University of Sing Sing

http://hbowatch.com/hbo-documentary-films-the-university-of-sing-sing/

 

Overview: “What happens to a dream deferred?” asked Langston Hughes in his classic poem “Harlem.”The question is especially relevant within the walls of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, where 1,700 men serve lengthy prison sentences, often for violent crimes.

In 1998, five former inmates founded the privately funded Hudson Link for Higher Education, which enables incarcerated men and women to earn a college diploma. Through Hudson Link’s partnership with Mercy College, Sing Sing prisoners are able to receive the same curriculum and diploma as on-campus students, with remarkable results: Hudson Link has a less than 2% recidivism rate among released graduates. The program draws a myriad of supporters, including rapper and actor Ice-T, business magnate Warren Buffet and singer and activist Harry Belafonte. This film reveals the transformation that occurs when inmates receive not only a college diploma but also a chance at redemption and a reason to hope.

Sean Pica, Executive Director of the program states: “These Hudson Link sponsored men & women have come to appreciate the full impact of their life-altering crimes, on others and themselves. And while it may be years before they see life outside the prison walls, we see them realize the hope for a redemptive, productive life by dedicating themselves to self-transformation through higher education.”

As always, FREE!  

The Program Starts at 6:30 & seating begins at 6:15 at the Ossining Library’s Magnificent Budarz Theatre .  

Following the Screening, join us for Conversation!

Panelists joining us for this screening are:

• Sean Pica – the Executive Director of Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison. Sean was recently named to Governor Cuomo’s Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration.
• Katherine Vockins – the founder and Executive Director of Rehabilitation for the Arts (founded in 1996). Katherine coordinates art events in Sing-Sing and other facilities.
• Michael Capra – the Superintendent of Sing Sing Correctional Facility
• Jo Ann Skousen – Professor of Literature and Writing at Mercy College, and in Sing Sing Correctional Facility