Reentry Theater of Harlem (RTH) is an independent nonprofit program developed, by and for people who have lived experience in the U.S. criminal legal system. Our mission is to empower and support people in safe and creative spaces as they make the difficult transition from prison back to society and become positive contributors to their families and communities.

RTH utilizes art, rituals, and theatrical rites of passage to help individuals address and overcome the shame, stigma, and trauma of incarceration. Ultimately, participants devise and enact a threshold crossing to formally mark the transition from prison back into their communities and into a new stage of life.

 RTH is a bold and imaginative approach for confronting the devastating impact of mass incarceration. Grounded in cultural and artistic expression and drawing on decades of criminological literature, RTH is deeply restorative for individuals and communities. It is designed to develop leadership among the people who are most impacted by mass incarceration in ways that allow the model to multiply and scale.