WPRNews.org: The Department of Corrections has rejected a proposal to restart a Shakespeare Behind Bars program that operated successfully in a Racine prison for four years. DOC officials say there is no evidence that producing Shakespeare plays reduces recidivism.
UW Parkside Communication Professor Jonathon Shailor launched the Shakespeare prison project in 2004. Over the next four years, 44 men took part in producing and performing plays in the prison gym for both inmates and the public. The prison warden cancelled the program in 2009 citing security problems with the performance process.
4 comments:
This is something that absolutely infuriates me. When bureaucratic bull, stops programs from helping people. I know that the point of the article is that it is saying it doesn't help. But I KNOW that to be untrue, what they are actually mean to say that fiscally it does not benefit THEM enough. It really just breaks my heart, because if it helps 1 in 15, why is that not enough? I know that many of these inmates are bad people who have done bad things, but I think that we should make an effort to help them in ways that we can. If that is through theatre, all the better.
This topic is something that has been of great interest to me since I first listening to an NPR podcast on This American Life, titled "Act V." The episode told the compelling story of a group of men in a prison who put on all 5 acts of Hamlet through a program called Prison Performing Arts (http://www.prisonartsstl.org). The podcast is something that I still listen to regularly, as it is a source of inspiration for me. It is nearly impossible to explain how the influence of theatre impacted the lives of the prison's inmates, and even more difficult to imagine how a play about crime and murder is changed when put on by people who have broken laws themselves. I think it is a shame that prison heads are banning Shakespeare Behind Bars, and I think anyone who thinks otherwise should listen to the Act V episode of This American Life before solidifying their opinion.
Here it is: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/218/act-v
This is really disappointing to hear. I know multiple people who have worked on Shakespeare Behind Bars in Kentucky and in Michigan and can personally attest to the great improvements that the program leads to in the lifestyles and choice of many of the inmates involved. I'm confused by the fact that the DOC's decision was supposedly based on a lack of evidence because this article specifically states evidence that was given to them. How much evidence is it going to take? The program at this Racine prison is obviously new and hasn't had as many success stories as some of the other programs, but shouldn't the evidence from the other programs be enough? I know that the founders of the original program in Kentucky would be more than willing to help the administrators of the Racine program, and I think it would be a great idea for the DOC to give the two groups a chance to work together to prove that this program can be successful.
This is really sad to see. It has been proven time and time again that participating in theatre fosters a sense of belonging and responsibility that follows people throughout their lives, and yet, our government seems obsessed with taking away funding from the arts. The United States prison system is well known for totally sucking. Once someone enters the system, they rarely get out causing perpetual undesirable growth in the prison system. This failure has long been blamed on a decided lack of rehabilitative measures of the sort found much more commonly in European prisons. These more progressive prisons, such as those found in Denmark and Norway, focus on rehabilitative strategies that empower inmates to take control and have responsibility for their own lives. Participating in theatre is a good first step down this road of empowerment. Every person working on a theatrical production is critical to its success, making participants feel needed despite their crimes and societal ostracization.
Post a Comment