Article by JIE Volunteer Isabela Garzon

Erin’s introduction to Rikers Island occurred when an email about a meeting of prison New York Public Library (NYPL) librarians sparked her interest. At the time, her father and brother were working at a shelter for men on parole. This made her think more about the criminal justice system. Upon attending, she heard about administering library services in prisons, something she had not previously known existed. When asked if she wanted to volunteer to administer services, Erin began a journey she would continue to value and learn a lot from over the years. She has been volunteering in various educational capacities at Rikers for 13 years. 

With the NYPL, Erin regularly wheeled carts of books for those experiencing incarceration at Rikers and the Tombs/Manhattan Detention Complex (a now closed municipal jail in Lower Manhattan). She also helped facilitate the ‘Daddy and Me’ program, where fathers could record themselves reading children’s books to then be given to their own children.

When she started her PhD in Classics at Columbia University, Erin was looking for a way to be involved that would fit her busy student schedule. She submitted a proposal to The Society of Fellows and Heyman Center for the Humanities to do a reading of Homer’s Odyssey for older men experiencing incarceration. She had noticed that many educational programs are directed toward younger populations and wanted to provide a program for an older audience. She found the Odyssey fitting because it was a tale about Odysseus, an older man, and it centered on his homecoming. Reflecting, Erin shares:

“I put in a proposal to do a reading of the Odyssey because I study classics—that’s what my degree is in—and I thought it would be an interesting text for some of the men to read. I was aware that many education programs are only available to people under a certain age. If you’re older, you basically don’t exist, which I think is really a shame. There are entire housing units with men over the age of 40 or 50 who get no programs at all. I wanted to do a reading of the Odyssey because Odysseus is an older, middle-aged man, and the entire point of the Odyssey is nostos, a homecoming. I thought that might appeal to people.”

Through this initiative, Erin connected with Mia Ruyter, who helped get the program up and running in early 2020. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, they could only complete a portion of the planned weekly readings. However, Erin stayed involved throughout the pandemic with online programming through Rethink, a philosophy discussion group, and a reading of Angela Davis’s Are Prisons Obsolete? with formerly incarcerated people.

Creating new courses

Later, together with some colleagues from Classics and Art History, and with the assistance of Laura Betancur from the Studio Museum in Harlem, she helped create a semester-long art course about women in Greek mythology. Since then, she has been involved in various JIE workshop programs at Rikers. The art workshops and Rethink have been her favorites. To Erin, the best thing about JIE is that one can get involved in a range of programs and meet many volunteers. 

Erin can’t quite give a single reason why she continues volunteering at Rikers; she simply feels compelled and appreciates connecting with people. When asked what is most challenging about volunteering, Erin says that, at times, it can be tough, and one must be willing to be uncomfortable and challenged. The worst part is that it can be emotionally challenging to see and hear how unhappy people are in this very difficult situation. 

Prior to working with NYPL and JIE, Erin knew little about the carceral system. At NYPL, she gained practical experience visiting prisons to administer services, which accustomed her to the environment. At JIE, she learned much more about the intellectual dialogue surrounding justice and the carceral system. She shared:

“I might as well go back to when I first started working with NYPL. I would say I knew nothing, really. I knew about the parole system because my dad and my brother worked in this men’s shelter, so I was vaguely aware of some of that stuff, but I didn’t know much at all about it. I think even working with the NYPL, I didn’t really read Angela Davis or […]Mariame Kaba. I had never read either of them before I started working with JIE, so I definitely got a lot of practical experience from NYPL and then more awareness of the intellectual dialogue surrounding the carceral system once I started working with JIE. I know a lot more than I used to. I’m much more aware of the dialogue surrounding different ideas of justice.”

Education changes lives

To Erin, the role of education in rehabilitation and reintegration for incarcerated people is extremely important. She enjoys seeing when something clicks in someone’s mind and they realize they have a particular knack for art, philosophy, poetry, or something else. She has seen how impactful JIE has been by witnessing how the programs provided at Rikers present an opportunity for many to access education in a new way.“Education is an absolute gift, and it can absolutely change someone’s life.” 

Her experience at Rikers not only allows her to contribute to educational programs but is a significant learning experience for her. Despite all she has learned over the years, she believes she knows little compared to those who have experienced the system firsthand. She feels there’s always more to learn.

Advice for Aspiring Volunteers

Erin’s advice to anyone interested in volunteering: Just do it, you won’t regret it.

Erin is an avid runner who has completed several ultramarathons and loves to compost as a volunteer at the Red Hook Community Farm in Brooklyn. Her favorite books are the science fiction series, Red Mars, Blue Mars, & Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. She requested we not use her last name. 

Article written by Isabela Garzon
Isabela Garzon is a student at Barnard College studying Political Science and will graduate in May 2025. She is interning for JIE for the Summer of 2024 and is helping facilitate several of the summer programs.