African Americans in Penology: Repression, Retribution, & Rehabilitation
Advisor: Michael Festo
Internship Location: Koenigsberg & Associates
Onsite Mentor: Paul Koenigsberg
What began as a curiosity about the failures and shortcomings of the American Criminal Justice System evolved into a profound determination to advocate for systemic change. My study, “African Americans in Penology: Repression, Retribution & Rehabilitation,” seeks to uncover the historical and contemporary penal practices that perpetuate racial inequities while exploring actionable measures to facilitate effective rehabilitation. At its core, this project is driven by the belief that no individual—whether incarcerated or unconfined—should be solely defined and limited by their past wrongdoings. The stories I aim to amplify are those that reflect resilience, the promise of human potential, and the capacity for intrapersonal growth. Through comparative historical analysis, qualitative interviews, policy evaluation, and firsthand encounters with preexisting rehabilitative programs, I intend to trace the origins of racial discrimination in correctional institutions, ultimately striving to influence both public opinion and policy, pushing for reforms that prioritize rehabilitation, not retribution. The American Criminal Justice System, from its inception, has been fraught with systematized racial disparities that disproportionately afflict African Americans. This project seeks to challenge long-held beliefs about punishment and spark urgent discussions on the need for a justice system focused on restorative justice and the reintegration of offenders.
Project Blog
Week 0: Introduction
Hello, and welcome to my senior project! My name is Jason Pager, and I have been attending BASIS Independent Brooklyn since the fifth grade.
Growing up, I've been deeply invested in understanding the complexities of the American Criminal Justice System—particularly the human capacity for growth and change within it. Aptly titled “African Americans in Penology: Repression, Retribution & Rehabilitation,” my senior project intends to delve into the nuanced interplay between historical and contemporary penal practices, focusing on their concurrent ramifications and how they perpetuate racial inequities within the very framework comprising modern-day correctional institutions. Ultimately, I seek to subvert long-held beliefs about the incarcerated, and pursue actionable measures to facilitate effective rehabilitation.
In furtherance of my prison-based efforts, I plan to draw from the support of my Faculty Adviser, Mr. Festo, and incorporate firsthand insights from Criminology Expert Emily Hove, Reentry Specialist Shanequa Gore, and Ex-Prisoner Audrey Wilson. Through historical analysis, qualitative interviews, policy evaluation, and firsthand encounters with rehabilitative programs, I aim to uncover the origins of racial discrimination in correctional facilities and suggest reforms that prioritize a humane and balanced approach to restorative justice.
Throughout this blog, you’ll accompany me in my exploration of the criminal justice system and its capacity for transformation. As we investigate preexisting models of reform and propose empirical-based solutions, we'll contribute to and inform broader dialogue on correction, emphasizing the necessity for rehabilitation over retribution. I invite you to join me in my investigation of our justice system; together, we will explore how my gathered insights can shape public opinion and influence policy, ultimately advocating for a systemic shift toward restorative justice and meaningful reintegration.
I sincerely appreciate your continued interest in my senior project; should you seek additional information on the matter or have any further questions, feel free to consult this link.
Week 1: Getting Acquainted & Emerging Carceral Opportunities
Welcome back to my Senior Project blog! I am pleased to inform you all that this first week has been immensely conducive to my ongoing exploration of the American Criminal Justice System.
Among other ventures, I had the privilege of interviewing a volunteer—who asked to remain anonymous—at Princeton’s Petey Greene Program: an initiative that strives to address the rising levels of illiteracy and ineducation pervading the imprisoned through individualized tutoring and academic support. Our discussions were largely based upon their own, firsthand experiences working closely with incarcerated individuals in the New Jersey prison system. They recalled how proud they felt when one of their students “had a breakthrough with one of the subjects they struggled with.” But they also spoke of the institutionalized squalor and neglect that many of their incarcerated students are faced with. This “neglect,” they allege, is emergent from the limits imposed by ratified carceral statutes: from deliberately cold temperatures to unsanitary water supplies, my interviewee contends that these improper penal practices have risen in ubiquity as governments prioritized cost-cutting and punitive policies over restorative treatment. Their perspective provided me with a deeper understanding of the challenges present within the field of penology, and will be integral to the broader scope of my research moving forward.
