By David Straughan
June 11, 2021
Charles Moore is the Director of Operations at the New York-based Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA). But before that, he was a participant in the program.
“I joined RTA in 2004,” said Charles Moore. “And as they say, the rest is history.”
Since 1996, RTA has developed theater and dance programs in correctional facilities within the New York state DOC. Participants in the program work together to put on plays and other performances. These performances provide a rare opportunity for people housed in the New York correctional system to showcase artistic skills and talents to friends and family members on the outside.
But they also provide a much more quantifiable and practical benefit. While national recidivism rates are estimated to be as high as 83% in state prison systems, that rate is less than 5% for RTA alumni.
