Students exchange words, images with prisoners

Students couldn't visit the prison and inmates couldn't leave, but their poetry and drawings were allowed to pass between those walls.

That's how a unique and powerful dialogue was born.

The Yuma Art Center created the program Inside Outside as an attempt to use art for exchanging ideas between youngsters struggling to find themselves and grown men likely struggling to simply live with themselves.

Adult organizers say the resulting works were impressive and the personal growth felt on both sides of the walls nothing short of stunning.

"These two groups never met, but they made such a powerful impact on each other's lives," said Pam Dusek, arts program supervisor at the Yuma Art Center.

Fifteen students from Carpe Diem Academy exchanged poems and drawings with 12 prisoners at Arizona State Prison Yuma for several months.

Dusek said some students were a bit nervous at first, but by sharing ideas and finding common ground, those students were soon able to look past "prisoner" and simply see "person" - who has done something wrong.

"Some of them thought 'Prisoners? Ewww.' But they ended up realizing there was some real value in listening to another person's thoughts. The prisoners said they were grateful that someone cared enough to listen to them."

She added that such dialogue mixed with artistic expression amounts to a tremendous opportunity for healing and growth, even for wrongdoers who won't be free for years or who may never again walk freely among their fellow man.

"They are human beings and they're worth it," Dusek emphasized. "The arts are for everybody, not just for people who are model citizens."

The students participating were part of an arts program the Yuma Art Center created for Carpe Diem. Dusek said prisoners were allowed to participate based on their good behavior. Numerous participants eventually shared of what they were convicted, including armed robbery and murder.

"You can never forget who they are, where they are, and why they're there - but they're people," she said.

Students and prisoners were roughly matched up and made about five exchanges of images and words. Sometimes, participants simply sent an original work based on a theme of their choosing, while other times the poems or pieces of artwork were in response to a piece received.

"Since neither side had to look the other in the face, I think everyone felt more comfortable opening up and sharing," Dusek said.

For safety reasons, no names were ever exchanged, and Dusek - who acted as mediator - inspected prisoners' works to assure that content was always appropriate. She happily reports that nothing ever required censorship. Actually, she stressed, prisoners' creations usually left her greatly moved - often to tears.

"Many of these men were already published poets," Dusek said. "What they incorporated into their poetry was fabulous. They've got it in them. These men are locked up - some of them for life - yet the beauty they've got in their souls is coming forward and this program is drawing it out."

For their part, prisoners wrote about loneliness, sadness and their need to ask forgiveness for their mistakes. Prisoners also warned students not to follow them on wrong paths in life.

"They told the kids, 'We made mistakes - bad mistakes,' and, 'Don't do what I've done,'" Dusek said.

In at least one case, a student preached to the prisoner about making better choices himself.

"One prisoner was very offended by something written to him," Dusek said. "I told the prisoner not to take it personally. The student was just speaking to a concept."

Prisoners also expressed concern for students who wrote or drew something dark or troubling.

"They would say, 'Oh gosh, this kid really needs a friend,'" Dusek said. "These guys were very perceptive, and having been there, they could pick up on problems."

Dusek visited the prison 14 times. But she didn't just piece up that week's exchange, she actually spent two hours a week leading the prisoners in writing exercises and recitations of their work.

"They would applaud each other and give the pats on the back ... For some of these men, this was the first time in their lives that they received positive feedback for anything they've done."

For one project, Dusek asked the prisoners to write about a happy childhood memory, a task that proved more challenging that she would have thought.

"Some of the men said, 'I don't have any good memories about my childhood.' One of the guys told me, 'You come from a completely different world than we do.' He said, 'You and the kids have good memories of growing up. We remember things like running to protect our lives, running from the drug dealer.'"

One man wrote about his grandmother reading stories to him. Another recalled riding his bike down the streets of Harlem, the wind blowing through his hair.

"I wanted the students to see that kids are kids, no matter where they are. There are some commonalities between all people."

The Yuma Art Center may continue a similar program and make the prison exchange an annual project.

"The prison is also asking for more and more programing," she said, listing off topics including theater and painting. "There were even some men who asked me to bring down a knitting class for them."

Dusek added that she'd like to encourage other community groups in providing resources for the prison. She promised that such volunteers won't be disappointed.

"For me, this was just an awesome experience. It was probably one of the highlights of my career."