Toward the culmination of our interview, and one of the more exciting developments this week, was their offer to connect me with two preeminent figures in the carceral field: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Heather Ann Thompson and Former Head of the Petey Greene Program Ian Gabriel. My interviewee kindly offered to facilitate these introductions once they’ve expressed their consent, which, if granted, could afford me invaluable insights and information for my ongoing query. Moreover, my interviewee also posed a potential opportunity for my direct, hands-on involvement with the Petey Greene Program at Princeton; so, for the time being, I will be waiting for them to send over the necessary governmental documents and waivers for me to fill out in order to participate. Their contributions to my project mark a transitionary period in my research endeavor, as it will allow me to observe and possibly assist in educational efforts aimed at incarcerated individuals.
Rest assured, I will keep you all thoroughly updated and informed on any developments as they arise. Thank you so much for tuning in!
Week 2: Breaking New Ground - Interviews, Insights, & Legal Action
Hello, everyone! Welcome back to my Senior Project Blog!
I am delighted to inform you all that I’ve made significant headway with my rehabilitative penology project this week. To start my week, I conducted an insightful interview with litigation attorney Koenigsberg, focusing on his experience in general practice and its pertinence to rehabilitation programs in correctional facilities across the nation. To ensure objectivity throughout my data gathering procedure, I asked a series of standardized questions, which allowed me to make systematic comparisons across different responses from previous interviews (and future interviews to come.) This methodical approach proved invaluable to my overarching carceral pursuit, as it consolidated the perspectives of different professionals in varying fields and, therefore, provided me with a more comprehensive understanding of widely implemented rehabilitative practices.
The most salient outcome from this interview was not the information gathered; rather, it was securing a placement at Koenigsberg's office, which I expect will offer unparalleled opportunities for further research and firsthand experience in the field of rehabilitative penology. I’m excited at the prospect of contributing to the betterment of correctional facilities by means of legal reform and advocacy - having the opportunity to take the insights from my written work on prison reform and put them into legal action is a venture I haven’t even considered prior to my conversation with Mr. Koenigsberg. Looking ahead, I’m excited about the upcoming interview with Audrey Wilson—the New Jersey Division Manager at the Petey Greene Program—and the resultant opportunities that it may afford me in furtherance of my pursuit.
In addition to my interview, I strengthened my theoretical foundation by delving into Gendreau, French, and Smith's work, The Theory of Effective Correctional Intervention: Empirical Status and Future Directions. This reading has proved instrumental in addressing historical debates surrounding the efficacy of rehabilitation programs in correctional facilities. More specifically, it helped me attain a more thorough understanding of counterarguments related to inmates’ fidelity to rehabilitation efforts, which is integral for the next phase of my literature review.
In the coming weeks, I plan to delve deeper into the aforementioned subtopics; I remain eager to explore more case studies and historical examples, for a comparative analysis will allow me to better analyze the efficacy of rehabilitation efforts and their real impact on inmates’ reintegration into society.
Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks as my project continues to progress!
Week 3: Understanding a Convict’s Experience & Reimagining Reentry Solutions
Hello all! I hope you’ve had a meaningful and restful spring break. I am pleased to inform you that I’ve spent these past two weeks making immense headway with my senior project—more particularly, within the purview of underresourced prisons, as I refined the focus of my carceral pursuits to institutions afflicted by poor staffing conditions and limited federal funding.
My literature review has played an integral role in this redirected endeavor, specifically Holly Wetzel’s meta-analysis on rehabilitative prison education programs. Her research elucidated the statistical impact and pragmatic implications of re-education initiatives, respectively, within underresourced prisons: they have shown to reduce recidivism by a staggering 14.8% and improve both employment outcomes (+6.9%) and quarterly wages (+$131) post-release. Moreover, Wetzel contends that these re-education programs provide a consistently positive “return on investment,” with college education yielding the most prodigious individual benefits and vocational training offering the highest taxpayer return. Ultimately, Wetzel’s findings have proven instrumental in pursuing my narrowed topic, as her insightful observations have revealed the latent potential of education programs, within underfunded facilities, as a means to rehabilitation and societal reintegration; I look forward to citing her work as a key reference in my ongoing exploration, as I continue to develop my understanding of penology and preexisting targeted reforms.
