Dear friends and supporters of Prison Arts,
An urgent situation has developed from the current state budget crisis with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s response being to layoff staff in education, vocational, substance abuse, and other inmates programs – including the one Artist Facilitator at each prison.
We need your help – the Artist Facilitator position is critical to continuing arts programming with any consistency and quality and we want to raise our voices to powers-that-be.
Would you be willing to write a letter against cutting the Institutional Artist Facilitator position and thus the elimination of Arts in Corrections?
Send your letters to:
Laurie Brooks (we want to collect all the letters), Executive Director, William James Association, P.O. Box 1632, Santa Cruz, CA, 95061, laurie@williamjamesassociation.org
Nettie Sabelhaus, Senate Rules and Appointments, State Capitol, Room 420, Sacramento 95614, Nettie.Sabelhaus@sen.ca.gov
Elizabeth Siggins, Chief Deputy Secretary Adult Programs, CA Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, 1515 S Street, Suite 501S, Sacramento, CA, 95811, elizabeth.siggins@cdcr.ca.gov
Scott Kernan, Undersecretary, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, P.O. Box 942883, Sacramento, CA, A 94283-0001
Matthew Cate, Secretary, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, P.O. Box 942883, Sacramento, CA, A 94283-0001
Write to your Senators and Assemblypersons – find them with you zip code at www.legislature.ca.gov
Please send me copies of what you send and let me know if I can help you in this effort!
Thank you so much for your support,
Laurie Brooks
Director, William James Association
Here’s a great example letter from Judith:
Dear Ms. Sabelhaus:
Given California’s various crises, I realize that every state agency must make massive cuts. I urge you to bring to the legislature’s attention that the CDCR should not cut Arts in Corrections. The program has minuscule cost and vast positive impact.
Arts in Corrections provides a large number of prisoners with programming that teaches transferrable skills, reduces tension, and encourages deep self-reflection and responsibility – all for the cost of the salary of only one low-range state employee. The professional artists who teach through Arts in Corrections either volunteer or are paid through grants given by individuals and non-profits.
I taught through Arts in Corrections in the 1980s when the program was much more fully funded. My Disguised as a Poem: My Years Teaching Poetry at San Quentin is a memoir about this experience (copy enclosed). For the past decade I have spoken nationally about prison and prison arts and so I am able to see – in state after state – the respect with which California’s Arts in Corrections is held.
To lose Arts in Corrections – a program that costs the state virtually nothing – would be to lose a program that positively impacts large numbers of prisoners and one that is a revered model in the field.
Thanks for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Judith Tannenbaum
jtannen@earthlink.net, www.judithtannenbaum.com
Dear California:
I understand that California is in a financial crisis and I realize that financial sacrifices must be made. However, I urge CDCR not to cut the Arts in Corrections program.
I have been a volunteer in this program for over five years, bringing theater, writing and performing projects, and even my own one-woman show to the inmates at CRC at Norco. During this time, I have come to learn how valuable and really inexpensive this program is. Look what the State is getting in exchange for one Arts-In-Corrections facilitator’s salary—Millions of dollars worth of professional volunteers come into the facilities every year to assist in the rehabilitation of the inmates.
I have personally witnessed how important using the arts to explore issues like addiction, anger, and violence is. It definitely releases tension, creates awareness and puts the inmate on a path of positive self-discovery.
Here are some of the comments from inmates I have worked with:
“I was really able to see a self-destructive pattern in my life and now can face and work on changing that pattern of thought.â€
“I understand that my old habits need to go and I need to bring in the new.â€
“Rehabilitation means self-discovery. I know that I did just that! It is because of this clarity that I am able to keep my stance.â€
“I can recognize my positive and negative behavior. I have discovered positive ways to deal with life’s situations.â€
By cutting the Arts in Corrections Program, we are losing an inexpensive program that largely and positively impacts thousands of inmates as they face the outside when they are released. As a result, we are adversely impacting the general public who will be negatively affected by the released prisoner who has not been rehabilitated.
Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
Rita Andriello
Although California is in a financial crisis and massive cuts are needed, I feel cutting the Arts in Correction program will be a grave error. The program is an inexpensive means to really help rehabilitate inmates. There are several purposes for the prison system – retribution, deterrence,and rehabilitation. But, rehabilitation is the key to prisoners successfully reentering society. Without the Arts in Corrections program we will be adversely impacting our society because we will be releasing prisoners that have not been given the chance to rehabilitate. Please reconsider cutting the funds for this valuable program.
Sincerely,
Liz Dycus
I totally support the move of any organization to save program such as these. I am looking to volunteer my time as paralegal and a ex felon. Check out my blog spot to contact me about opportunities.
Hello, My name is Ray Perez in the Solano Co. area. I visited the Santa Cruz area just a few years ago to obtain some drawings and pictures my friends Ellen Davidson and Joe Mariscal had taken at the Tracy (DVI) prison in the years I was there. That was around the 1980’s in the L-wing unit.
I was hoping that I could at least get to see them displayed over the internet via William James association being that there were only seven(7) art pieces located when I was there with my girlfriend. Some of the pictures were burned and sent to me via the address I left behind. Please contact me at this e-mail I’ve left above to maybe take with Joe or Ellen, Thank you………..
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS………….