Joseph Wilson is an incarcerated musician, composer, writer, and activist. He is a father, a brother, a mentor, and a community organizer who has served almost nineteen years in prison.

While incarcerated Joseph has published multiple musical works that have been performed at Carnegie Hall by prestigious artists such as Joyce DiDonato, Rhiannon Giddens, and Mwenzo and the Shakes. Joseph uses music to examine and expose the socialization of poverty, violence, and xenophobia. He has given a TED talk about fighting xenophobia and his personal triumph against it. He is a mentor within his community where he has facilitated and created programs within the prison system. Joseph has also helped put on an art exhibition called From Love: A Meditation on Human Relationships Through the Lens of Incarceration at Bethany Arts in Ossining that showcased the artwork of people who are impacted by the justice system. 

Joseph is a force for change in the community at large as a founder of the Sing Sing Family Collective (SSFC). The Collective was formed to support families with incarcerated loved ones at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, NY. The collective aims to bridge the gap between Sing Sing Families and Ossining community members to build a network of support. One weekend every month the collective co-organizes with Sweet Freedom Farm to distribute free fresh produce to Sing Sing families (after visitation) and Ossining neighbors. The group also provides visitation support in the form of free rides between Sing Sing CF and the Ossining train station, as well as free clothing if visiting families encounter dress code issues.

Outside of the monthly Free Farm Stand, SSFC organizes in support of human rights behind bars and serves as a platform to amplify the voices and stories of families affected by incarceration, through community projects and events in Ossining and beyond. Joseph has also helped write and push forward several pieces of legislation to better the circumstances for those currently incarcerated in New York State facilities. 

Along with SSFC, Joseph also started the Straight to School initiative (S2S) which provides Sing Sing families with special access to higher education institutions and cultural venues for justice-impacted children to see themselves and imagine their futures in these spaces. So far S2S has partnered with Columbia University, the Guggenheim Museum, and Carnegie Hall.

Joseph's Clemency campaign is supported by several NY Senate and Assembly members including Julia Salazar, Dana Levenberg, David Weprin, and Edward Gibbs. He has built a powerful network of support inside and out, and there is a huge community of people waiting to welcome him home, including his daughter Faith. 

Please join the fight for clemency so that Joseph can return home, get to work, have an even more positive impact on our community, and most importantly be there for his daughter, Faith. THANK YOU!

Relevant links highlighting Joseph’s extensive work and contributions:

Link to full clemency package: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bl_ou8UlcsRXYsSjoYzPbid2-Z9LjvxmqRbywLUDOdk/edit?usp=sharing 

Joseph’s recent TEDxSingSing talk:

https://youtu.be/Phdy8iQQpRw​ |  https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/33569

Recent composition: https://youtu.be/rqQPj5JaWAo

Facebook: @jwillsingsong (inactive) & @freeingjosephwilson (active)
https://www.facebook.com/Jwillsingsong-543013976156068

Instagram: @starringjosephwilson (inactive) & @freeingjosephwilson (active)

JPay: Joseph is reachable via JPay via DN # 07A1282

Articles:

https://psmag.com/social-justice/what-happens-when-inmates-at-sing-sing-learn-to-compose
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/arts/music/joyce-didonato-met-opera-cendrillon.html
https://www.riseupnews.org/firstperson/2021/5/30/the-swan-and-the-frog (inactive)
https://audiojunkie.co/podcasts/this-is-a-collect-call-from-sing-sing/episodes/inside-composer-joseph-wilson (inactive)
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/this-is-a-collect/inside-composer-joseph-wilson-GBmq_4bI-rH/ 
https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/ossining/lifestyle/opera-star-helps-sing-sing-inmates-find-freedom-through-music/695061/ 
https://medium.com/@OPERAAmerica/didonato-heads-up-the-river-3b7f154f2133 
https://www.proximityforjustice.org/talks/2021/06/16/love-doesnt-like-everything-it-sees-joseph-wilson-tedxsingsing-2020
https://pen.org/on-prison-art-music/
Event listing: https://www.pianyc.net/event/9131-a-sing-sing-opera-at-weill-music-room-at-carnegie-hall/ 

Relevant Links for Sing Sing Family Collective (which Joseph Co-Founded)

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/807894410062892/about/ 

Instagram: @sing_sing_family_collective 
https://www.instagram.com/sing_sing_family_collective/?hl=en

Go fund me: 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/sing-sing-family-collective-sweet-freedom-farm?utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer 

Articles:

https://gothamist.com/news/at-sing-sing-a-new-rule-keeps-visitors-from-bringing-in-fresh-produce
https://bronx.news12.com/activists-bring-fresh-food-to-sing-sing-inmates-following-care-package-ban 
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bethany-arts-community-presents-apparatus-of-repair-301612737.html 
https://welcomefuturekids.com/pages/sing-sing-collective 
https://bethanyarts.org/residencies/flyaway-productions-2022/ 

Featured on the Newburgh LGBTQIA+ community board: https://www.newburghlgbtqcenter.org/queers-for-justice 

Featured on the Bigfoot Creamery website:  https://www.bigfootcreamery.com/giving-back