"When we found out that we were not awarded eight of the 10 prisons that we applied for, I was devastated. For the past three months, the nonprofit has dipped into its reserves to pay its eight teachers at San Quentin for half their hours, but even those funds will run out by the end of May."
"I was just Henry in there. I was an artist just like everybody else in there. The courses didn't just teach me valuable communication and interpersonal skills but made me part of a community."
The William James Association has provided arts programs in California prisons since 1977 but is now facing significant funding cuts. Currently, it operates with 34 teachers in 10 facilities, down from 79 teachers in 17 prisons. The California Arts Council will only fund programs at two prisons this year, leaving San Quentin Rehabilitation Center without support. The nonprofit has been using reserves to pay teachers, but funds will run out soon. Former inmate Henry Frank emphasizes the importance of these programs in fostering community and personal identity among incarcerated individuals.
Read at Mission Local
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]