And from at risk youths going through the rainforest to prisoners making art.
Some of the country’s most skilled artists can be found at the belize central prison. While these inmates were incarcerated for criminal offences, while spending time behind bars at Hattieville, their talents were discovered.
For seven years now Saint John’s College has been giving them the
opportunity to develop their artistic skills that one day may help to keep them out of trouble.
Today twelve of the participants concluded the 2007 – 2008 one year course and 7news caught up with them and their instructor.
Michelle Perdomo, Art Teacher, SJC
“There was like a resolution passed that SJC should do what it could to reach out to the young men in the prison system in terms of educating and letting them come and take courses. So we’ve been continuing now for six years, the first group came 6 years ago – and we have been going strong ever since. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement because we love having the boys here, they behave really, really…even better than SJC students.”
Travis Arnold, 20 Year Old Parolee
“I’ve learned things that I never thought I” could have done like for example, drawing. And you know I always got wah mind state that I mean that I’ll always put my mind fi accomplish certain things, and once I put my mind to it, I get it done. Soh it’s a great pleasure to actually be in the class learning arts. Actually I’m on parole right now and my plan is already working as a civilian staff at the Wagner’s Youth Facility teaching arts back to my fellow peers. What I have learned here, I have give back to my fellow peers, you know? So it’s a great pleasure for me.”
Oscar Chub, 17 Year Old Inmate
“Well I decided to take this arts course, because I wanted to be artist since when I was young, years old, you know?”
Jacqueline Godwin, 7News
“You’re in the process of being paroled, what’s your next step?”
Oscar Chub, 17 Year Old Inmate
“Well I supposed to get paroled in this month, the 27th., and my plans is to join the BDF, you know.”
Luis Valladarez, 24 Year Old Inmate
“I plan to put it in action because I am learning more I want to become a Belizean artist and do landscape like Belize, and paint them.”
Victor Pratt, 21 Year Old Inmate
“I’da just tek this opportunity because it is the opportunity of a lifetime, you know and I really have the skills and arts of doing things and things, you know? And I am really interested in it. And I just wanna thank like Ms. Perdomo, better known as Ms. Michelle Perdomo, and the Kolbe Foundation for giving us the privilege and everything to be at this place. And I’d like to thank each and every one of them for everything.”
Jacqueline Godwin, 7News
“But what you plan to do with the skills you’ve learned?”
Victor Pratt, 21 Year Old Inmate
“Just trying to keep on, carry on with it. Doing better and better, practicing to be better and better.”
Jacqueline Godwin, 7News
“And is there an opportunity for that at Kolbe?”
Victor Pratt, 21 Year Old Inmate
“Yes Ma’am, is an opportunity.”
Michelle Perdomo, Art Teacher, SJC
“The college has offered that any of them once they are out of prison and they would like to continue their high school education, they can go to SJC extension at night and complete their high school training which is again a very beneficial thing for them because once they have they have their education that opens doors that normally would have been closed to them.”
In September, the 2008 – 2009 art course gets underway. Twenty inmates are expected to be enrolled in that programme.
