The Internship Program Suffers a Major Defeat

by John Cannizzo

Hazen Street goes right to the entrance. On the left the billboard says, “NYC’s Boldest” Department of Correction, Rikers Island. In the parking lot is a wooden shed – not built too well. There are two windows, on the right a sign says, “NYC Department of Correction, Rikers Island." I call Ross on the mobile phone, “I’m here and I have all the stuff.”

“Yea?” she wheezes.

“Did you bring the stuff? Did the women get out O.K.?”

“Yea.” She could loose a few pounds

She doesn’t waste words.

Across the bridge over the filthy water surrounding LaGuardia Airport is what looks like a customs crossing. On the kiosk is a sign, “Department of Corrections, Rikers Island Show I.D.” They want you to remember where you are.

Across a razor wire barricade, then another and another, a fence surrounds the Greenhouse. Erin comes out with Ross to meet me. Ross unlocks the gate.

In there is an apple tree. James cautioned me not to discuss the apple tree when the inmates are around. We had never really recovered from the humiliation of having an apple tree that was totally nude of apples. “I don’t want the students to get a lot of notions in their heads,” James said, “that apple trees don’t give apples. It’s the kind of thing that makes people afraid to garden.”

Somehow this year the tree is covered with beautiful big, red, sweet apples. In the classroom, a wooden cupboard hides an electric stove. Next to it, a book case; next to that another cupboard that is just a cupboard. In the oven is an apple pie. Others line up on the desk waiting, like a holiday. It is September 11, 2001. Officer Perera is watching TV. We are outside picking the last of the apples. In the classroom everyone is crowded around the TV. Perera says, “A plane just crashed into the Twin Towers. Your wife called, go home.”

Then another crashes.

Later at West 58th Street James looks nervous. He comes out of a development meeting. The internship runs on foundation money.

“What do you think will happen to the program?”

“There isn’t going to be one”

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The rule of law ends when you go over this bridge. Your fate at Rikers Island is completely decided by the officers that you are put under the charge of. You could not be more lucky than to be placed under the charge of Officers Ross and Perera.

The classroom. Along with the greenhouse and classroom there are acres of farm land on the island. The farm project was started by Cornell Cooperative Extension but the island was originally the Riker family farm. It was actually quite a while before jails began to adopt the formula of inmate-generated agriculture. Working on the land was considered to be a privilege. Once the idea became accepted most jails adopted it if they could and horticulture programs are now part of their routine. HSNY’s horticulture program is different because of the follow-up internship program. The skills that inmates acquire during their sentences at most jails are lost after release. Through our internship program HSNY provides training and a stipend to keep interns going in the right direction.

Ramon feeds the chickens under the apple tree. No one can ever remember the apple tree giving apples. Then in 2001 the branches were full of apples.

The herb garden is laid out in a classic monastic circle. The prison, the monastery and the university are all institutions that sprang up at about the same time.

Maybe it was the manure, maybe it was the pruning but the apples were not only abundant but sweet and crisp.

Next month the internship program survives by a lucky chance and some timely planning.