17 July, 2003
A group from the Arts against Crime Programme in South Africa is visiting prisons around the country this week to learn more about using art to help rehabilitate offenders.
Their itinerary also includes other public sector and community projects that use art programmes to provide positive environments and enhance social inclusion, as a way to combat crime.
The visit is being hosted by the Arts Access Aotearoa Trust, which works with the Department to develop art in prisons.
Prison art programmes encourage inmates to strengthen communication skills, engage in constructive activity, and to work toward professional goals.
"Words are not the only way for people to communicate and the arts give people the means to communicate positively in another way," explains Penny Eames, Executive Director of Arts Access Aotearoa.
Arts Access Aotearoa has been working with the Department since the mid-1990s, encouraging prisons to run art programmes and generating support networks for prison programmes. These networks are particularly useful when an inmate is released back into the community.