Narrator: Anna Pastoressa
Summary: Anna Pastoressa’s son was incarcerated at Rikers Island for six years awaiting trial. He later spent two years incarcerated in a state prison. She discusses her son’s resulting physical, mental, and emotional traumas related to incarceration. As someone with no training in psychiatry or psychology, she notes that she would benefit from an instruction manual for family members who need to house and support a recently released relative. (Summary written by: Annie Anderson)
Interview Date: 6/30/20
Partner Organization: LVN/DOHMH Community Convo 2
Interviewer: Piper Anderson
Tags: Rikers Island, Incarceration, Prison abolition, New York City, Oral history, Rikers Public Memory Project, RPMP, Abuse of medication, Youth incarceration, Getting arrested, Personal history of incarceration, Impact on communities, Psychological impact of incarceration, Coping mechanisms, Network of support, Housing after Rikers, Prison facilities, Violence normalization, Poor living conditions, Officers’ abuse, Correction Officers, Detainees exploitation, Insufficient health services, Police/officers’ accountability, Medical evaluations at Rikers, Being released from Rikers
To read the transcript of this interview, click here