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The Care Center

Bringing the power of education, arts and culture to youth and their families in Holyoke, MA

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Home » Jacqueline Velez, Bard Microcollege Holyoke 2020 graduate, published in Oprah Magazine

May 5, 2020

Jacqueline Velez, Bard Microcollege Holyoke 2020 graduate, published in Oprah Magazine

I Survived 20 Days in Solitary Confinement—Here’s How I Got Through

“Solitude never frightened me. In fact, I welcomed it. When I was a girl, I would envision myself in a cabin in the woods, or a house with a view of a lake or river, doing what I love to do most: writing. I never dreamed I’d be forced into a small enclosure with cold concrete floors and walls made of cinder blocks, where the stench of sour milk—or maybe decomposing carcasses—lingered throughout the facility, a putrid odor as inescapable and abominable as notorious Rikers Island itself. The stink was worse in solitary confinement, or, as we called it, “The Bing” or “The Box.” It was there, where the rotting smell is strongest, that I spent the most important 20 consecutive days of my life.”

Read the full article.

· Categorized: Student Writing

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The Care Center gave me hope and a desire for change. They actually cared about me and my child. I quickly earned my GED at 16 years old.

Danielis Gonzales, Bard Microcollege Holyoke student and Care Center graduate

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247 Cabot Street, Holyoke, MA 01040 | Phone: (413) 532-2900 | Fax: (413) 532-1250


The Care Center is a recipient of the 2011 National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Award, the nation’s highest honor recognizing community-based arts and humanities youth programs in the United States, presented by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. The Care Center is also a recipient of the Mass Cultural Council’s 2019 Commonwealth Award, honoring exceptional achievement in the arts, humanities, and sciences. We are proud to receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Care Center is a 501(c)(3) organization. Tax ID 04-2962882

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