Progress slow on arts in prisons plan

Using creative art forms . . . can provide new ways for people to express themselves, reconnect with their culture. Emily Fabling

The Department of Corrections is investigating the development of a national arts in prisons strategy, after the Ministry for Culture and Heritage granted it $3 million to roll out arts programmes inside its facilities.

The progress is a welcome step for Arts Access Aotearoa, which has been lobbying for a national arts in Corrections strategy for several years.

Despite numerous studies proving the benefits of participation in the arts to prisoners, Corrections has no national framework to co-ordinate the arts within its systems, which has led to a largely ill-equipped, volunteerbased network of arts programming that differs between facilities.

A report last year found that while Corrections’ funded a parttime arts adviser to help coordinate artists across the 23,800 people in its care, there was no funding for artists to deliver programmes effectively and safely, and no consistent delivery approach across the country.

That looks set to change as the Ministry for Culture and Heritage granted Corrections $3m in funding this year to provide creative arts and cultural wellbeing programmes to people in its care.

The programmes would allow participation in cultural activities and would provide creatives with employment and skill development opportunities, ministry spokesperson Emily Fabling said.

The funding acknowledged the value of creative arts and cultural programmes to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of people in prison, Fabling said.

‘‘Using creative art forms – music, dance, theatre, painting, weaving, carving and many others – can provide new ways for people to express themselves, reconnect with their culture, and form positive learning experiences and social relationships,’’ she said.

Corrections’ deputy chief executive, Māori, Topia Rameka, said it was in the process of procuring several programmes with its new funding.

The funding provided the opportunity to explore professionally delivered arts programmes that were usually delivered by volunteers, Rameka said. It would ensure the programmes it commissioned accurately reflected the objectives of its Hōkai Rangi Strategy 2019-2024, and included te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge).

Corrections would evaluate all programmes to provide it with a ‘‘good evidence base’’ on which to develop a wider arts in Corrections strategy, Rameka said.

Arts Access Aotearoa’s national arts in Corrections adviser Chris Ulutupu said it was pleased Corrections was planning the development of a strategy, and collecting tangible data on arts programmes’ effectiveness.

But he said the $3m one-off payment was not sustainable in the long term.