The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles invites you to explore Changing the Course: Art by the Currently & Formerly Incarcerated, a new art exhibition exclusively featuring the works of justice-involved individuals. The exhibition is on display, open to the public from today until April 15, 2022 at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, located at 624 Washington Ave. in Montgomery. Admission to the exhibition is free.
The exhibition is a joint effort between six state entities: the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, the Alabama Department of Corrections, Auburn University’s Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project, Ingram State Technical College, the Alabama Department of Archives and History, and the Alabama Department of Mental Health. The Bureau expresses its gratitude to each of these organizations for making this exhibit and event possible. The state entities involved in this exhibition all recognize the importance of art as an outlet for unresolved trauma and an opportunity for creative ways to deal with anxiety.
Alabama Department of Archives and History Director Steve Murray said, “Our state’s leaders are working to create a corrections system that serves justice while also equipping incarcerated individuals to live productively and self-sufficiently when their incarceration ends. Opportunities for creative expression and exploration of the humanities are vital components of that effort. The ADAH is pleased to provide a venue with free admission for the exhibition of work by these obviously talented artists.”
Immersion in the arts fosters self-esteem and emotional resilience, helping incarcerated individuals cope in their surroundings and return to society better equipped to navigate life’s challenges. By fostering creative outlets among an often-ignored segment of the population, the work of these arts and education programs showcases the resilience and boundlessness of human creativity, even amidst an environment traditionally averse to individual expression.
Bureau Director Cam Ward said, “One of the primary missions of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles is to reduce recidivism rates in our state. Therapy programs, including art-based instruction, have proven to not only reduce recidivism, but also to improve the lives of those suffering with mental illness.”
Art therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem, self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts, relieve distress and advance positive societal change. Cognitive behavioral therapy that is used by art therapists offers problem-solving skills, relaxation techniques, positive mental imagery, stress reduction methods and systematic desensitization. These techniques are used in evidenced-based programs such as Moral Reconation Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for substance abuse and Thinking for a Change. These facilitated groups have used their clinically proven programs to address antisocial attitudes and reduce recidivism.