Prison Observation Report

In the fall semester of 2017, I taught an art class with the Restorative Justice Initiative program in the State Correctional Institution (SCI) prison education program in Bellefonte, PA. I am a Ph.D. candidate in Art Education and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality dual-title degree program, and my goal for teaching art with the prison education program is to provide a non-verbal way of communication for inmates to express themselves to reduce tension and stress. For many of the inmates, an art program is an alternative course of therapy to help them communicate by using creative techniques in the prison and upon release.

As a former K-12 art teacher for sixteen years, I observed how art became an outlet for many students to communicate non-verbally. Teaching art gave me the opportunity to work with various ages and situations in a non-traditional educational setting. I wanted the same experience with the prison community.

In assessing my initial assumption of

prison, I imagined black iron prison bars slamming, loud bells, yelling inmates, and prison guards with guns on roofs. I imagined who was I going to meet and what led them to a life of criminal activities. It was challenging to move beyond my biases of not letting fictional characters from TV shows enter my thoughts of hostile lockdowns or fights.
I did not anticipate the technical and artistic skills demonstrated in class.

For example, inmates painted murals throughout the prison and showed me their portfolio of drawings. Prior to teaching in the prison with the inmates, I assumed they sat in their cells all day or in the yard. The inmates informed me they did not have time to complete the assignments I left during the week. I wondered why, time is all they possess. One inmate informed me he worked with the dog-training program. In fact, when he comes to the art class, someone watches the dog for him. While another inmate explained he drew portraits for other inmates to send as gifts to their family members. I was amazed some of the inmates sold their artwork in galleries, participated in art shows, and were commissioned to create original pieces of artwork. I learned that an art program in the prison is not just about learning how to shade and mix paint, it is about the pride these inmates demonstrate in themselves as any other professional

artist.
When I think about before I began teaching art in SCI, I definitely step out of my comfort zone from teaching children to incarcerated male adults. After the first class, I realize I was teaching art students who happen to be incarcerated. These men were serious about learning technical and creative skills. After several conversions with the inmates, I understand fully the importance of an art education program from their perspective. As one inmate told me, he selected the art class because he possessed a true love for art. He further explained, for most of the inmates, art is an outlet and it leaves them to momentarily escape the chaos of their lives. While most of the inmates may not verbally state their feelings, the art program allows them two hours a week to leave their cell and create a positive space to express themselves.
Teaching art in a prison helped me break stereotypes of how I thought of prisoners. A semester in a prison art education program provided me an opportunity to teach in a non-traditional educational environment offering a different perspective than teaching to children.
Prison art programs can offer hands-on experiences not offered in most professional development venues for art educators. I found an opportunity to engage with a different population in the field of art education. I gained an understanding of applying teaching strategies for people who are convicted criminals and have different needs for art education than a traditional K-12 art class. I exposed my ignorance and biases of the daily life experiences of inmates incarcerated and how important an art program is vital to their rehabilitation.