NEW ROCHELLE, NY — “Incarceration and the Impact on Families” is the subject of a Community Conversation being hosted by the New Rochelle Public Library on Tuesday, October 10th, from 6:00 pm – 7:45 pm, in the Ossie Davis Theater. The public is invited to attend the free program, which is being presented by the Westchester Library System in collaboration with the Sing Sing Prison Museum, and generously funded by the Westchester Community Foundation. This is one in a series of public programs on criminal justice that focus on the 200-year history of Sing Sing and its impact on prison reform, as well as current issues of incarceration, reform, rehabilitation and re-entry.
An estimated 2.7 million children nationwide have one or both parents behind bars. What are the effects of incarceration on these children, on spouses, and on communities? Brent Glass, Director Emeritus of the Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution, will moderate a panel discussion exploring the impact of incarceration on families. These experts will provide insight and ideas for solutions: Elizabeth Gaynes, CEO/President of Osborne Association, one of the country’s largest and most effective nonprofit organization serving individuals and families affected by crime and incarceration; Janet Donat, a Child Development Specialist with FSW EMERGE (Educating Mothers to Embrace Re-Entry and Gain Employment) program; and Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, the Executive Director of Hour Children, a nonprofit organization offering supportive services to children of incarcerated mothers and the mothers themselves.
An opportunity for questions and answers, and community dialogue, will follow the panel discussion.
