Citizens Against Recidivism, Inc.
Stopping the revolving door . . . .
Neither imprisonment or the life after should mean the loss of all the rights and attributes of citizenship.
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Citizens Against Recidivism, Inc. Stopping the revolving door . . . . Neither imprisonment or the life after should mean the loss of all the rights and attributes of citizenship.
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Photos from First Annual Citizens Awards
Characteristics of people on parole in NY State - 2007 Policy Recommendation to increase higher education Opportunities for people in prison
Fact Sheet on Muslims in NYS prisons
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Delinquency Intervention Program To address this growing problem of youth violence and delinquency, Citizens Against Recidivism, Inc. has organized a delinquency intervention program primarily focused upon depicting for youth characteristics and behaviors that lead to juvenile arrest and confinement. Programming for youth work best when they are community based and community supported. They are more likely to achieve their objectives when clear and consistent examples of the consequences for delinquent behavior are presented to youth. In Prison Seminars Citizens Against Recidivism, Inc. organizes trips to a maximum-security facility for an in-prison seminar. The primary focus of the in prison seminar of Delinquency Intervention Program (DIP) is to depict for young people significant aspects of the past lives of prisoners which lead to their incarceration in the hope that doing so will deter young people from similar behavior and from a similar fate. During the DIP seminars the attention of the youth is directed toward the consequences of criminal behavior and upon the personal responsibility of youth to avoid negative behavior. Prisoners involved in the seminars present themselves and the fact of their incarceration as living proof of the consequences of criminal behavior. These real life presentations are meant to provide youth with an opportunity to give serious thought to the repercussions of delinquent illegal activities before engaging in them. The approach of the prisoners is non-confrontational, non-judgmental, and without unnecessary aggression. Prisoner presentations are about events that took place in the lives of each presenter. The focus upon personal responsibility suggests persons who engage illegal activity will have no one and nothing to blame for their down fall once they engage in criminal behavior except themselves. This approach also encourages youth to probe themselves for more viable solutions to problems they are confronted with instead of negative alternatives offered in the street. Topics Reviewed During Seminars
Prison
Seminar Program Format The presentation is based upon the personal experiences of presenters and includes references to DIP concepts. The aim of the presentation is to present a credible image that reflects those attitudes and perceptions youth currently possess, as well as portray the eventual consequences that resulted from those attitudes. It is intended that youth see something of themselves in the life experiences of presenters and realize that, minimally, he or she may be made to endure a long term of incarceration. The Tour The tour of the prison highlights the conditions under which men live. Particular attention is paid to the cell and its features. Under no circumstances are youth placed in a cell. This is viewed as inappropriate dramatization that takes away from the focus of the program. No part of the seminar is meant to scare youth, only to provide them with information that encourages thinking and decision making. Small Groups The small groups are an integral part of the seminar. They provide a more intimate setting wherein youth may talk about the presentations, the tour, their own experiences and begin the process of thinking about their next steps. In Community Youth Workshops Care of youth is a local responsibility. Programming for youth work best when they are community based and community supported. They are more likely to achieve their objectives when clear and consistent examples of the consequences for delinquent behavior are presented to youth. The workshops assume a peer support group setting. Peer support groups involve informal but regular meetings among equals in a situation where they deal with specific issues youth are confronted with that often lead to delinquent behavior, arrest, and imprisonment. The peer meetings enable youth to arrive at solutions collectively and to do have discussions things that are better done in a group rather than individually. The responsibility for the success of this group rests with each individual. Facilitators trained at Citizens Against Recidivism, Inc will guide the groups. As currently outlined, a full program will run for ten weeks and may be repeated with different sets of youth throughout the year.
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