‘Released,’ a Documentary by Philip F. Messina
Winner Productions
From left, Angel Ramos, Vilma Ortiz Donovan, Kenneth Harrigan and Casimiro Torres in the documentary "Released."
By DANIEL M. GOLD
Crime may not pay, but prison is the gift that keeps giving. According to “Released,” a stark documentary by Philip F. Messina, two-thirds of all inmates in the United States return to jail within three years of being freed. When ex-convicts re-enter society without having learned any coping skills, it’s small wonder that they wind up in trouble again.
“Released” is adapted from “The Castle,” a 2008 Off Broadway play that starred four ex-cons speaking of their degradation and eventual redemption. The film has the same cast: Casimiro Torres, Kenneth Harrigan, Angel Ramos and Vilma Ortiz Donovan, all former longtime inmates of New York State prisons. Mr. Ramos alone served 30 years: “How do I live like a normal human being,” he asks, “when I have no idea what normal is?”
Performing in front of two audiences, one in
a theater, the other in a prison, all four speak of the forces —
religion, loved ones, epiphanies — that made them want to change; all
four, now taxpaying jobholders, credit their success to the Castle, the
60-bed Manhattan residence run by the Fortune Society.
In addition to shelter, the Castle provides career development and
social training. Less than 10 percent of those who stayed there have
returned to prison, according to the film.
New film titled ‘RELEASED’ tells the stories of ex-cons who turned their lives around after prison
'RELEASED' features former inmates who were clients of the Fortune Society group that helps inmates get back on their feet after prison. It is being shown at the Quad Cinema in Manhattan
By Clare Trapasso / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, May 13, 2013, 4:00 AM
Photo courtesy of Winner Pictures
Fortune Society caseworker Casimiro Torres (r.) one of the stars of
'RELEASED', talks with a client. Torrest is a former inmate who turned
his life around and recounts his struggles in the film.
Casimiro Torres spent much of his troubled childhood bouncing between
the care of his alcoholic mother and juvenile detention centers,
sleeping on the streets and stealing food for his younger siblings.
As an adult, Torres, of Briarwood, Queens, spent 16 years incarcerated for crimes ranging from assault to drug and gun possession. He bore little resemblance to the man, now 45, who helps veterans battle drug addiction.
Newspapers are filled with stories of criminals going up the river, but now there’s a film that shows what happens when they come back.
The film, “RELEASED,” details the struggles of Torres and three other ex-cons who emerged from jail, turned a corner and somehow managed to turn their lives around.
“We wanted to put a face on the formerly incarcerated,” said David Rothenberg, who came up with the idea for the project. “There’s an avalanche of stories about crime, and never about people who have reclaimed their lives.”
Rothenberg founded the Fortune Society, a Long Island City-based group that helps released prisoners get back on their feet. All of the former inmates featured in the film were clients of the group.
The movie, which is making its big-screen debut this week, is based on an off-Broadway production, “The Castle.”
The play’s title refers to the Fortune Academy, a West Harlem residence where many of the society’s homeless clients stay when they get out of prison.
The play was supposed to be shown for only two weekends as a fund-raiser, but it wound up having a 14-month run. It is still performed in colleges and prisons.
Marty Feinberg, executive producer of “RELEASED,” saw the play at a women’s prison in 2010, and said he knew it had to be made into a movie.
“I was very moved by the intelligence and demeanor of the convicts,” he said. “I always thought of convicts as being terrible people, and now I see them as real human beings.”
“RELEASED” delves even deeper into the lives of its subjects, including Torres.
When Torres got out of prison for the last time, in 2005, something “clicked,” he said. “I just finally wanted to live more than I wanted to die,” he said.
He went to the Fortune Society, met with counselors to help him get clean and eventually became a case manager for veterans with drug problems.
Torres agreed to tell his story in the play and the film because he wanted to inspire people “going through the things I went through,” he said.
“I hope to create an awareness that there are people that come out of prison and do good things,” Torres said.
“RELEASED” is showing through Thursday at the Quad Cinema, 34 W. 13th St., Manhattan. For film times, see www.quadcinema.com.
As an adult, Torres, of Briarwood, Queens, spent 16 years incarcerated for crimes ranging from assault to drug and gun possession. He bore little resemblance to the man, now 45, who helps veterans battle drug addiction.
Newspapers are filled with stories of criminals going up the river, but now there’s a film that shows what happens when they come back.
The film, “RELEASED,” details the struggles of Torres and three other ex-cons who emerged from jail, turned a corner and somehow managed to turn their lives around.
“We wanted to put a face on the formerly incarcerated,” said David Rothenberg, who came up with the idea for the project. “There’s an avalanche of stories about crime, and never about people who have reclaimed their lives.”
Rothenberg founded the Fortune Society, a Long Island City-based group that helps released prisoners get back on their feet. All of the former inmates featured in the film were clients of the group.
The movie, which is making its big-screen debut this week, is based on an off-Broadway production, “The Castle.”
The play’s title refers to the Fortune Academy, a West Harlem residence where many of the society’s homeless clients stay when they get out of prison.
The play was supposed to be shown for only two weekends as a fund-raiser, but it wound up having a 14-month run. It is still performed in colleges and prisons.
Marty Feinberg, executive producer of “RELEASED,” saw the play at a women’s prison in 2010, and said he knew it had to be made into a movie.
“I was very moved by the intelligence and demeanor of the convicts,” he said. “I always thought of convicts as being terrible people, and now I see them as real human beings.”
“RELEASED” delves even deeper into the lives of its subjects, including Torres.
When Torres got out of prison for the last time, in 2005, something “clicked,” he said. “I just finally wanted to live more than I wanted to die,” he said.
He went to the Fortune Society, met with counselors to help him get clean and eventually became a case manager for veterans with drug problems.
Torres agreed to tell his story in the play and the film because he wanted to inspire people “going through the things I went through,” he said.
“I hope to create an awareness that there are people that come out of prison and do good things,” Torres said.
“RELEASED” is showing through Thursday at the Quad Cinema, 34 W. 13th St., Manhattan. For film times, see www.quadcinema.com.
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