Artists behind walls

They can easily be described as the forgotten population. The men and women within the prison system are stuck with social stigmas the moment they pass through the prison's concrete walls. Unless you have a family member, a close friend, or a loved one behind bars, it is easy to apply a purely punishing mentality to incarceration. This is partly why, when some of us think of creative programming and arts activities for inmates or juvenile delinquents, we don't take the programming seriously. In political debates on being "soft" on crime, these activities are easy targets to hit.

But there is great potential in reinforcing creativity behind prison walls. By channeling energy into productive behavior and encouraging a positive outlook through responsibility and accomplishment, dozens of programs nationwide have utilized artistic expression as a means for change and rehabilitation. In analyzing several such programs currently operating within the Philadelphia Prison Systems (PPS) and Graterford, a Pennsylvania state penitentiary, one finds that the benefits to the community hold no boundaries.

Last Thursday on NBC's "Today Show," Craig Melvin brought nationwide attention to Philly's Mural Arts Program for its Art Education Program and its work with at-risk youth. Of course, if you're a Philadelphia resident, chances are you're more than familiar with the program. For some, the murals may be something of casual interest. For others, they're as integral to the city as SEPTA and cheesesteaks. However, when speaking with Michael Whittington, an 8-year employee with the program, these murals paint a more complex picture.

"I was incarcerated when I was a juvenile. I was tried as an adult. And they were holding mural classes on the juvenile block," said Whittington. At that time, a mural was going up in one of the visitor rooms of the building in which he was held. While he did not dive into the classes immediately, he said his ultimate decision to begin attending these art classes lead into a "beautiful situation." "I always drew but I'd never painted, and they taught me how to paint," said Whittington. "It was a good feeling, because it just took me away from where I was at."

Today, Whittington is now the Restorative Justice Guild Coordinator with Mural Arts. Separated into different divisions, the Guild Program is a re-entry program that offers job opportunities and a variety of training options for ex-offenders who have worked with Mural Arts. Whittington said he focuses primarily on the partnership with the Youth Violence Reduction Program, aiding young men ages 18 to 24. "I love the fact that I can reach out to the younger guys. I look at them and I see myself back then," said Whittington.

For some, the question "why" may still loom overhead. It was only last year that Chris Hayes of MSNBC skewered Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett for the cutting $961 million to the PreK-12 education budget, while signing a $1.8 billion budget for corrections. As arts activities often take the blow in cuts to public education, it's only reasonable for a parent to wonder why the community should care about arts activities for inmates.

Most importantly, these programs can give voices to another, often underrepresented population—the victims. Victoria Greene, founder of the organization Every Murder Is Real, was one of the victims' advocates featured in a 2009 documentary Concrete, Steel & Paint following the creation of the "Healing Walls," which brought victims' advocates and inmates of Graterford, together. Despite early tension, the result ended up being therapeutic. Painting side by side, both groups began to listen and just as the victims' advocates recognized the turmoil of the inmates, many of whom had been victims themselves, the inmates were also humbled by the words of the victims. In the film Victoria Greene said that having her story heard helped her journey to healing. Today, she still maintains a close relationship with the Mural Arts Program.

There is also the significant goal of reducing the number of victims and crime. "What people have to realize is well over 90% of people in prison are coming out," said Robyn Buseman, the Restorative Justice Program Manager. "And if we're not doing anything with them while they're in prison, they're going to come out and commit more crimes, because the recidivism rate in Pennsylvania is between 60% and 70%." In addition to developing further art programming, Buseman also helped to develop the Guild Program. Buseman said that their last study, working with the PPS and the Youth Violence Reduction partnership, showed that the average recidivism rate for those involved in the Mural Arts Program is down to 20%.

This is why several alternative programs, such as Roots to Re-Entry, work hard in assuring that ex-offenders continue to drive them forward. This program developed through a partnership between the Pennsylvanian Horticulture Society and PPS. Fran Lawn, the Director of Landscape Management and Training at PHS, said that part of the key to this was taking a pragmatic approach.

On one hand, these men are provided with a calming, creative outlet, whether tending to greenhouse plants in Friends Hospital, or working with trainers through the design process of installing gardens. However, Lawn said that support services are just as critical as the job training, to prevent reintegration from clashing with new responsibilities. "We were looking at this program in a very operational perspective. Is this going to be enough for them to have a good understanding on a job? What are going to be some roadblocks for an individual who's coming out of prison, while they're on the job?" said Lawn, who revealed that their recidivism rate has also dropped to 37%.

Whittington described the transformative energy of these programs. "I've seen it personally, this program can change lives," said Whittington. "Each and every one of the graduates, the alumni, you can see the progress of when they first started, to when they graduated to now, it's a big difference. They starting thinking: 'You can't do this, you can't do that. You got people looking up to you.'"

Of course, some organizations, like Judith Trustone's Sagewriters, are still transforming themselves. Since she first began teaching creative writing workshops in 1999, in Graterford, this Swarthmore resident has been dedicated to raising awareness for human rights in prisons and encouraging creative expression for those incarcerated. "People in prison, who have no money, can always have a pencil and paper," said Trustone. "There is a spirit to create and I think if there's a possibility of them having a voice, it changes them." In 14 years, Sagewriters, described on her site as a "national organization dedicated to publishing books by prisoners, families, victims, advocates and progressive corrections professionals," has published over 30 books.

Unfortunately, many of Trustone's projects were put on hold when she suffered a vehicle collision that left her in a critical condition, making the project difficult to pick back up. Trustone said that she hopes to continue her program well into the future. "I want to set it up so the work continues. So that there's a legacy of giving voice to the voiceless," she said. On her site, she writes, "For now, we're putting the publishing on pause until someone with a passion for the work, the time, energy, and funds with which to do it comes along. Are you out there?"

It is a population that is often thrown away, let alone regarded for their artistic nature. However, as people like Michael Whittington continue to develop these programs, perhaps it is possible that we can continue opening up the dialogue within the community. Not only might we find greater value in arts programs in prisons, but we might recognize the value in the artists behind the walls.