From Conviction to Creation: An Investigation into Arts Programming in Carceral Environments

Abstract

As a result of the “tough on crime” policies in the United States since the 1970s, more than 1.9 million people sit incarcerated in both prisons and jails. In a space where people lose everything, they learn to create out of nothing: out of leaves, hairnets, and Q-tips. This type of art has been around in carceral environments for over a century, but only recently have arts programs become popular. Current research has found a range of benefits for those who are incarcerated and participating in a program such as decreased disciplinary infractions, improvement in emotion control, higher self-esteem, and a better perception by the public. However, the literature is rather limited in number, program, and often done by the same researchers. This thesis uses qualitative methods to compare other arts programs that have not been researched, explore their benefits and if they align with what the previous literature has concluded. It also investigates potential improvements to programs overall. Through semi-structured interviews, I found that while the structure of some programs vary, the benefits are aligned with what previous literature found. Additionally, I provide a new perspective regarding the effect of COVID-19 on prison arts programs, and format the improvements into five categories of potential policy implementations: centering incarcerated individuals, increasing funding, increasing research, increasing public visibility, and increasing training for individuals entering carceral spaces. In doing this, this thesis also leaves room for future research to expand on the ideas presented.