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role:
project designer, evaluation designer, coordinator & participative
evaluator
location:
regional treatment centre - kingston maximum
security penitentiary
size:
36.50 x 4.25 m (120' x14' to 17')
date:
painting - 3 days in march & may of 2003,
research april 2002 - march 2003, evaluation june 2003.
summary:
this mural project was completed within kingston maximum penitentiary, regional treatment centre. the 36.50 x 4.25 m work was painted by a diverse group of emerging artists and located in the gymnasium used by the offender-patients. it was designed by means of an intensive and lengthy democratic process in order to maximize creative participation from the patients and staff. the pilot project was followed by a collaborative evaluation measuring outcomes such as attendance levels, behaviour, satisfaction and the impact of the process vs. the art piece itself. preliminary results, as assessed by onsite medical staff and inmates, point to a significant increase in quality of life, as well as multiple other positive outcomes. for example the inmate-patients created three murals of their own afterwards. there was also an increase of pro-social interaction and increased attendance to the gym. this is important as exercise is critical to heavily medicated / schizophrenic patients. the inmate-patients also started to send photographs of themselves back to their families since they now had a non-prison backdrop. this development was important because connections to the outside world can be a major determinant in commitment to treatment and recidivism.
site images:
    
press:
matt semansky "freedom on the inside" the eyeopener, nov. 16 2004 (link to online version)
- dr. jean folsom & devon ostrom "a feast for the eyes," lets talk, correction service of canada vol 29, no.2 2004 (155 kb doc. download)
- rob moody,"what a spray," kingston wigg standard, june 3 2003
feedback:
"i think it's something good. gets people sitting down and talking. it's just as good as anger management or cognitive therapy. we need more hands on things."
- r.t.c. staff, 2003
"beautiful calm colors. swans are magnificent. so real. it was like stepping into a movie. unbelievable to its realness. to help the inmates with wellness, we need more of these paintings."
- r.t.c. inmate-patient, 2003
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