Street Art for Better Mental Health Among Inmates – Art For Redemption
"If you want to understand a society, go to its prisons." – Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
A Brief Overview of Our Core Idea:
Welcome to our art project, where we harness the power of art to improve the mental health of inmates at Bergen Prison—and ultimately contribute to a safer society for everyone!
It’s obvious that it’s in all of our interests to live in the safest environment possible. However, the path to achieving that is less clear. When we look at the link between overall health and crime within a population, it becomes essential to differentiate between punitive imprisonment and meaningful rehabilitation.
Project Description:
This initiative was started a few years ago by our friend Ollis, who has worked as a prison officer for 18 years. The project faced some delays along the way, but we’ve finally received the green light to transform the courtyard walls at Bergen Prison!
We are a collective of 20 street artists, united by a common goal—to make a positive impact on the lives of the inmates at Bergen Prison. We believe that the road to recovery, and the prevention of reoffending, is closely tied to improved mental health and overall well-being.
The courtyard walls were dominated by dull, gray concrete. This is where art comes into play. Our goal were to transform the prison’s bleak courtyards into inspiring and motivating spaces through the use of color and form. We know that colors affect our emotions, and gray is probably not the “color” you want surrounding you when you’re trying to change your life.
Why Care About Criminals?
Showing compassion for criminals may seem odd to some. But when we look past our instinctive reactions and focus on both societal benefits and empathy, it might make more sense.
Prison inmates often carry a heavier burden of traumatic childhood experiences than the general population. This can include anything from physical abuse and neglect to sexual abuse during their upbringing. These are consistent predictors of criminal behavior—regardless of gender or other demographic factors—and they are reflected in the mental health of inmates both before and during their imprisonment. This is where compassion plays a key role. With empathy, we can help break the vicious cycle of crime, paving the way for a safer future for everyone.
After all, every inmate is someone's child, perhaps a parent, a friend, a neighbor, or a former classmate—an individual who may have been failed early on, and whom society did not adequately care for. Many of us remember someone from our own childhood or our children’s social circles and thought, "How did things go so wrong?" or "It’s a shame no one stepped in earlier," or even, "It could have easily been one of ours."
Norwegian criminal justice policy aims for prisons to be not only a place of punishment but also of rehabilitation. We all want to live in a safe society, don’t we? That means we need those who return to society after serving time to be as well-prepared as possible to participate and contribute to the community. Good mental health is crucial for all of us to be motivated and capable of change.
