Culture professionals network | Guardian Professional: The arts are easily caricatured as a fluffy non-essential or, worse still, an unmerited luxury, especially when taking place in a prison or a probation setting. But a growing body of evidence suggests they can have a significant impact on offenders' lives, particularly in helping them move away from crime.
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Well of course they're thinking about cutting art! ugh, Art is so important and I don't understand why people can't open their eyes and see the benefits!!! Art is a way for people to express themselves which is something more people need to learn how to do. Prisoners who do major crimes tend to have a lot of issues that they bottle up inside and the commit crime in order to be satisfied. It's the bottling up inside thing that is hurting them and art, be it in the form of music, pictures, or writing, is an amazing way to express yourself without having others constantly judging or making fun of you. Art really helps relieve the mind, it helps us self reflect, which is really needed every once in a while! Art makes people happy!!! Why do we always choose to take away the things that make us happy?
I mean, not to go all Maslow's hierarchy here but art is a relative luxury to say, food and safety. Both of which, surprise, aren't guarantees in a prison, particularly the latter one.
On the other hand, art is very therapeutic to many, especially inmates who are often suffering from depression and other mentally debilitating conditions. There's a basic group therapy in many of these prisons, but very few of them will take the effort to include an artistic endeavor. In fact, the so called "soft" achievements made through the arts are often the very reason a prison system is cited to exist-- self-awareness, empathy, remorse, etc.-- feelings in general. If we're to treat all prisoners like individuals to be trapped away forever I can maybe see why the arts are bad, but if we're trying to reintroduce them to society as better members of the community I think the arts are (the beginning of) a perfectly reasonable path to choose in order to achieve that.
I have been interested in organizations committed to bringing the arts, particularly theater, into prisons for a few years now. I have completed a decent amount of research on this subject, and can confidently say how it is extremely important for crime offenders to have access to the arts while in prison. Many prisoners need an outlet to express their emotions while locked up, and the arts provide a safe environment for this to take place. In many cases, prisoners who participate in arts prison programs would have no other outlets to express themselves while in prison. In addition, participating in the arts gives prisoners a goal, and often keeps them out of trouble both while locked up in jail and also once they are released. I am a firm believer that prison arts programs are crucial, and think that the prisons should take whatever measures necessary to keep these programs in place.
Andrea Gibson, a slam poet, has a quote that goes "we have to create it is the only thing louder than destruction". I just love that quote and I think it rings true for this situation. I have a really good family friend who has taught poetry in prison for her whole career. She has so many stories about how art has positively changed inmates lives. She says that not only can it make people more confident it gives them a venue to express which they don't get any other way.
I think it is interesting that art becomes valuable when you don't have anything else. Art becomes the most useful when it is the only thing you have keeping you human and productive. All art that is just made for money or to be shown to the wealthy masses is just frivolous compared to art that can change someones life. Yet we don't fund art that can help people we fund art we can benefit from. I guess it is just about priorities and not being able to look out of your immediate circle.
"Taking part in music workshops in prison was life changing; it was the first time that I started to make positive choices for myself; it began to change the way I think in a very deep way." Literally I feel like this quote says it all. Some people would view art as a luxury (though they clearly haven't worked summer stock before). But for these inmates art is not. People need to understand that mental clarity and peace of mind is just as important if not more so than physical health.What we think and how we feel dictates the way we interact, function, and essentially survive. If people in prison can reconnect with themselves and make positive changes that will help them achieve a better future. I can't really argue with this rational. I wish that our government would start thinking about these programs as priorities rather than the first to get cut in times of financial crisis.
This article really produces a combination of feelings of hope and disappointment for me. It's amazing (but not surprising) to see what a positive and life-changing impact art has on prisoners. The testimony from one prisoner that included the statement "it began to change the way I think in a very deep way" is so significant. That's something that some people don't seem to realize. Yes, art is a great way to express yourself and it can teach collaboration but it also fundamentally changes how a person thinks. The fact that it is helping prisoners to have a crime-free future is incredible- but that of course can only happen if these arts programs are able to exist! Its so disappointing to think that these programs are being "sidelined."
What I think is important to notice about this article is that there is extensive research being done about how the arts have changed criminals and prevent them from reoffending. Because of these findings there is a lot being done to prevent the arts budgets getting cut in prisons. Yet there is little to no research about arts in school and how those programs are usually the first programs cut in school. So my question is if we have proof of the arts effect in prisons why are the arts programs being cut in school? It seems to me that arts programs in school would be preventive and decrease the amount of future criminals. So if this article is really serious about stopping crime that investing money in art programs in prisons is almost as important as investing in art programs in schools.
Well of course the arts help in rehabilitative programs. After all, everyone sees something different in art, which takes every viewer on a personal journey through themselves. This connection is very important, for once you start realizing aspects of yourself, you can then understand how these aspects fit into society around you. I found it very sad these recent years in how arts programs have been destroyed because of budget cuts. I think society sees the arts as unproductive and unnecessary. I can't tell you how many times I have seen "The Arts" on "Most Useless College Degrees" lists, and I am pretty tired of it. As these studies in the article have shown, the arts create more of a mental product rather than a physical product. The arts create a sense of awareness (both internal and external) and sometimes, it even creates peace of mind. Sometimes, the arts even create an understanding of the world and the people in it. The arts are powerful because they affect the mind, either in a good way or a bad way. In this case, the arts are used in a good way, for they have given past offenders a sense of security and identity in the world. I hope these programs continue in the future, because they are clearly working.
It's actually really sad to think about cutting arts programs in prisons. It's like what the author said, arts help to develop self-awareness and communication skills. Everybody needs these things and has some level of it but these programs everywhere help people to be better. Sure career development is important too but it is also important in confrontations and projects for people to be aware of themselves and their abilities. I hope this does not actually happen and that the arts can continue to help those in prison.
I think art and the study of art is a privilege that this country and our society should promote highly among US youth. When it comes to privileges and rights within prisons, however, art should be a very low priority. I think that when budgets need to be cut in prisons things that are not essential should go first. This would include prison art programs. These programs should definitely be on the chopping block before other more useful programs
I don't know if art is the pathway to a "crime free future", but I also don't think it should be cut from prison systems. Hobbies of all kinds give people the opportunity to express themselves. This is something that I'm sure many prisoners need. These activities show them that there are outlets for whatever they may be experiencing. Additionally, it presents avenues for work after they are released. Without funding for these programs, I don't think the rate of return prisoners will drop as the system would like to see it do.
I think there's something beautiful about the inmate who said that the art program was the first time he made a positive decision for himself. I think that truly sums up the importance of arts in prison. To give people the chance to do something right for themselves is just step number one in the process of rehabilitation. This self-advocacy must really help in their journeys, and arts has the very real possibility of sparking inspiration. There are so many studies about how arts helps reduce crime and prisoner reentry. It's just really fascinating to me how America can make such a big deal about crime, complaining about the percentage of people who get released and find themselves back in the system, and yet studies showing how to reduce that can be ignored because of the age-old, classic reason of Money. We really need to reevaluate our priorities as a society.
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