2008 Woodie Awards
Alum Pfeiffer to deliver lecture
Stephanie Espina
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: News
Marist College alumna Mary Beth Pfeiffer will be delivering a lecture on campus next week, where she will speak of the extensive research and findings that have helped her become the nationally distinguished and celebrated journalist she is today.
Pfeiffer's research has appeared in publications like the Boston Globe, New York Times Magazine, Miami Herald, Village Voice, Hartford Courant, USA Weekend Magazine and Des Moines Register. A New York City native, Pfeiffer launched her career in journalism in 1976. She has been recognized by various organizations, including the National Headliner Awards, National Council on Crime and Delinquency, New York State Associated Press Association, and National Mental Health Association.
Pfeiffer, renowned for her investigative journalism with over twenty years of experience in the field, gained recognition for her work and exposition of the unfortunate realities of prison life.
"Many of the criminals killing themselves were ill with serious mental illnesses. They were being punished even more by being deprived of human companionship," Pfeiffer said. "People think of persons who are mentally ill, especially criminals, to fit a [certain] stereotype."
Intrigued by the relationship between mental illness and criminalization, she focused on the struggle of mentally ill inmates in New York, the related trend of psychological breakdowns in prisons and highlighted extreme cases that led to suicidal behavior.
Pfeiffer's work was published as an ongoing series for the Poughkeepsie Journal, where she served as a staff writer. During her time there, she eventually became the newspaper's chief investigative writer and editor. Prior to her research on this issue, she had gained a reputation for uncovering political corruption and investigated racial and family related issues in the area. Throughout her career, Pfeiffer has exhibited the underlying foundation of journalistic ethics: exposing what is true and what is important.
Her well known book, "Crazy In America: The Hidden tragedy of our Criminalized Mentally Ill," has received positive reviews. Dr Joel A. Dvoskin, one of America's leading forensic psychologists from the American Psychology-Law News, said, "Great teachers are almost always great story-tellers, and with this book, Mary Beth Pfeiffer cements her credentials as both."
Pfeiffer's decision to write the book stemmed from a previous story she had written in 2004 about a 21-year-old woman suffering from mental illness who was kept in solitary confinement.
Through her dedication and passion for the subject, she has been working towards a change. "I may have written my book, but there is still a long way to go to solving this problem. There is still a need to awaken society to this issue," she said.
Pfeiffer will deliver her lecture and read from her work at the Henry Hudson Room, located in Fontaine Hall, on Wednesday evening, February 20 at 8 p.m.
Pfeiffer's research has appeared in publications like the Boston Globe, New York Times Magazine, Miami Herald, Village Voice, Hartford Courant, USA Weekend Magazine and Des Moines Register. A New York City native, Pfeiffer launched her career in journalism in 1976. She has been recognized by various organizations, including the National Headliner Awards, National Council on Crime and Delinquency, New York State Associated Press Association, and National Mental Health Association.
Pfeiffer, renowned for her investigative journalism with over twenty years of experience in the field, gained recognition for her work and exposition of the unfortunate realities of prison life.
"Many of the criminals killing themselves were ill with serious mental illnesses. They were being punished even more by being deprived of human companionship," Pfeiffer said. "People think of persons who are mentally ill, especially criminals, to fit a [certain] stereotype."
Intrigued by the relationship between mental illness and criminalization, she focused on the struggle of mentally ill inmates in New York, the related trend of psychological breakdowns in prisons and highlighted extreme cases that led to suicidal behavior.
Pfeiffer's work was published as an ongoing series for the Poughkeepsie Journal, where she served as a staff writer. During her time there, she eventually became the newspaper's chief investigative writer and editor. Prior to her research on this issue, she had gained a reputation for uncovering political corruption and investigated racial and family related issues in the area. Throughout her career, Pfeiffer has exhibited the underlying foundation of journalistic ethics: exposing what is true and what is important.
Her well known book, "Crazy In America: The Hidden tragedy of our Criminalized Mentally Ill," has received positive reviews. Dr Joel A. Dvoskin, one of America's leading forensic psychologists from the American Psychology-Law News, said, "Great teachers are almost always great story-tellers, and with this book, Mary Beth Pfeiffer cements her credentials as both."
Pfeiffer's decision to write the book stemmed from a previous story she had written in 2004 about a 21-year-old woman suffering from mental illness who was kept in solitary confinement.
Through her dedication and passion for the subject, she has been working towards a change. "I may have written my book, but there is still a long way to go to solving this problem. There is still a need to awaken society to this issue," she said.
Pfeiffer will deliver her lecture and read from her work at the Henry Hudson Room, located in Fontaine Hall, on Wednesday evening, February 20 at 8 p.m.
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