The South Bronx—A historic neighborhood known for its iconic production of hip hop culture, past and present. Yet this beacon of artistry also produces the single largest source of incarcerated residents for New York State prisons. Each year an estimated 20% of its residents are corralled by the criminal justice system, their experience spanning the length of one day in detention to a life sentence behind bars. It costs 80 million dollars per year to house this population in prison. Yet, a closer look at the South Bronx prison pipeline reveals an eclectic ecosystem of financial stakeholders that reap nearly 700 million dollars annually from the neighborhood’s relationship to the criminal justice system.
The Franchise—an episodic documentary series in production—uncovers the tangled characters that make up the financial ecosystem behind the prison pipeline that connects the South Bronx to rural upstate New York and everywhere in-between. Join us for a conversation with Vee Bravo, the producer behind the series.