In more exciting news, I was privileged to have been afforded the opportunity to interview Audrey Wilson, a formerly incarcerated prisoner who has been sentenced to an aggregate term of life in the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. Wilson pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Murder on December 3, 1990, and, following her mandatory minimum term of thirty years, took on the role as the Division Manager at the Petey Greene Program in New Jersey. Throughout our interview, she spoke of the systemic challenges faced by those within the system, particularly the lack of resources and the societal stigma that follows the incarcerated after release. Wilson recalled that “education was deemed a privilege” by the Department of Corrections, as only select students had access to typewriters, while the majority had no choice but to hand-write an eight-page term paper for one of the re-education programs she had enrolled in. To receive college credit for this re-education program, she explained, students were mandated to complete this term paper. But the sources and materials the professor had handed out, both of which were necessary for the paper’s completion, drastically differed from what they had been learning over the past few months, since the prison was unable to provide them with the pertinent documents. Regardless, Wilson and others were given no other choice but to complete the term paper before them, using documents the professor had brought in from a college class he taught outside of prison—sources that were entirely unrelated to the assignment and offered little to no guidance for writing the paper. That was the reality: a lack of resources that made something as simple as completing an assignment incredibly challenging. WIlson also spoke about the psychological ramifications of incarceration, saying that “the system is designed to keep people in and continue to bring them back... It becomes a battle against bitterness.” These internal struggles, Wilson said, were coalescent with the external challenges faced by formerly incarcerated individuals. Such external struggles are exemplified by the societal biases she addressed, which portray former inmates as morally defective, broken, and irredeemable: “It is intellectual laziness to put any individual in a box... The system doesn’t prepare people for success on the outside, and society doesn’t give them a fair chance to succeed once they’re out. It’s a harsh judgment that doesn’t take into account the structural inequalities that lead people into the system in the first place.”
My networking efforts also yielded promising connections this week! During an admitted students’ day at Brandeis University, I met Mr. Breen, a legal studies professor and leader within Brandeis’s Petey Greene Program—a program I had initially planned to volunteer with at Princeton. Upon introducing myself and my academic interests, we instantly bonded over our shared passion for criminal reform and rehabilitative penology, and he even offered his email for further collaboration in the field; I look forward to arranging a brief Zoom conference with him shortly. Additionally, Shanequa Gore—a reentry specialist dually employed at Riker’s Island and the Fortune Society—has responded to my inquiry and invited me to visit her office at the Fortune Society to discuss reentry strategies with penal experts. She also offered to connect me with several of her colleagues who specialize in transitional housing and employment services for formerly incarcerated individuals, providing me with an invaluable opportunity to better inform my research and gain deeper insights into the challenges of reentry/reintegration.
As I continue my research and interview process, I am eager to uncover actionable strategies for improving prison conditions alongside Ms. Gore, advancing theoretical approaches to reentry programs through my continued literature review, and platforming the voices of those immediately impacted by systemic inequities in the carceral system. I’ll be sure to keep you all thoroughly informed!
Week 4: From Theory to Practice - Groundwork for Lasting Reintegration
Hello again, everyone! I am beyond excited to share the latest developments in my rehabilitative penology journey, which, I’m happy to report, is continuing to evolve in both impactful and unexpected ways. Over the past few weeks, I’ve begun to transition from the theoretical aspect of my literature review to a more pragmatic and community-oriented phase—one foundationally based in firsthand engagement with reentry specialists, policy practitioners, and formerly incarcerated individuals.
As you hopefully remember, my recent conversations, particularly with Shanequa Gore at the Fortune Society, have provided me with a deeper understanding of the logistical complexities behind reentry. While my earlier work emphasized the latent potential of prison education to reduce recidivism and promote intrapersonal growth, these newly gathered insights have illuminated just how tenuous and uncertain the path from prison to society can be—even for those of whom have fulfilled rehabilitative programs in their entirety.
So, throughout my meeting with Ms. Gore this week, I asked her to make particular reference to not only her work with the imprisoned, but to the journeys of societal reintegration undertaken by them. Accordingly, she kindly shared the stories and personal experiences of those that were held at Riker’s Island, specifically in navigating the nuanced process of restorative development and societal reintegration—from which I garnered the importance of Wraparound Services: a model of reentry that extends beyond the prison gate to include mental health care, transitional housing, ID restoration, and employment readiness. Ms. Gore explained that reintegration is not a linear process, and that many returning citizens face a multitude of bureaucratic hurdles that can deter even the most motivated individuals—a sentiment reflected in my interview with Audrey Wilson. Without a safety net, simple tasks like applying for food assistance or securing stable housing can become insurmountable challenges. As aforesaid, Ms. Gore’s words reminded me of what Audrey Wilson said during our interview: the correction system doesn’t just fail to prepare people for reentry—it often actively impedes it.
As a continuation of our conversation, Ms. Gore generously offered me the opportunity to join her at the Fortune Society office next week to assist with client intake assessments and observe transitional housing coordination firsthand. While I’m still uncertain whether I’ll be stepping away from my current placement at Koenigsberg & Associates, I am eager to spend time at her office, witness her work in action, and further my understanding of direct service reentry strategies.
