Now, more than ever, programs are needed for inmates that will increase their chances of staying out of prison once they return home. For the last 15 years, ArtSpring has conducted such programs at no cost to the Florida Department of Corrections. ArtSpring is nationally recognized for the longest ongoing arts in corrections programming in Florida providing quality arts-based, educational programming for female offenders in state prisons.
ArtSpring's two principal ongoing programs, Inside Out- Expressive Arts Workshops for Incarcerated Women and Breaking Free- Arts for Girls, are interdisciplinary arts programs incorporating theatre, dance, writing, visual art, music, storytelling, meditation, guided imagery and performance as transformational tools for self-reflection and personal change. This summer, thanks to the generous support of the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, ArtSpring conducted a week-long residency at Lowell Correctional Institution that not only served 62 women but also trained inmate facilitators to teach the program. This summer residency at Lowell supports ArtSpring's core belief that involvement in the process of art-making can be of great benefit to institutionalized individuals' self esteem and overall perspective, and benefit the institution as well. ArtSpring programs teach discipline, commitment, problem solving, group interaction and responsibility in a safe and trusting environment. These skills are designed so that they can be adapted to other areas of the inmates' lives and assist them in building their self worth and a more meaningful existence while incarcerated, and upon release. Of the 25 women who have been released and who participated in Inside Out for at least one year, not one has been convicted of a crime and returned to prison. This was the second year that ArtSpring spent a week at Lowell CI teaching the Inside Out program. Due to the support of former Assistant Warden Ellen Link, both residency programs have run smoothly each year. This year Ms. Link transferred to another prison facility in North Florida just prior to the residency, but thanks to her efforts as well as support from Ms. Djuna Poole, Warden Southerland, Assistant Warden Thomas, Colonel Baker, and Ms. Sheila Mohs, ArtSpring was able to teach two classes a day for five days to women housed on two separate compounds. In addition, ArtSpring also conducted program training for 11 women with life sentences who have participated in Inside Out for many years (while serving their sentence at other institutions) to facilitate their own arts-based program at Lowell.
One of the most important components of this residency program is this opportunity to train and encourage inmates with longer sentences who have participated in Inside Out for a minimum of 3 years to teach their own classes. Less than two months after the training, inmate facilitators started teaching their own arts-based program. They titled it A.R.T.S. - Artistic Recovery Through Self-Expression. Thanks to the oversight and support of Ms. Sheila Mohs in Education at the Main Unit in Lowell, five women are teaching 22 women at the Main Unit and six are teaching 24 women at the Annex, another compound at Lowell. The facilitators are team teaching - each utilizing the strengths they have discovered in different art forms, and sharing it with the others. They have received donated art supplies and writing materials from family members of the women who have signed up to be in the program. According to one of our inmate facilitators, "The warden is just delighted." And another wrote to ArtSpring's Artist Director: "I want to tell you how honored I am to be a part of the growth of ArtSpring. You have truly been a blessing to me and now to even more women as well. We will do you proud. You have been a great teacher and powerful inspiration to all of us." The A.R.T.S. program at Lowell not only serves as a positive use of inmate's idle time, but has proven that older inmates with long sentences, as well as life sentences, can be a valuable resource to the Department of Corrections. In addition, the women experience a sense of value and contribute to their community - which for them is prison. As one inmate facilitator wrote: "Our class is flourishing in a way I never have seen before. The women are so ready for change, so hungry for it and the class is providing a venue for that change to happen....We are managing well. We get together on the yard to discuss anything we feel needs attention. We are a very good team. We all have our strengths and usually class is split up (responsibility wise) so we generally don't have a main facilitator....Thank you for breathing new life into my heart."
Many believe that offering any type of programming for women with long sentences as well as those with life sentences is a waste of time and resources. This program proves that this is not true. Deborah McEnteggart is a perfect example. She was a lifer. Now she is a valuable member of ArtSpring and of her community in St. Petersburg. She inspires the women inside and reminds them how powerful the arts can be for personal change. She is a positive mentor, encouraging the women to get involved in positive programs and never give up hope. This alternative of offering arts programming and training female inmates to continue the programs reduces the taxpayer's costs of operating Florida's prisons by:
- reducing violence resulting from boredom and inactivity, which reduces the costs of sending inmates to confinement;
- reducing medication costs for mental health issues such as depression and suicide attempts.
- improving physical health resulting in less medication and health care costs.
- improving activities on the compound for inmates and staff by providing cost-free programming.
- maintaining a safer environment for staff.
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