NCJ Number
66540
Date Published
1977
Length
0 pages
Annotation
SCENES OF RAHWAY PRISON INMATES DESCRIBING PRISON CONDITIONS TO JUVENILES ARE INTERSPERSED WITH COMMENTS BY NEW JERSEY CORRECTION SYSTEM OFFICIALS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROJECT.
Abstract
THE FILM TALKS ABOUT THE RAHWAY PRISON TOUR TAKEN BY JUVENILES SAID TO BE DELINQUENT OR DELINQUENCY-PRONE AND RECOMMENDED FOR THE TOUR BY POLICE, PROBATION OFFICERS, OR SOCIAL WORKERS. SCENES SHOW THE PRELIMINARY REMARKS OF A PRISON GUARD AND INMATES TELLING THE JUVENILE AUDIENCE ABOUT THEIR PRISON EXPERIENCE. THE INMATES, ALL MEMBERS OF THE LIFERS PROJECT, DISCUSS THE SELF-IMAGE OF HATE GENERATED IN PRISON; SOCIAL OSTRACISM FOLLOWING RELEASE; PRISON MURDER, RAPE, BRUTALITY, AND SUICIDE; AND THE DANGERS OF ADMIRING CRIMINALS AND CRIME. THE ORIGINS OF THE LIFERS PROJECT ARE DISCUSSED BY INMATES IN INTERVIEWS AND THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES ARE EXPLAINED INCLUDING DETERRING JUVENILES FROM CRIME, LETTING SOCIETY KNOW THAT INMATES ARE HUMAN BEINGS, AND GIVING THE PRISON PARTICIPANTS A PURPOSE. SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT IS GIVEN BY MIDDLESEX COUNTY JUDGE GEORGE NICOLA, ROBERT MULCAHY III, COMMISSIONER, NEW JERSEY CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT, AND CHRISTOPHER DIETZ, CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW JERSEY PAROLE BOARD. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE LIFERS PROJECT, RICHARD ROWE, IS GIVEN. FINAL SCENES DEPICT COMMENTS OF THE RETURNING JUVENILES ON THE BUS AND A BRIEF FOLLOWUP OF SEVERAL INMATES. (AOP)