I’ll be sure to update you all soon with the findings from my upcoming interviews and this forthcoming site visit. Until then, thank you again for following along—your support means a lot!
Week 5: Healing Beyond the Bars - My Experience with the Fortune Society’s Reentry Programs
In a modest yet bustling building nestled within Long Island City, Queens, I found myself stepping into a refuge for second chances, resilience, and unfaltering acceptance. The Fortune Society, long known for its commitment to supporting both formerly and concurrently incarcerated individuals, became a place of revelation for me. As soon as I stepped foot into the communal building, I found myself entranced by the walls—adorned with art made by program participants; it reverberated stories of pain, endurance, renewal, and personal experience. There was laughter echoing from one hallway, and impassioned, deeply moving conversations from another. And to guide me through it all was Shanequa Gore, the Transition Coordinator and Reentry Specialist.
Meeting Ms. Gore was nothing short of a privilege. What struck me most was how effortlessly she navigated conversations with clients while giving me a tour of the space, swiftly recalling their histories, seeing past their records, and focusing on their potential rather than their wrongdoings. She carried herself with a calm authority, the kind that didn’t need to raise its voice to command a room.
In fact, I vividly remember an interaction Ms. Gore had with one participant on an ATI—a court-mandated diversion program that serves as an alternative to incarceration. During our tour, we stopped as one young man on an ATI program approached her. The participant shared a warm embrace with Ms. Gore before exclaiming that he’d rather go back to prison: “The court’s on my ass,” he said. “I’m behind on programs and they’re threatening to send me back. Honestly, I’d rather just do a year upstate than deal with all this.” Ms. Gore didn’t rush to correct him. She stood there, patiently, waiting for him to finish.
Accordingly, she laid out the consequences, but also made it clear that she believed in him. Her words weren’t overly sentimental, but it was evident that it struck him deeply—the way words often do when they come from someone who cares. He nodded, said he’d try harder, and you could tell he meant it.
As he turned to walk away, she called out, almost as an afterthought but with that same tone—nurturing, but didactic: “And pull your pants up.” No hesitation—he tugged them up without protest, and kept moving. To me, this instant exemplified Ms. Gore’s character and role within the Fortune Society: supportive but firm, and always dedicated to helping people elevate themselves—so long as they were willing to do the work alongside her.
Whether we were speaking in her cubicle, surrounded by stacks of case files and affirmations, or casually conversing in the cafeteria lounge, where formerly incarcerated men and women gathered to laugh, eat, and read, I was in awe of how humanizing the space was. It wasn’t about programs or policies—it was undeniably about people. And not just those receiving support, but those providing it as well. Many of the staff were formerly incarcerated themselves, turning their pasts into powerful testimony—truly, a testament to a human’s capacity to change. I was privileged to sit among them, to witness how support felt when it was mutual, when it came not from pity, but from shared purpose.
Understanding the prospect of intrapersonal change and growth became especially evident to me when I met Shawn, a Peer Specialist and Group Facilitator for a program known as the Wellness Group. Shawn, once a participant himself, now proudly leads this group, and kindly invited me to sit in on a live Wellness Group session which, as he explained, amalgamated the concepts of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) into one open, discussion-based seminar. There were no academic requirements, no forced participation, no court mandates. Just an open door, leading into a classroom arranged in a circle of chairs, with a whiteboard filled with affirmations and check-ins, and faces that carried with them years of institutionalized silence and survival. Every individual in that room had served at least 15 years of incarceration. Yet here they were, willingly choosing to heal—together.
He opened the session by grounding us in the group’s overarching philosophy: “We’re not here to prescribe treatment. We’re not here to disagree or change anyone’s thinking. We’re here to understand it. To accept their truth, even if it’s not our own.”
And so, I watched as awkward silence transfigured into constructive dialogue. Minutes passed, and almost everyone began to share their stories, share their laughs, and share their collective frustration with the system, finding commonalities among their differences and connecting while exploring their disparate experiences. As the discussion deepened, Shawn whispered an observation to me: “Give them a week. Those quiet ones who just sit and listen, they start to talk.”
As I walked out of the Fortune Society building that Wednesday, I realized I wasn’t just observing transformation—but a shared journey toward something greater. Within those rooms—where stories bore the weight of time, trauma, and systemic inequity—what emerged was a collective path toward healing and communal building.
