WHAT: Journalists, scholars and public officials reflect on the state of the criminal justice system in New York, and the effects of policies like solitary confinement.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 20, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
WHERE: Dweck Center, Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza
WHO:
- Tom Robbins, New York Times and Marshall Project contributor, panel moderator
- Vincent Warren, Center for Constitutional Rights
- Soffiyah Elijah, Correctional Association of New York
- Jean Casella, Solitary Watch
- Brooklyn Public Library leadership
BACKGROUND: On Wednesday, Brooklyn Public Library will host a community conversation on New York’s criminal justice system and the role that prisons play in our social contract. Vincent Warren from the Center for Constitutional Rights, Correctional Association of New York Executive Director Soffiyah Elijah, and Jean Casella, co-director of Solitary Watch, will discuss criminal justice policy; New York Times and Marshall Project contributor Tom Robbins will moderate.
The discussion is part of BPL’s newest exhibit #76759: Featuring the House that Herman Built, which asks a simple question: “What kind of house does a man who has lived in a 6-by-9-foot cell for over 30 years dream of?” Herman’s House is an ongoing project by visual artist Jackie Sumell, who in 2003 asked Herman Wallace, a Black Panther activist and member of the Angola Three who had been kept in solitary confinement for more than thirty years, the question via letter. Their exchange resulted in a collaboration that transformed both of their lives and produced an internationally-renowned exhibition, book, documentary and film.
In 2013, Amnesty International called for Mr. Wallace's release on humanitarian grounds after he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. After he spent more than four decades in solitary confinement—longer than anyone in the history of the American penal system—Herman’s conviction was overturned by Federal Judge Brian A. Jackson. He was released on October 1, 2013, at the age of 71, and died just three days later.
Included in Brooklyn Public Library's #76759: Featuring the House that Herman Built exhibition are a life-size replica of Herman's prison cell, selections from his correspondence with Sumell, books from his reading list, and, in Central Library's Grand Lobby, a model of the dream house that he designed. The exhibition will be on display through June 5.
About Brooklyn Public Library: Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website: www.bklynpubliclibrary.org.
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