Prison Arts and Future IDs: A Social Art Practice Personal Narrative

Luis Garcia
2019 Anthurium A Caribbean Studies Journal  
Prison art programs are essential to helping people with conviction histories develop prosocial behavior, enhancing self-esteem, and strengthening community ties. I know this because participation in prison arts programs helped move me from being a confused young man in prison to what I am today. Despite correctional administrators' robust history of promoting rehabilitation for the incarcerated, statistics on recidivism are daunting with the vast majority of persons released from prison being
more » ... e-arrested within five years. Traditional rehabilitation programs and legislative efforts to reduce barriers to employment for former inmates are focused on successful community re-entry. However, the quality and diversity of correctional programming beyond job skills training also has implications for community re-entry. Research has linked arts education with development of the right brain functions of focus, creativity, patience, and the ability to work with others. Prison arts programs increase preparation for community re-entry by building skills, positive attitudes toward self and higher learning, and community connections, benefiting returning citizens and contributing to public safety. In California, Arts in Corrections programs, begun in the 1970s but decreased because of funding in 2000, have been re-launched. Led by artist Gregory Sale and highlighted to visitors at Alcatraz, Future IDs is a multiyear, social art project examining individual transformation stories that help reframe the narrative of re-entry. The program allows incarcerated participants to conceive and develop a vision for a future self, reimagining themselves and their positions in society. It also raises public awareness, communicating the value of criminal justice reform, and helping generate the critical community support necessary to reframe the reintegration narrative. Although raised in a supportive environment, the author faced incarceration and the uncertainty that comes with the conflict between official rules and prison culture and with release and recidivism. The Future IDs program's focus on artistic expression helped the author to heal the trauma of dehumanization experienced during incarceration and to regain a sense of self-worth and confidence. Creating his Future ID helped him to find greater clarity about his identity, to liberate himself, and to embrace a new life he walks today in service to others.
doi:10.33596/anth.386 fatcat:gntvea52izeefiyl5kl2522b4y