Stay tuned for more updates with my senior project! Because this work isn’t just about reentry—it is about elucidating the unique experiences and hardships of those that endure the unjust system that keeps them within.
Week 6: Lessons from the Fortune Society and a New Direction Forward
Welcome back, everyone! Before returning to the Fortune Society this week, allow me to briefly update you on a report I reviewed, titled “The Effectiveness of Prisoner Reentry Services as Crime Control: The Fortune Society.” The findings in this report were, admittedly, quite sobering: roughly 44–46% of formerly incarcerated individuals are rearrested within two years of release, with even higher rates among those with longer records and more time served. While Fortune’s programs notably reduced homelessness for those released from city jails—helping them avoid shelter requests—there was no similar benefit for state prisoners, likely due to the additional support state parole already provides. The report’s statistical analysis of participation rates, however, posed a significantly more worrisome challenge: about 40% of clients at Fortune drop out, fewer than half complete their programs, and half attend 9 or fewer group sessions, thereby limiting the reach and potential impact of these offered services. Most notably, the evaluation found no evidence that Fortune’s services reduced recidivism compared to non-clients; in fact, Fortune clients were more likely to recidivate, albeit I firmly believe that this can be attributed to their higher baseline risk and unmeasured differences - not to any negative program effect. As much as I hoped to find statistical evidence that Fortune is actively mitigating recidivism, my review suggests otherwise - a challenge I look forward to exploring further and ultimately addressing later this week.
Despite these hindrances, my second hands-on visit to the Fortune Society was, in all aspects of the word, inspiring. I met with representatives from the Digital Equity Office, who described their work integrating technological skills and education into Fortune’s rehabilitative programming. This year, they said, 9 students have fully completed their GEDs through Fortune, and another 20–25 have completed portions of them, reflecting the organization’s commitment to educational advancement for both justice-involved and academically inclined participants. The Digital Equity Office also provides flexible computer and technology instruction, the representatives told me, offering day and night classes to meet participants’ diverse needs and accommodate potentially conflicting schedules.
During my visit, I also had the privilege of interviewing Nathaniel, a formerly incarcerated individual now leading enrollment and admissions at Fortune. He explained that most participants join the program voluntarily and receive incentives like hygiene care packages and a $50 Visa gift card to encourage their enrollment. The intake process, he specified, includes assistance with housing vouchers (widely regarded as 2010E/ CityFEPS Housing Vouchers), psychosocial assessments by on-staff doctors, and help obtaining vital documents lost either during or prior to a participant’s incarceration (such as Social Security Cards, SSI benefits, NY State IDs, and Birth Certificates.) Nathaniel also emphasized the prevalence of trauma and PTSD among participants who have long been institutionalized, highlighting the importance of tailored, trauma-informed support that ensures that their Fortune rehabilitation plan is designed to address their specific challenges. Following my brief interview with Nathaniel, my project has now assumed a more informed understanding of the complexity of reentry and the integral role of holistic, community-based services - even as the data reminds us how much work remains to be done.
In light of these experiences, and to conclude my blog post, I’ve decided to shift my senior project deliverable to focus on the non-profit I recently founded, Food for Fairness, which centers on equitable access to nutritious food and community-driven policy change. Initially, I had proposed drafting a comprehensive overview of the history of penology, including recommendations for existing rehabilitative policies and programs. However, after much reflection and recent developments in my extracurricular involvement, I think shifting the focus of my deliverable to a community-wide event—in an area deeply afflicted by food insecurity and disproportionate federal surveillance—that combines food distribution with political literacy, penal advocacy, and civic education, could bring together individuals from disparate backgrounds, irrespective of immigration status, race, or income. This new direction will allow me to engage more meaningfully with those facing the ramifications of long-term incarceration and apply my gathered knowledge in an actionable, communally resonant manner. I look forward to sharing more updates with you all soon!
Week 8: Building Partnerships for Holistic Reentry - Food for Fairness & Deshawn Kenner
Hello, everyone! I hope you all have had a meaningful and productive week.
