11 March 2019
More than 60 works of art and craft by Jersey prisoners will go on display as part of the annual Inside Out exhibition.
Now in its eleventh year, the exhibition will be open at the Harbour Gallery in St Aubin every day between Friday 15 and Sunday 24 March, and will showcase prisoners’ paintings, drawings, ceramics and woodwork.
Described as an opportunity to display work from the inside to the outside, the exhibition will be opened by the Minister for Home Affairs, Connétable Len Norman, on Thursday 14 March during a preview evening.
Some of the artwork will be for sale and money raised will benefit the Jersey Samaritans and the Rock2Recovery initiative.
This year’s exhibition has been supported by the Sir James Knott Trust, LoveWine and Gallery magazine.
Connétable Len Norman said: ”In previous years, the exhibition has been well supported by friends, family and the community, and I encourage people to come and see the creative work that is taking place at the prison. It gives prisoners an opportunity to raise money for community charities, and showcase the good work they do while in custody.”
Art teacher at States of Jersey Prison Service, Lucy Blackmore, said: “The enthusiasm and talent among our prisoners is considerable and continues to grow every year. The chance to showcase their work is a motivating way of engaging them in creative activity. This raises self-esteem and opens prisoners’ minds to the idea of taking part in other educational opportunities and behaviour management programmes, which are all geared towards helping them make life-improving decisions.”
Prison Governor, Nick Cameron, said: “Art can provide individuals with a positive way of expressing themselves and improve their resilience while developing skills and knowledge to help them change. It can also improve their sense of wellbeing and self-esteem, which increases the likelihood of a successful reintegration into the community.”
The Head of Learning and Skills at the States of Jersey Prison Service, Dr David Holmes, added: “Prisoners show increased motivation and social skills after participating in art classes. Education in art can also lead to improved thinking skills and better control of emotions. It’s just one of the opportunities we offer at the prison to support prisoners’ rehabilitation. Taking part in interventions, such as learning new skills, offence-specific programmes or one-to-one support can reduce the chances of prisoners reoffending.”
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