Inside Rikers: Stories From the World’s Largest Penal Colony

Episode 8 “Inside Rikers: Stories From the World’s Largest Penal Colony”: with Jennifer Wynn, Professor, City University of New York. Wynn teaches a writing class to male inmates at Rikers Prison, as part of a rehabilitation program known as Fresh Start, and is the editor of Rikers Review, an illustrated magazine featuring short stories, profiles, true confessions, poetry, and humor written and illustrated by inmates. Most of the men in Rikers, whom she profiles, are either drug addicts or drug dealers, come from dysfunctional families in the city’s “dead zones,” are poorly educated, and have been in jail or prison before. Selections from the writings include her observations of secret section C-76 known as Rikers “grave diggers squad” and its connection with the infamous history of Hart Island’s mass graves.   Michael T. Keene is the author of Folklore and Legends of Rochester, Murder, Mayhem and Madness, Mad~House, Question of Sanity, and now his new book,    NEW YORK CITY’S HART ISLAND: A CEMETERY OF STRANGERS   Pre-Order a signed, soft cover copy of the book: New York City's Hart Island, directly from the Author https://michaeltkeene.com/hart-island-soft-cover-book/ *Orders will ship on or after Oct 14, 2019   Learn more about Author / Host / Filmmaker Michael T. Keene https://michaeltkeene.com/about/   Send questions / comments / suggestions to: https://michaeltkeene.com/contact/   Connect with Michael T. Keene on Social Media Twitter https://twitter.com/talkhartisland Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TalkingHartIsland/