Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women

WORTH: 7th Annual Celebration of SisterhoodThis past winter I joined the Sister Circle for WORTH (Women on the Rise Telling Herstory), an amazing organization of formerly incarcerated women and their allies. Among other programs and projects, WORTH is facilitating a reentry course based on the popular education model at Bayview, the women's prison here in NYC (on 20th Street and the West Side Highway just west of the High Line) and is working with other organizations to repeal the Rockefeller Drug Laws. WORTH was also one of the groups that successfully organized to ban the shackling of incarcerated women while they are giving birth and to pass the ASFA Expanded Discretion Act, meaning that incarcerated parents don't automatically (and permanently) lose custody of their children in foster care after 15 months.

WORTH is holding its annual fundraiser/celebration of sisterhood on Thursday, October 20th. The money raised will go to three of WORTH's programs that helps both currently and formerly incarcerated women: its Reentry Leadership Development program at Bayview, its Sister Inside program that connects with women incarcerated throughout New York State, and its Community Partnership that connects formerly incarcerated women with community organizations that can offer them both employment and the opportunity to build skills enabling them to stay out of prison.

The celebration is at the Dwyer Cultural Center at 258 St. Nicholas Avenue. Tickets are $100 apiece or $50 for formerly incarcerated people and/or family members of incarcerated people. Children under 18 are free. To RSVP, go to http://www.womenontherise-worth.org/contact_us.