A group of St. Lawrence University students, faculty, and staff have organized a town hall meeting entitled “How do we talk about prisons in New York State?” for Thursday, April 3, at 7:00 p.m. in the Noble Center Room 109.

Savannah Crowley ’14 and Allison Paludi ’14, both global studies majors and members of Amnesty International, will introduce a panel comprised of Natasha Haverty, journalist and producer of North Country Public Radio’s Prison Time Media Project; Rev. David Van Epps, retired state chaplain at the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility; and Lauren Melodia, campaign organizer for Milk Not Jails.  Dr. Mary Jane Smith, associate professor of history, will moderate the discussion with time set aside for community members’ comments and questions.

Crowley and Paludi note that “the purpose of this event is to facilitate a community dialogue about prisons in New York State that are so economically, politically and socially important to the North Country.  In consideration of prisons’ role in our society and their effects on our communities, it is vital we add local voices to a larger political conversation.”

Visitors are also encouraged to view art and prison exhibitions at the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery that will be on display in the same building through April 12, 2014: Cellblock Visions: Set Free in the Penitentiary; Photo Requests from Solitary; Milk Not Jails, and drawings by former inmate turned prison reform activist Five Mualimm-ak.

For more information, contact Savannah Crowley at smcrow10@stlawu.edu, Mary Jane Smith at msm1@stlawu.edu, or Catherine Tedford at ctedford@stlawu.edu.