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inmates

Off-Broadway Show Plays Prison

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Several hundred prisoners watched intently as four of their own sat on stage and told them that there is a future for them when their sentences are up.

The cast of the off-Broadway hit “The Castle” performed the play – describing obstacles criminal offenders face upon their release – recently for inmates at the maximum security Green Haven Correctional Facility in Dutchess County.

“The Castle” has been in production at New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., since April, with performances each Saturday at 5p.m.

The play is based on the real-life experiences of four ex-prisoners – Angel Ramos, Vilma Ortiz Donovan, Kenneth Harrigan and Casimiro Torres – who lived at Fortune Academy, a stately halfway housing facility in West Harlem, nicknamed the Castle because of its Gothic exterior.

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Prisoners of Politics

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

The crumbling economy, taxes, and the Iraq War have soaked up the limelight when it comes to the 2008 presidential election.  With less than one week left before voters cast their ballots, questions about Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama’s positions on incarceration and criminal justice remain unanswered.

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