>> Thompson: IN WASHINGTON,
MAJOR REFORMS TO THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE BEING DEBATED
BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THE
WHITE HOUSE.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST POLITICAL
PARTISANS TAKING PART IN THIS
CONVERSATION.
HOPING TO BRING PUBLIC AWARENESS
ABOUT SOME OF THE MANY ISSUES
ASSOCIATED WITH INCARCERATION IS
A GROUP OF ARTISTS WHO KNOW THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FROM THE
INSIDE.
PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND SPECIAL
CORRESPONDENT ALISON STEWART
REPORTS.
>> Reporter: IT TOOK ARTIST
JESSE KRIMES THREE YEARS TO MAKE
A 30-FOOT WIDE MURAL OUT OF BED
SHEETS CALLED "APOKALUPTEIN
16389067."
THE WORK WAS RE-CREATED AT A
FORMER PENITENTIARY IN
PHILADELPHIA THAT IS NOW A
MUSEUM.
THE TITLE OF THE WORK MEANS
APOCALYPSE AND INCLUDES KRIMES'
INMATE NUMBER.
HE MADE THE PIECE WHILE SERVING
FOUR-AND-A-HALF-YEARS IN FEDERAL
PRISON.
>> THIS WORK IN PARTICULAR IS
KIND OF A CULMINATION OF THAT
EVENT.
AND KNOWING THAT I MADE IT
THROUGH THAT SITUATION AND
DIDN'T END UP CONFORMING TO THE
IDEA THAT I'M A CRIMINAL, OR THE
IDEA THAT I'M SOMETHING OTHER.
>> Reporter: IN 2009 HE WAS
ARRESTED FOR DEALING DRUGS
SHORTLY AFTER GRADUATING FROM
COLLEGE WITH AN ART DEGREE.
>> I THINK LIKE MOST AMERICANS,
I HAD A VERY DIFFERENT
CONCEPTION OF WHAT GOING TO
PRISON WAS LIKE.
AND SO WHEN I WENT IN THERE AND
I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT, OH WOW,
THESE-- EVERYONE'S JUST A NORMAL
PERSON JUST LIKE I'M A NORMAL
PERSON WHO MADE A BAD DECISION.
AND SO IT MADE ME REALLY ANGRY.
SO I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING WITH
THAT FRUSTRATION AND WITH THAT
ANGER, AND ARTWORK IS ONE OF THE
MAIN WAYS THAT I KNOW HOW TO
SPEAK AND COMMUNICATE.
>> Reporter: COMMUNICATION ABOUT
IMPRISONMENT IS AT THE HEART OF
AN EXPERIMENT.
IT'S CALLED THE RIGHT OF RETURN
FELLOWSHIP.
JESSE KRIMES AND SIX OTHER
FORMERLY INCARCERATED ARTISTS
FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE THE
FIRST RECIPIENTS OF THE AWARD,
WHICH GAVE THEM EACH $20,000
TO CREATE ART ABOUT THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
IT WAS FUNDED BY THE OPEN
PHILANTHROPY PROJECT, WHOSE
MISSION IT SAYS IS TO IMPROVE
LIVES, AND "TO GIVE AS
EFFECTIVELY AS WE CAN AND SHARE
OUR FINDINGS OPENLY SO THAT
ANYONE CAN BUILD ON OUR WORK."
GRANT OFFICER CHLOE COCKBURN
FOCUSES ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REFORM.
>> A LOT OF OUR GRANTS ARE ABOUT
PREDICTING A PARTICULAR
DECARCERATION IMPACT, AND
WORKING BACK FROM IT, AND SAYING
HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT THIS GRANT
WILL PRODUCE THAT IMPACT.
I DON'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF CASE
WITH THIS GRANT, IT'S MORE LIKE
A SENSE.
FORMERLY INCARCERATED ARTISTS
COMING TOGETHER, NETWORKING,
COULD BE A REALLY INTERESTING
JUMPING OFF POINT FOR
INTERVENTION IN THIS CULTURAL
CONVERSATION, LET'S TRY
SOMETHING THERE.
SO I CAN BE KIND OF
ENTREPRENEURIAL, EXPERIMENT WITH
IT A LITTLE BIT.
>> Reporter: ONE FIFTH OF
COCKBURN'S $25 MILLION BUDGET
GOES TO ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECTS
LIKE THIS ONE.
THE COMBINATION OF ART AND
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AS A
CATALYST FOR CHANGE MAKES SENSE
TO COCKBURN, WHO IS AN ARTIST
HERSELF AND A HARVARD TRAINED
LAWYER.
>> WHAT ART IS PUSHING TOWARDS
US IS THIS IDEA OF CULTURE
CHANGE, GETTING PEOPLE TO KIND
OF SEE SOMETHING THEY DIDN'T SEE
BEFORE, BECOME EXPOSED, AND
PROXIMATE.
