Juelle Jackson
INCARCERATION
"Art Behind Prison Bars"
My topic of choice is art and incarceration. With this topic, I bring awareness to the effects of incarceration and how art serves as a necessary escape. Also, I want to change the way prisoners are treated or viewed once they become just a face with a number as their new identity. These people are human and I think that showcasing their talents and gifts will allow people to see the softer side of these people. It will allow them to change their views. When one thinks of a prison and prisoners, the associations are usually negative ones. These prisoners are thought of as violent, scary, dangerous and/or a danger to society. When one goes to prison, they are stripped of everything that makes them who they are. They are no longer known by their name. A number becomes their new identity. It would appear that their lives or who they are does not matter. In most cases, they don't matter. They are simply a face with a number. People on the outside of prison walls feel this same way. Prisoners are dangerous, and unimportant once they choose their fate. They are invisible to the ones on the outside. I want to change this view and I want people to see that these prisoners are just like us. They are people. They are not unimportant or invisible. These people are misunderstood, and sadly, forgotten about. They aren't scary, and they are more than what people may think. In fact, they are significant and some of the most talented people ever. However, many do not know this.
I will create a website that showcases the talent that these people posses. I will do this by putting poems and artwork created by the prisoners on the website. There will be a drop down menu that will be available to click and it will contain all the poems and artwork. All of which will be done by the prisoners. Also, on the site there will be a brief history of artists who have shined light on this very real concept of art behind prison bars and art as a means of escape from the circumstances surrounded by these prisoners. The site will have a personal story of why this topic is so near and dear to me. The purpose and reasoning behind choosing to do a website is because this is the only way that people will be able to see with their own eyes, the gifts that these people have. I believe the art will show you the softness of the person who created the art, and it will teach you to feel something other than a negative feeling towards them. I believe the website is the only true way to really depict who they are and what they have to offer to the world. The website will show that they are not invisible, but rather invincible. The website will let people know that these prisoners have a voice and that I am just simply the one getting their voices out there for the world to hear, not directly, but through art.
This topic is so important to me and close to my heart because I have a parent who is incarcerated. I have always exchanged poems and stories with my father through email and even in person. I have always been interested in this form of art and so has my father. When I visit him, I observe all the art that cover the prison walls. I asked him once who was it that created all of that beautiful art and he told me that it was the prisoners, his friends, who had made it. I thought to myself saying wow, these people are really talented. It is a real shame that they can’t show the world their art. It was then that I came to the conclusion that these prisoners are some of the most talented people I’ve ever met, but they got caught up in life. I want people to see this. So, this project has been brewing for some time. I knew that I always wanted to be an advocate for prisoners because it affects me directly on the daily. My father is my best friend and I want people to see who he really is the best way I know how without the prison being the determining factor. I want people to see his talents and gifts. I want people to see that these prisoners are people with an immense amount of talent. The world should see it. I am amazed at what I have come to realize about these people and my perspective was changed when I was exposed to this art. I will forever be changed by what I have come to discover about these people.
This project is something that I believe many people will appreciate because many people do not have an inside scoop on what is happening inside these prisons and within these people. I think that in this world where the incarcerated people are the most forgotten about, this project will show just how much they matter and how important they are to society. Also, it will show that they are more than a number and more than their prison sentence. With this website, I hope that I can change the perspective of people through this art and spark a change and a necessary conversation about those incarcerated. This project means so much to me.
The Prison Arts Coalition
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| Jon Cashion’s “Seeing Within” |
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| Untitled” by D. Ashton |
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| “Lady Gaga” by Angelmont |
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| “Jail” by Carlos Contreras |
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| Thomas Whitaker’s “The Human Condition” |
Works Cited
https://www.insideedition.com/prisoners-show-their-true-colors-through-art-who-i-really-am-45998
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