artwork created by RTA participants behind prison walls.

Board Members

Board members of Prison Communities International are: Karin Shiel; Allison Chernow; Katherine Vockins; Suzanne Kessler; Hans Hallundbaek; Sean Dino Johnson; Jill Becker, MD; David Schmerler; Brian Steele; Ken Fields; Sheryl Baker; E. Annette Nash Govan; Mikki Shaw; Caroline Walcott

Funding

RTA is funded through foundations such as The Tow Foundation, Art for Justice Fund, a project of the Ford Foundation managed in partnership with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Impact100 Westchester, ArtsWestchester, Sills Family Foundation, Tikkun Olam Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the New York State Department of Corrections & Community Supervision, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and many individual donors.

References

^ NPR: Singing (and Acting) at Sing Sing May 21, 2005
^ New York Times: "Two Once-Angry Men Revisit a Prison Triumph" Nov. 13, 2004.
^ New York Times: "Behind Walls of Sing Sing; Inmates Find Freedom Onstage" Dec. 1, 2002.

External links

[1] NPR: Singing (and Acting) at Sing Sing May 21, 2005

[2] New York Times: "Two Once-Angry Men Revisit a Prison Triumph" Nov. 13, 2004.

[3] New York Times: "Behind Walls of Sing Sing; Inmates Find Freedom Onstage" Dec. 1, 2002.

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