Rehabilitation art

Exhibition is a model outreach program

A room surrounded by armed guards and barbed wire isn't exactly the most conducive environment for creative expression. Fortunately, the Annual Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners allows at least 118 prisoners to rise above their surroundings. It showcases their work in an exhibit at the Rackham School of Graduate Studies. This exhibit is a great example of the type of community-based program the University should encourage.

The exhibition is a beneficial experience for the prisoners, both during and after their incarceration. Art gives them an outlet to constructively express their emotions about their prison experience and reflect on how their past decisions brought them there.

Most importantly, the exhibit gives the inmates hope by instilling in them a sense of self-worth. The knowledge that their work is on display at a major University further magnifies this effect. When they get out of prison, students of the art program know that they can go to the studio instead of the streets. As such, the exhibit serves the ultimate goal of rehabilitation by offering an alternative to a life of crime.

Not only is this exhibit a valuable experience for the prisoners, it also benefits those of us on "the outside" by breaking down commonly held stereotypes of inmates. Because most people haven't had extended interaction with the criminal justice system, they default to skewed images that the media provides them; images of violent psychopaths and crazy child molesters. By viewing actual prisoners' artwork, students and non-students alike are able to move past this flawed conception. People can begin to see prisoners as human beings.

The art exhibit is not the only program sponsored by the University that works with prisoners. There are multiple other programs, such as Project Community, which help to better the lives of prisoners through such activities as creative writing, debate, and acting. The University should be commended for supporting these programs. The United States' 2,000,000th prisoner arrived in jail yesterday - clearly there is no shortage of need for this type of program.