Arts-in-Corrections Programs Return to California State Prisons
The California Arts Council awarded contracts to seven organizations for Arts-in-Corrections programs in fourteen state correctional facilities. Arts-in-Corrections services will be provided by The Actors' Gang, Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Dance Kaiso, Marin Shakespeare Company, Muckenthaler Cultural Center, San Jose Repertory Theatre, and the William James Association.
This Arts-in-Corrections pilot program is made possible by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), which committed $1 million to add structured, contracted Arts-in-Corrections programs in selected state prisons. CDCR is also committed to a second year of support, providing $1.5 million for fiscal year 2014-15. The funds are administered by the California Arts Council. Both CDCR and the California Arts Council have a long history of providing arts programs in correctional facilities.