Arts in Criminal Justice and Corrections

Rezensionen / Stimmen

Informed by recent research in the field, this innovative and international book focuses on the intersection of the arts, corrections and criminal justice. This is an authoritative and accessible book which poses some important questions in light of different approaches and compelling positive evidence of impact. The book is beyond compare!

Professor Loraine Gelsthorpe, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, England

In this important contribution to the field, Mandy Gardner and Laura Caulfield present a fascinating variety of research methods at the intersection of cultural practices and the administration of justice in different nations. Through profiles and introspective essays, the researchers are themselves on view, exposing their family histories, motivations and journeys beyond academia as they demonstrate how arts engagement strengthens the humanity of incarcerated people.

Alma Robinson, Executive Director, California Lawyers for the Arts, United States

Building on the foundations laid by decades of interdisciplinary research, this book is a compelling testament to the transformative potential of the arts within the criminal justice system. Through its pages, the reader is taken on a journey across continents and disciplines, discovering ways in which the arts can serve as a catalyst for change and healing. By foregrounding both original pioneers and new thinkers in the field, it will serve as both a historical account and a forward-looking perspective, encouraging researchers, practitioners and policymakers to think critically about the role of the arts in addressing systemic issues within criminal justice. A groundbreaking work that's a must-read for those in the fields of criminal justice, the arts and social advocacy.

Neil Wallace, Arts in Corrections Advisor, Arts Access Aotearoa, New Zealand

"The global potential for a flourishing of creativity in prisons has never been greater. Along with individual practitioner accounts and pedagogical innovations, we need new constructive and effective methods of evaluation to explain how arts-in-corrections programmes can deliver worthy outcomes, ranging from recidivism reduction to the transformation of willing people by building self-esteem, strengthening life skills, and finding new identities as productive members of the community following re-entry. Accordingly, this pioneering work in the promising field of evaluative methodologies for the arts in prison cultures is timely, essential, and inspiring."

John R. Whitman, Creative Prisons Project, Chicago, IL, USA, Cultural Trends