Former Drug Dealers To Speak At New Paltz

NEW PALTZ — Convicted drug dealers Rich McLain and Marc Washington will speak to a group of student-athletes at SUNY New Paltz from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday.

Prior to their release from Rikers Island, McLain and Washington got involved with the non-profit organization, Friends of Island Academy, which is dedicated to helping individuals stay out of trouble and make something of their lives by providing various support services, such as counseling, job training, education, and mentoring.

The duo now shares their experiences so that others may avoid the trouble that they’ve had in their lives. It is through their speeches, and those by the 300 young men and women on the Academy’s active roster, that the organization hopes to keep teens away from the many dark temptations that exist in today’s society.

Concern over a teen reincarceration rate at Rikers Island that exceeded 70 percent, and a desire to ensure that first-time offenders don’t become career criminals, led to the founding of Friends of Island Academy in 1990. New York City Board of Education professionals and Department of Corrections staff believed that, with the proper support and guidance, young people could be rehabilitated into lawful members of society.

Friends of Island Academy remains the lone organization in New York City of this type. It has been featured on ABC’s primetime news magazine, 20/20, and was the recipient of the 1999 Robin Hood Foundation “Hero Award.” Its anti-violence and education programs annually reach thousands of at-risk youths.