HMP Erlestoke prisoners using art as part of rehabilitation

A charity is supporting the rehabilitation of prisoners by offering them the opportunity to create and sell their own artwork.

Prisoners at HMP Erlestoke, in Wiltshire, have created their own artwork as part of the Prison Art Project scheme which is supported by homeless charity ALABARÉ. Participants are able to sell their work online with 50% of the proceeds going to the artist.

Many of the participants said creativity helped with their mental health and wellbeing while others said it felt "rewarding" to produce artwork.

Laura Joy, from the charity, said: "Artwork really gives people a chance to do meaningful activity towards rehabilitation and to support better choices."

Participants are provided with an art pack full of supplies like acrylics, pencils, watercolours and pastels with the condition that they create up to four pieces of artwork.

If their work is purchased, the artist receives half of the profits with the remainder used to fund the purchase of materials for others on the scheme.

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The project has had more than 3,000 participants since it began in the 1960s.

There are currently 100 artists participating from 37 prisons and young offender institutions across England and Wales and more than 1,500 pieces of art were waiting to be uploaded and sold online.

Joy said the scheme was "a way of giving back" and a way to give the artists a "huge sense of pride".

She said: "We know how underfunded and overcrowded prisons are and there are not opportunities in some prisons for the people in prison to study art.

"I'm delighted that participants are having their artwork seen outside of their cells and internal art classes.

"Many of the pieces have some incredible personal stories behind them and capture a world view that is often hidden."

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