23. Hart, S. (Ed.). (1983). The arts in prison. New York: Center for Advanced Study in Theater Arts, The City University.
Author Affiliations: Center for Advanced Study in Theatre Arts, Graduate School of the City University of New York
Artforms: Dance, drama, jewelry and miscellaneous arts and crafts, film, music, painting, sculpture, theater, video, writing
Program: The Theater in Prisons Project (TTIPP)
Program Description: From its inception in 1980, TTIPP worked to develop a comprehensive archive concerning arts programs and artist practitioners working with prison inmates and ex-inmates (p. 36). This study was designed to be the first of its kind to provide evidence of the impact of the arts in corrections.
Program (Study) Location: All U.S. states, except Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Ohio, West Virginia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Study Published: 1983
Participant Type: State and local correctional departments, individual correctional institutions
Sample Size: 88 institutions
Data Type: Survey
Evaluation Focus: Survey questions were designed to establish how much art and what type – specifically theater – was available through performances, workshops and residencies in institutions across the U.S. Questions related to the following areas of inquiry: (1)What programs are available, how did they develop, and how supported; (2) In what ways do the programs continue with the inmate-participant after he or she leaves the prison; and, (3) Are arts programs in correctional facilities perceived as beneficial. The report provides detailed data from survey results from each participating state and agency, including history of programs, funding, types of activities, and attitude towards the arts (p. 23-24).
Summary of Impact:
● Virtually all respondents viewed the arts programs positively, reporting that they reduced tension within the institution, enhanced interpersonal and vocational skills for inmate and ex-inmate participants and strengthened the participants’ self-confidence and expanded their range of options in dealing with their world, both inside the institution and after release.
● Evidence of types of arts programs within correctional institutions included: dance, drama, jewelry and miscellaneous arts and crafts, film, music, painting, sculpture, theater, video and writing.
● Fewer than 10 respondents knew whether inmates continued with arts programs after release.
KEYWORDS: adult, crafts, dance, film, interpersonal skills, jewelry, music, painting, sculpture, self-confidence, tension, theater, The Theater in Prisons Project , video, vocational skills, writing
Prison Arts Resource Project 