I am pleased to inform you that my fourth visit to The Fortune Society proved to be the most impactful yet! Above all, my visit signified a pivotal moment in both my carceral pursuits and the mission of my nonprofit, Food for Fairness. During this visit, I had the opportunity to sit down with Deshawn Kenner, a reentry specialist who works alongside Shanequa Gore in the housing division of reintegration services. Mr. Kenner’s story is quite sobering, but also deeply inspiring—having spent 25 years of a 50-year sentence behind bars for murder, he now eagerly dedicates the rest of his life to supporting others coming home from and seeking to reintegrate following their incarceration. While incarcerated, he earned his master’s degree and authored three books, committing himself to the intellectual and civic empowerment of those often forgotten by society, those often neglected and discounted by their unconfined counterparts. His employment at Fortune is founded upon identifying and fulfilling the state-mandated needs of newly released individuals, many of whom exit the prison system without basic benefits like food stamps, housing assistance, or healthcare. His efforts are aimed toward building sustainable foundations for returning citizens—whether that means helping a formerly incarcerated individual obtain identification documents, apply for Medicaid, secure temporary shelter, or access mental health resources. Beyond mere logistical guidance, Mr. Kenner told me that he approaches each and every case with a deep understanding of both discriminatory systemic barriers and personal trauma, while offering human connection to his clients rooted in shared experience.
Beyond his work at Fortune Society, Deshawn founded Community Compassion, a grassroots initiative that operates within New York’s most underserved and heavily criminalized neighborhoods. These communities, often disproportionately comprised of high numbers of current or formerly incarcerated individuals, face a deep disconnect from the systems meant to serve them. Through Community Compassion, Deshawn provides firsthand accounts of incarceration and reentry, while offering tangible solutions to the needs of those deeply afflicted—everything from benefit enrollment to legal referrals and help with child support issues. More specifically, he helps formerly incarcerated individuals reclaim their lives by connecting them with resources often regarded as integral to comfortably residing in the US: Medicaid, SNAP, financial assistance, birth certificates, state IDs, social security cards, legal services, and support for child custody or child support issues. Having spoken with just a few of his clients, I maintain that Mr. Kenner’s approach differs from competing reintegration firms, as his methodology is grounded in accessibility and trust - qualities that are typically missing from traditional reentry systems. His model is holistic, oriented not only on survival but on sustainable reassimilation and self-advocacy. His outreach embodies the principle that access to basic rights should not be determined by one’s past mistakes, bearing a striking resemblance to the goals of my own initiative.
In light of this sentiment, I began to realize that meeting Mr. Kenner, and learning about the breadth of his commitment, only reinforced the urgency of aligning my nonprofit’s mission with leaders like him—individuals whose work transfigures policy into practice and restores dignity to lives too often defined by their pasts. And that is why, following our initial interview, Deshawn and I remained in close contact, sharing a vision of scalable, community-based support that transcends the walls of The Fortune Society building. I am happy to report that we are now planning a partnership between Food for Fairness and Community Compassion to organize roundtables and events in Section 8 housing communities and other marginalized neighborhoods. Leveraging his connections with tenant association leaders across New York, we aim to create large-scale forums where residents receive immediate relief—through food distribution—as well as long-term support by way of equipping residents with the necessary tools and knowledge to advocate on behalf of themselves and their community. As I envision it, these events will offer civic education workshops, benefits enrollment assistance through Deshawn’s expertise, and pathways for community members to engage in policy change that would positively impact their quotidian lives. Through the confluence of direct aid and civic empowerment, we hope to give rise to a self-sustaining model of communal transformation - one founded in the principles of mutual responsibility, a commitment to community-driven solutions, compassionate solidarity, affirmed human worth, and systemic justice.
Week 9: Preparing the Inside for Life Outside & Corporation Developments
Welcome back, everyone! This week, I had the distinct privilege of visiting The Fortune Society for the fifth time, where I conducted an in-depth interview with Seán Dalpiaz, the Director and Senior Team Member of the Osborne Association. Our discussion delved into the complex and often challenging realities of reentry work, particularly his association’s belief that the process of reintegration begins not upon an inmate's release, but, rather, from the moment they are incarcerated. Mr. Dalpiaz expounded upon his association’s overarching philosophy with clarity and conviction, emphasizing how indispensable it is to provide incarcerated individuals—especially those nearing the culmination of their sentences—with the tools and services necessary to reintegrate into society with their intrapersonal shortcomings addressed and their financial standing secured. The Osborne Association, in collaboration with The Fortune Society, offers pre-release programming that equips individuals with documentation integral to identification, employment, and shelter; among others resources, The Osborne Association specifically helps inmates obtain their social security cards, birth certificates, and housing vouchers, while also providing educational and mental health services within prison walls. Without the early intervention that Osbourne seeks to (and already) provides, far too many returning citizens, Mr. Dalpiaz noted, experience prolonged homelessness, unemployment, and a cycle of institutional dependency that hinders their full reintegration, thus perpetuating recidivism.
