SUE ETHERIDGE, MAART BEELER, MGA

AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION143 R D CONGRESS OF CORRECTIONS

AUGUST 10 , 2013

The Use of Art Therapy to Enhance Therapeutic

Environment of Prison Hospital

Announcements

This presentation does not necessarily represent the position of the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons or North Carolina Central University.

There is no commercial interest involved with this presentation.

Learning Objectives

To discuss the benefits to the inmate artists who participate.

Show the benefits to the patients/inmates who live with the beauty of art in the prison environment.

Discuss the benefits to the staff and an enhancement to security.

Sue

Art

Federal Correctional Complex

Let me tell you a story

Let me tell you a story of a paranoid schizophrenic who was a constant masturbator in front of female staff.

He loved going to art programs and whenever he got placed in detention, he would always asked me to let him out to go to art class.

One day I told him, I would let him out to go to art class, but if he ever was written up for masturbation in front of female staff again, his punishment would be he would never be able to go to art class.

Empirical Research

There are very few art therapy programs in prisons run by trained therapists. Less than 1% of certified art therapists work in correctional environments.

Likewise there are few documented studies on the effect of art therapy in correctional facilities. Gussak’s 2008 study of male and female offenders

found for persons attending most of the sessions depression decreased and better control.

Evidence Continued

A 2007 study of Gussak on The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Reducing Depression in Prison Populations, studied forty-eight inmates chosen by a prison’s mental health counselor.

All seven items of the pre and posttest observational survey reflected significant change at (p≤ .001). These observations included: compliance with staff and rules, socialization with peers, attitude toward medication, sleeping patterns.

Evidence Concluded

While the 2008 study did not show significance in a Formal Elements of Art Therapy Scale (FEATS), many of the 14 scales were found to be significant in the 2007 study at (p≤ .05), yet overall they were not significant enough to warrant a conclusion of significance toward depression and mood. A 2006 study showed FEATS to be significant.

The three items on FEATS showing the most significance included: use of color, increased energy, and overall integration of the work.

Other studies have all concluded that art therapy in prison is a “good” thing.

Memorial

As an oncology center of excellence, FMC Butner although very good at treating many different cancers has more than 100 deaths a year.

When this center of excellence began operating in 2005 it became very evident that the number of deaths had an impact on the inmates and staff.

While memorial services were and are important, art therapy provided the mechanism for inmates to demonstrate their grief.

A Picture Says 1000 Words

Rather than wordsmith the presentation, pictures are the telling story and while we could literally show you 100’s of pictures, we are going to try and limit it to those areas we opine have the most therapeutic impact.

Memorial

Memorial

Memorial

Memorial

Chapel Mural

Chapel Mural

Wheelchair Art

Murals of the Month

Murals of the Month

Murals of the Month

Murals of the Month

Oncology Mural

Mobile

Mobile

Mobile

Mobile

Ceiling Tiles

Ceiling Tiles

Ceiling Tiles

The Missing Peace – Duke Unit – FCI 1

The Missing Peace – Duke Unit FCI-1

The Missing Peace – Duke Unit FCI - 1

The Missing Peace – Duke Unit FCI-1

Quilts and Afghans

Quilts and Afghans

Sue’s Wants to Tell You a Story About a Very Violent Mental Health Offender

Mr. BL was a very violent offender with significant mental illness. He wrote volumes about prison. Let me share a portion of something he wrote a long time ago.

Hopefully the Beginning

Questions