Maya Brattkus Project Research

Maya Brattkus

I’ve had an idea/seed for a project that I’ve been wanting to start for awhile but haven’t felt like I had the resources or any right. I’m fascinated by prisoners who create art, and the positive effects that art has proven to have in prisons. I have an idea for a multi-medium piece [Theatre, visual art, photography, music, and possibly film] that would document and explore the stories and work of prisoners who identify as artists and who create art. It would also help educate the public on the importance of incorporating art into prisons. As Dr. Larry Brewster said in his 2014 study, California Prison Arts: A Quantitative Evaluation, “We found that the inmate-artists in this study were far more likely to pursue other educational and vocational programs than inmates without arts experience or education. A significant majority of the inmates who had been involved in the Arts-in-Corrections program said that their enhanced self-confidence and motivation to study in other programs was at least partially attributable to the arts program.” The project would aim to explore art in an environment of enclosure and what art means to prisoners. This project would get their stories and art out to a wider audience.

The first article I read was titled “The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Reducing Depression in Prison Populations” by David Gussak. Some interesting points:

1.     One of the most prevalent mental illnesses in prison is depression. Eyestone and Howell (1994) found that 25% of 102 inmates evaluated demonstrated severely depressive symptoms. It is surprising to note that despite the prevalence of rigidly held defenses, and debilitating mental health conditions such as severe depression, there seems to be a natural desire for creative and artistic expression by inmates (Gussak, 1997, 2004; Hanes, 2005; Kornfeld, 1997; Ursprung, 1997).

2.     Inmates who participated in art therapy had elevated moods, and the anecdotal information from the correctional staff indicated that those who participated in the sessions interacted more appropriately with others in the general population. The studies also indicate that those who received treatment significantly improved in mood more than those who received no treatment during the same period.

3.     Art making decreased the number of disciplinary reports written on inmates who participated in an Arts-in-Corrections program (Brewster, 1983), and recidivism (California Arts In Corrections, 1987) as measured during a 6-month and a 2-year period of time.

4.     Art has the advantage of bypassing unconscious and conscious defenses, including pervasive dishonesty

5.     Art does not require that the inmate and/or client know, admit, or discuss what he has disclosed. The environment is dangerous, and any unintended disclosure can be threatening.

The second article I read was, “The Impact of Prison Arts Programs on Inmate Attitudes and Behavior: A Quantitative Evaluation” by Larry Brewster. He states:

1.     Interdisciplinary research suggests a strong linkage between the development of the right brain and arts education and practice, which in turn, leads to higher-order thinking skills and greater emotional self-regulation.

2.     There is amble evidence to suggest that the artistic process can provide a safe and acceptable way to express, release, and deal with potentially destructive feelings such as anger and aggression (Blacker, Watson and Beech 2008). Perhaps it is for this reason that prison arts programs have been found to positively impact inmate behavior. A study of inmates who participated in an arts center in England showed, for example, that participants improved their discipline records while involved in arts programs. Discipline reports were reduced by 29% compared with reports prior to participation in the program. Staff reported improvements in "prisoners' attitudes to work, including an increased ability to occupy themselves in their cells"

3.    An added benefit of many prison arts programs is the opportunity for inmate artists to reconnect with society through their art in the form of auctions that support local nonprofit organizations, or community beautification. Displaying or selling artwork, performing music, and theater, or having public readings of inmate prose and poetry, provides inmates the opportunity to engage in "productive exchanges with the community before and after release"

4.     Inmates with arts training and practice are much more likely to believe in their ability to do almost anything they set out to accomplish, as compared with those who have not been exposed to art education.

Questions:

1.     How does an art therapist gain the trust of incarcerated individuals?

2.     What would draw prisoners to participate in an arts program? In such a place, how could it be marketed to be seen as anything other than an unnecessary activity?

3.     Does arts therapy lead to shortened prison sentences?

4.     Is art therapy in prison social justice?

5.      With all this evidence in support of art therapy, how come it’s barely implemented/funded?

Works Cited

1. Brewster, Larry. “‘The Impact of Prison Arts Programs on Inmate Attitudes and Behavior: A’ by Larry Brewster.” Justice Policy Journal , vol. 11, 2014, www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/brewster_prison_arts_final_formatted.pdf.

2. Gussak, David E. “Creating Wellness in Correctional Populations Through the Arts: An Interdisciplinary Model.” Visual Arts Research, vol. 30, no. 1, Diverse Populations, 1 Jan. 2004, pp. 35–43. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/20716098?ref=search-gateway:1826063d1a382bd920cb365de59ffd76.