‘The Courage to Create: The Role of Artistic and Spiritual Activities in Prisons’
Charlotte Bilby and Rose Parkes, ‘‘The Courage to Create: The Role of Artistic and Spiritual Activities in Prisons’’, in: Howard Journal of Criminal justice (2010), Volume 49(2), pp.97–110
Artistic and spiritual activities should be considered as important elements in varied and diverse responses to offenders' needs: they value humanity and seek well-being. This article examines the role of interventions delivered to prisoners that do not fit within the categories of psychology, education or training (for example, pastimes such as visual and performance arts, meditation and yoga), and maps an alternative terrain to traditional concepts of rehabilitation and treatment. Whilst acknowledging the need to evidence effectiveness in order to satisfy policy makers, victims, and the wider public, we explore the constraints of quantifying the impact of these activities.