Following my deliberation with Mr. Dalpiaz, this week posed a significant turning point for my nonprofit organization, Food for Fairness, which is now entering a transformative stage of growth. In the wake of earlier funding challenges, I successfully raised the capital necessary to file for incorporation and tax-exempt status, all while assembling a steadfast leadership team almost entirely comprised of a teen core—including a teen CFO, a teen COO, and an experienced accountant—to oversee daily operations and maintain long-term compliance to state bylaws and ordinances - particularly in adherence to IRS regulations. With the support of my legal counsel, I am proud to report that the 501(c)(3) application and ancillary documentation required for certification has been finalized; as of now, we are awaiting a response from the IRS and the New York State Government to confirm my organization’s registration as incorporated, tax-exempt NPO. This process has not only strengthened the organizational structure of Food for Fairness, despite some initial (and most likely forthcoming) setbacks, but has also reaffirmed my commitment to building a community-driven nonprofit fundamentally rooted in the principles of sustainability, youth leadership, and collective uplift.
The opportunity to collaborate with individuals like Deshawn Kenner of The Fortune Society’s reintegration housing division—whom I wrote about in great detail in last week’s blog post—continues to grow increasingly promising. Mr. Kenner’s work through his own grassroots initiative, Community Compassion, is rooted in both lived experience and structural acumen. As aforesaid, his dedication to equitable reintegration undeniably reflects the foundational values of my organization, and I remain thrilled that our plans to assemble joint community roundtables and direct-aid events are progressing. With Food for Fairness on the path to becoming a certified nonprofit, this partnership stands to combine nutritional relief with civic empowerment—ensuring that the most marginalized among us, particularly those of whom were recently released from incarceration, are served, informed, and mobilized toward a more just society.
Week 10: Voices from Within & Continued Growth of Food for Fairness
Welcome back to Week 10 of this ongoing rehabilitative journey! Sincerely, your continued interest and support mean everything to me.
This week, I had the profound opportunity to sit down with a remarkable individual whose story, in every respect, embodies the principles of resilience and interpersonal transformation. The man I spoke with is a formerly incarcerated individual who now serves as the head chef at The Fortune Society. Notably, our conversation not only reinforced many of the themes I explored last week with Seán Dalpiaz of the Osborne Association but also added a deeply personal perspective to the philosophy that “rehabilitation for prisoners must start while they are still incarcerated, and continue through their release.” Allow me to recount my conversation with him.
Our interview began with a striking question from the chef himself: “What do you think is the primary difference between being confined and being on the outside?” After a moment of hesitation on my end, I offered some tentative thoughts, but he quickly answered his own question with poignant clarity and conviction: “We want what we don’t have, we want time and we want freedom.” This simple yet pointed statement encapsulates the core of the incarceration experience - the deprivation of choice, autonomy, and the basic human right to decide how to spend one’s time.
That lone statement struck me. I was captivated, eager to hear more of his insight. But in an attempt to form a follow-up question, I began to uncontrollably stutter—struggling to utter words I had so effortlessly strung together in previous interviews. Evidently, his account had unsettled me—not out of discomfort, but from the sheer profundity of his lived experience.
As I felt the cafeteria begin to quiet around us, he leaned forward and elaborated: “You see, when you’re inside, your days are dictated by someone else. You don’t get to choose when you eat, when you sleep, or even when you can walk outside. Choices are scarce. Thirty-five years went fast for me, not because I was busy, but because I wasn’t allowed to be. Without choices, you lose track of time and you lose track of yourself.”
He paused, then added with a wry and almost sarcastic smile, “That’s why I tell young people like you to stay out of prison. Out here, you have the privilege of making decisions, of shaping your own life. Inside, you just exist.” I paused for a moment and thought this over - the ability to make meaningful choices, to engage in productive activities, and to exercise individual agency. These individual freedoms, rather, the lack thereof, compressed his experience spent incarcerated, rendering decades of closely monitored, fettered existence feel like transient, fleeting moments in time. That shook me.
From this lived experience, he passionately advocates for a more comprehensive and humane prison system - one that prioritizes providing prisoners with a sufficient variety of meaningful activities and opportunities for character growth. “Prisoners need more things to do; things that further themselves and help them contribute to the betterment of society,” he emphasized. He believes that education, particularly a college education, should be free and accessible to those of whom are currently or formerly incarcerated. As this was a hindrance he personally encountered, he sees it as a vital issue that must be addressed to truly bolster rehabilitation and reduce recidivism in its entirety.
