Artistic Justice: A New Model for Corrections

Abstract

Prisons are places where histories of violence and trauma reign commonplace, and opportunities for connection and recognition of shared humanity within prison walls remain sparse. However, many folks inside prison find ways of breaking down these barriers—between themselves and other incarcerated individuals, and even with correctional staff. Art and storytelling is one medium for such connection. In this article, six incarcerated artists—in partnership with prison arts scholars and practitioners—present a new model for forging shared humanity in correctional settings: Artistic Justice (AJ). The authors share the origins of this concept, how this team of artists created an AJ-focused workshop series for incarcerated individuals and correctional staff across eleven prison facilities in the state of Colorado, and the findings from pretest-posttest evaluations indicating promising outcomes: correctional staff and incarcerated individuals who participated in AJ workshops experienced increased empathy for one another, expanded perspectives, and expressed appreciation for meaningful opportunities for connection unavailable elsewhere in carceral settings. These findings offer insight into the potential of AJ as a tool and philosophy which can shift understanding of our shared humanity in carceral spaces and beyond.