NEW YORK STATE LITERARY CENTER'S Incarcerated Education Program
2006 - 2007

2006 - 2007 was the first year of NYSLC's Incarcerated Education Program. The Incarcerated Education Program began with three components at both Monroe County Jail and Monroe Correctional Facility:

Dale Davis, NYSLC's founder and Executive Director, worked with four NYSLC classes of incarcerated youth at both sites. Each participant wrote and revised their writing for a CD and for publication on http://www.nyslc.org/studentwriting0607.htm

The incarcerated youth next worked with musician and engineer Jeremy DeGroat learning music software to teach them to use the latest technology to compose original music for their writing for the CD. Dale Davis produced a CD at each site: Tragic Minds Locked Up was produced and recorded at Monroe County Jail and LOCKED IN THE ROC was produced and recorded at Monroe Correctional Facility.

Jeremy DeGroat

Next writer and spoken word artist and actor Lemon (Andrew Anderson) worked with incarcerated youth in four NYSLC classes at Monroe County Jail. Lemon, who was incarcerated in his youth, had the most aired episodes on HBO's Def Poetry and was an original cast member of Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. Lemon's "The Beautiful Struggle" was in repertory at American Place Theater, and his "County of Kings" played at New York's Public Theater.

Lemon at Monroe County Jail

The incarcerated youth wrote and revised spoken word pieces, rehearsed their presentations, and performed at an evening performance attended by all incarcerated youth at Monroe County Jail, sheriff's deputies, teachers, and fifteen invited members from the Rochester community who supported the York State Literary Center's programs. Following the performance, the sheriff's deputies had a reception in honor of the performance. At the reception, the invited guests from the community spoke with the incarcerated students about their writing and the performance.

At Monroe Correctional Facility, percussionist and steel drum specialist Ted Canning worked with incarcerated youth in NYSLC's classes at on ensemble drumming, found instruments, introduction to steel drums, and steel drum band music.

Ted Canning

David Inocencio and Will Roy of The Beat Within in San Francisco http://www.thebeatwithin.org/news/ introduced the incarcerated youth in NYSLC's  classes and teachers at both sites to The Beat Within and conducted writing workshops in all the classes stressing the importance of writing and publication. Will Roy told of his own experience of working as an editor for The Beat Within following his release from being locked-up.

David Inocencio and Will Roy

Chris Kazi Rolle and Robin Kheperah Kearse screened The Hip Hop Project, staring Chris Kazi Rolle, directed  by Matt Ruskin, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800272 at Monroe County Jail for NYSLC's classes. The screening was followed by a discussion with Chris Kazi Rolle.

David Inocencio and Will Roy

The incarcerated youth reflected on their experiences 
https://www.nyslc.org/studentinmate0607.htm
https://www.nyslc.org/wewantyoutoknow.htm

NYSLC's Incarcerated Education Program was a featured presentation at the 2007 New York State Association of Incarcerated Education Programs conference.