Women’s Program
Masks made in The Goddess Within workshop
For three hours a week, I am not in prison, I am not a product of a dysfunctional family, I’m not from the projects. I’m anything I want to be.Prisoner-Participant, Bedford Hills
Who are the women in New York State’s prisons?*
- 65% of women under custody are first-time offenders
- 83% of women sent to prison in 2008 were convicted of non-violent drug crimes
- 68% are women of color; 73% are mothers
- 54% do not have a high school diploma; 35% read at or below 8th grade level
- 12% are HIV positive, 80 times higher than the general population
- 22% have Hepatitis C, 14 times higher than the general population
- 88% have a substance abuse problem
RTA in Bedford Hills
RTA began working in Bedford Hills, a maximum security prison for women, in 2008. The response has been beyond our expectations. From first protesting, “But I can’t draw” or “I’m so bad at this!” to tackling Shakespearean female archetypes, RTA is guiding the women of Bedford Hills in a profound process of self-discovery.
I have discussed this program with my deputies and we ALL love it! The production that I witnessed was very impressive, and I think it is a form of therapy for the female inmates.Elizabeth Williams, Former Superintendent, Bedford Hills Correctional Facility