Turning to Food for Fairness, this week has brought some encouraging developments. As we await the official seal of incorporation book—the formal documentation that will certify our status as a registered nonprofit corporation—the momentum within our organization continues to build. Moreover, I am happy to report that our leadership team remains steadfast and committed, with the teen CFO and COO actively refining our operational frameworks and compliance protocols every week. We have also begun drafting a strategic plan for community engagement events that will align with our mission of sustainability, self-advocacy, and collective uplift - of which I intend to submit as part of my deliverable. These plans include collaborative roundtables with partners like Deshawn Kenner and Community Compassion, aiming to conjoin nutritional relief efforts with civic empowerment initiatives.
In closing, this week’s dialogue with the head chef at The Fortune Society has reinforced a vital truth: rehabilitation is not a moment that begins at release but a perpetual journey that must be nurtured from the inside out. It is a reminder that the work we do, both within our nonprofit and in partnership with organizations dedicated to reentry, must be holistic, compassionate, and relentless.
Week 11: Approaching the Culmination of this Rehabilitative Journey
Hello, everyone! As I approach the culmination of my rehabilitative penology project, I’ve been reflecting on the extensive field research I’ve conducted at the Fortune Society. Over the past few months, I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to gather a wealth of data from individuals who actively shaped, participated in, and laid the groundwork for the very justice system I have dedicated my senior project striving to explore and make sense of. Today officially marks the day that my work, in its entirety, has been consolidated into a comprehensive presentation for you all to see! This presentation brings together all the insights I’ve learned about the intersection of rehabilitation and the field of penology, laying bare the ramifications that restorative programs hold on both, the participant within it and those who work to assemble it. Admittedly, the process of distilling all of this data into a lone, coherent narrative has been daunting, yet gratifying, for it has allowed me to harmonize seemingly disparate experiences across advocacy, research, and direct service into actionable insights for lasting change.
In addition to this presentation, I’ve completed the first draft of my senior project deliverable—a 10+ page document outlining my proposed solution to my research question. At the core of my proposition is Food for Fairness, which, as of now, bears the title of being a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation; a corporation I meticulously designed to address the systemic issues in the penal system through rehabilitation programs centered around food security and “fairness.” In this extensive document, I delineate my corporation’s mission, the forthcoming programs we intend to launch, and our governance structure, detailing how we’ll operate within the context of the broader carceral field. In attendance with this proposal, I’ve finished preparing a compendium of official documentation affirming the veracity of my NPO: including, but not limited to, Food for Fairness’s legal papers, ancillary sheets, bylaws & ordinances, and pertinent corporate materials, such as my company seal and share certificates - all of which have been compiled into a corporate kit for submission to my faculty adviser.
Rest assured, I will keep you all thoroughly informed throughout the final stretch of my project - truly, I can not thank you enough for following me along on this journey. Looking forward to updating you all next week; have a great rest of your day!
Week 12: Where It All Concludes—And Begins
Reflecting on the progression of this rehabilitative journey, I am, in all respects of the word, struck by the urgent need for restorative justice - a sort of justice that transcends the punitive conventions of our criminal legal system.
The personal stories and the sobering data I’ve encountered—of individuals leaving incarceration only to face new hindrances to something as basic as food—have underscored how food insecurity is not simply a symptom of poverty, but a direct ramification of policy choices, law making, and broader societal neglect.
Food for Fairness was conceived not just as a response to these injustices, but as an overarching blueprint for how reentry can be reimagined: with unwavering dignity, practical support, and commitment; a commitment to empowering those most afflicted with solutions shaped by themselves, for themselves. In building this initiative, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of centering lived experience in advocacy and policy reform. By forming substantive partnerships with reentry organizations, food distributors, and legal experts, and by platforming the voices of those too often silenced, we have begun to dismantle the barriers that perpetuate hunger and recidivism. The work of Food for Fairness is an enduring testament to the belief that access to nutritious food is a fundamental right, and that true rehabilitation must include the nourishment—physical, communal, and civic—needed to break cycles of forcible estrangement, to uproot deeply entrenched systemic inequities and, ultimately, to restore hope for the future.
This marks the final stretch of a deeply fulfilling and transformative journey in both my academic and professional growth. As I prepare to submit my deliverable and formally conclude this blog post, I do so with a profound sense of purpose—and a resolute determination to carry Food for Fairness beyond the confines of this Senior Project. What began as mere research has now transfigured into a moral obligation to foment change in the American Justice system we know today, and I remain eager to inspire reform, to platform those often neglected voices, and to, now more than ever, continue this work in earnest.