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DOC Partners with The Fortune Society to Present the Play ‘The Castle’ to Correction Academy Recruits
For the first time ever, a group of four formerly incarcerated people performed The Fortune Society’s play The Castle, relating their real, first-hand experiences to cadets from the NYC Department of Correction Academy.
The performance took place on Rikers Island on Wednesday, December 8.
The cadets are weeks away from becoming Correction Officers, and the performance by the four cast members of The Castle – Ervin Hunt, Vilma Ortiz Donovan, Philip Hall, and Casimiro Torres – related their own personal experiences about being on the other side of the justice system.It was the first time that The Castle, which usually is performed for people who are incarcerated, was performed for Correction Academy recruits.
The cast members spoke directly to the recruits about what they wanted and needed from the people who were responsible for their care and custody when they were incarcerated.
“For a lot of us our crime is what we did, it is not who we are,” said Hunt, who also spoke about the importance of seeing the humanity of people who are incarcerated.
Torres added, “I only wanted to be treated with respect as a human being.”
“I saw a whole lot of trauma on both sides – the things that officers and prisoners experienced,” said Hall.
The actors spoke of the transformation they underwent as they moved through the justice system. They also shared their experiences returning to their communities with the help of The Fortune Society.
Many of the stories centered around living at The Castle, a 60-bed transitional housing facility run by The Fortune Society that helps people who have been incarcerated re-enter their communities. The stories they told were about the power of redemption beyond a criminal justice system. They spoke about being locked up on Rikers – as well as in state prisons such as Attica – and their lives on the street.
“I regret what it took for me to become one of the responsible persons, and I am committed to never being the person I once was, and to respect and cherish freedom,” Hall said during the performance, echoing sentiments from fellow cast members.
The presentation on December 8 was followed with a Q & A with DOC Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi, DOC First Deputy Commissioner Stanley Richards, and David Rothenberg, founder of The Fortune Society, who conceived and directed the play.
The performance was an opportunity for Schiraldi to speak with the recruits about the important future roles they will soon step into.
“I think the hard part of this job you are about to engage in is to protect yourselves, protect your colleagues, and protect the people who are locked up here, while at the same time never losing sight of the fact that these are human beings here,” said Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi. “And that no matter what they may have done, they have a right to dignity and respect just like you have a right to dignity and respect.”
“The presentation of The Castle, with a cast of three formerly incarcerated men and one woman and before an audience of DOC cadets and senior staff, was historic,” said David Rothenberg. “This was an important step to combat systemic violence and misunderstanding. Nelson Mandela drew the blueprint for Truth and Reconciliation to heal a country and uncover truths about human rights violations. We at The Fortune Society embrace that concept, one that heals old wounds and seeks to create a fairer and more just society.”
The cadets will still need to pass a final examination and be sworn in before working in facilities.