This is a bit of a heartwarmer. Aging British rock star Billy Bragg (who I realize may not be so famous internationally...) has apparently started a scheme whereby musicians and others donate instruments to UK prisons, to enable inmates to explore and express their creativity. Bragg and other musicians also perform in the prisons, with inmates occasionally joining in. This is not just a one-off uplifting experience for the inmates - many of whom are depressed and engage in self-harm - it also appears to have a longer-term impact on their self-esteem. According to the article linked here from The Independent newspaper, inmates from the first prison to engage in the scheme, Guy's Marsh, are demonstrating a significantly reduced re-offending rate following parole (10-15% compared to a national average of 61%). It's hard to ascertain exactly what's going on here, but it's certainly interesting... Best to end with the words of Billy Bragg himself, I think, who was keen to stress that, for the inmates concerned, "these instruments aren't presents, they're a challenge, a challenge for them to try to make something of themselves. My hope is that they will see this as an opportunity to take that first step on the path back to society."
Saturday, January 12, 2008
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3 comments:
What a great story!
This is proper human interest stuff, partly because of the fascinating way it's been written. The reaction to the performers, their stage fright and the accounts of them practicing in their cells is truly endearing. The reality TV show phenomenon missed something huge when it passed prisons by.
There may be something askew with our culture which makes it hard for initiatives like this to progress: most people think prisoners still need to be punished (on top of being locked away), and celebrity and publicity are just too great a prize, even confined within the prison walls, to be 'wasted' on offenders. I'm sure we need to hear more from people in prisons, allowing them to engage in other challenging activities like this (do many prisoners have internet access?) if we are to reduce reoffending rates, which are currently shameful. Only if we treat prisoners as people can we expect them to behave properly on their release.
Yes, Diana - I completely agree.
First, this IS a great story. Well done to the The Independent (and to Billy Bragg!). The article is a little waffly in places, but there are nice details of Bragg's interaction with prisoners and some great 'cataloguing' of his thoughts as a musician and social activist based on his discussions with The Independent's reporter.
Second, I totally support what you are saying about prison being about rehabilitation as well as retribution. Some prisoners do have access to education and training schemes and monitored access to the internet, though I suspect this varies a lot from prison to prison and certainly from country to country. (In many poorer countries, of course, prison cells may just be one big room with all the inmates locked up together, often in disgusting conditions.) Ideally, I think prisoners should engage in productive employment, albeit within the confines of the prison's grounds, and - where realistic - should be supported to develop personal interests (like music) that will sustain them as they try to reintegrate into society when released. It's in everyone's interest.
E
PS - I should think that being a prison guard is a very tough job indeed. And the guards in the prisons visited by Bragg deserve praise too for enabling this stuff to happen. E
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