California: Arts-in-Corrections

The California Arts Council (CAC), in partnership with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), is heading up a revived state commitment to bringing the arts into correctional facilities in effort to reduce inmate recidivism, improve inmate behavior, and foster the development of life skills such as self-discipline, patience and conflict resolution. Through its new Arts-in-Corrections pilot program, CAC has awarded contracts to seven arts organizations to lead projects in various disciplines and cultural traditions in 14 state correctional institutions. CDCR is underwriting the pilot with a $2.5 million commitment over two years. For decades, CAC successfully supported arts in corrections through various programmatic efforts, but state support for them dissipated in the early 2000s. The new Arts-in-Corrections pilot addresses the California legislature’s desire to explore alternative rehabilitation methods as part of an overall corrections realignment. CDCR and CAC will evaluate the pilot’s results and will recommend best practices for the program, creating the foundation for a permanent program and building a model for other states to adopt. For more information, contact CAC Special Projects Coordinator Mary Beth Barber.