Art Education in Prisons
Art education provides a number of benefits that help in enhancing personal, interpersonal, as well as change and improvement in habit and character. Engagement in art education while detained in prisons can be useful to inmates as it helps in the establishment of new identities. The creation of new identities might help convicts in rehabilitation process as they find an original purpose both for their present and future lives as they change their habits to be accepted into various artistic subgroups in prison. The arts possess a significant potential to influence prisoners in several ways by providing them opportunities for personal growth and development. Art education teaches people about themselves, their strengths, ideas, sensations, and shows them unexpected means of having a precise understanding of other people and the world. Participation in art projects significantly reduces breaking of the law and misbehavior as art education can generate positive changes with prisoners.
Cost-Effective Rehabilitation
The benefits of art education in prisons can be a cost-effective means of recidivism and consequently repeat offenders. The inmates can be enthusiastic and motivated learners with a vast potential of making significant positive contributions in all spheres of life in the society. The incarcerated individuals should be alienated, and more projects should be developed to enhance the rehabilitation processes as communities can benefit from re-entering members whose untapped skills and abilities have been well nurtured. The role of art education in jails is much more than reducing recidivism rates. Education in prison consists of a resonance way reaching all people connected with a detainee. Therefore, provision of quality and meaningful art projects for inmates, together with even more significant support upon the release of convicts offers the real possibility of transforming prisoners into community agents of change.