>> I WAS ARRESTED WHEN I WAS
NINE MONTHS PREGNANT.
>> Reporter: THE THEORY IS TO
BRING PEOPLE WITH FIRST HAND
EXPERIENCE WITH THE JUSTICE
SYSTEM INTO THE CONVERSATION
ABOUT WHAT ISSUES NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED.
>> THIS FELLOWSHIP IS DIFFERENT
IN THAT IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE, AND
NOT LAWS AND POLICIES, ABOUT
SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS INVESTING
IN THEIR LEADERSHIP TO CONNECT
TO EACH OTHER, AND TO TELL
POWERFUL STORIES, AS FORMERLY
INCARCERATED PEOPLE, AND AS
ARTISTS.
>> Reporter: THE FELLOWSHIP WAS
PROPOSED AND ADMINISTERED BY THE
SOZE MEDIA AGENCY, AN
ADVERTISING FIRM CO-FOUNDED BY
MICHAEL SKOLNIK.
IT WAS MENTIONED ON TWITTER AND
A FEW BLOGS.
NO ONE EXPECTED WHAT HAPPENED
NEXT.
>> WE WERE HOPING THAT WE WOULD
GET MAYBE 40 ENTRIES FOR THE
FELLOWSHIP.
WE HAD 327 IN A MONTH, IN FOUR
WEEKS, WITH NO ADVERTISING, NO
BILLBOARDS, NO, RIGHT, NO MASS
MARKETING TO GET FOLKS TO
RESPOND, IT WAS REALLY WORD OF
MOUTH.
>> Reporter: ARE THERE ANY
BENCHMARKS THE ARTISTS NEED TO
MEET?
ARE THERE ANY PARAMETERS?
>> THEY DO HAVE TO CREATE A
PIECE OF ART THAT IS CONNECTED
TO A CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
CAMPAIGN.
SOMEBODY MAY MAKE A VIDEO FOR A
PROSECUTORIAL RACE IN INDIANA,
SOMEBODY MIGHT MAKE A BILLBOARD,
OR A DANCE PIECE, OR A POEM.
>> Reporter: THE INTRODUCTIONS
BEGAN AT A MANDATORY FELLOWS
WORKSHOP IN NEW YORK CITY.
THE ARTISTS MET WITH A VARIETY
OF POTENTIAL COLLABORATORS
INCLUDING EDITORS FROM THE
MARSHALL PROJECT, A NONPROFIT
NEWS ORGANIZATION COVERING THE
U.S. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
>> I WAS NEVER ONE OF THOSE
PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY SAT DOWN
AND GAVE IT TOO MUCH THOUGHT
OTHER THAN DOING THINGS THAT
OTHER PEOPLE THOUGHT WERE
CREATIVE.
>> Reporter: JUAN ORTIZ WAS
JAILED AS A TEENAGER FOR TAKING
PART IN A CAR THEFT.
HE IS NOW 42 YEARS OLD WITH A
MASTERS IN PUBLIC POLICY AND
ART.
>> ARTWORK WAS JUST THE TAIL END
OF ME TRYING TO DO SOMETHING.
FOR ME, A LARGE PART OF IT
COALESCED AROUND PROBLEM-
SOLVING.
LIKE HAVING AN IDEA, AN EMOTION,
SOMETHING I WANTED TO CONVEY
THROUGH ARTWORK.
>> Reporter: AS A YOUNG MAN
ORTIZ SAW MANY YOUNG LATIN-X
PEOPLE ENTER THE ILLEGAL DRUG
TRADE.
SOME WENT TO PRISON.
SOME DIED.
FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE GROWING UP
ON THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER, THE
AMERICAN APPETITE FOR DRUGS IS
PART OF THE PROBLEM... AS HE
DEPICTS IN THIS DRAWING THAT HE
SUBMITTED AS PART OF HIS
FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION.
>> THE PAINTING SHOWS UNCLE SAM
INJECTING HEROIN AND SAYING,
"THIS IS WAR, LET'S DO OUR
PART."
AND KIND OF MONEY FALLING OUT OF
HIS POCKETS.
AND USING THE BORDER WALL AS A
TOURNIQUET.
>> Reporter: HIS ACTUAL
FELLOWSHIP PIECE USES THE WALL
AS A CALL TO UNITY.
IT'S A MURAL AT THE U.S.-MEXICO
BORDER PROMOTING COOPERATION.
AS PART OF THE FELLOWSHIP, THE
ARTISTS WERE GIVEN A TOUR OF THE
WHITNEY MUSEUM'S BIENNIAL
EXHIBIT, WHICH FEATURED SEVERAL
WORKS THAT SHOWED THE POWER OF
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION ABOUT
DIFFICULT SUBJECTS.
SOMETHING THESE ARTISTS ARE
HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH THEMSELVES.
IN HIS FELLOWSHIP PIECE, KRIMES
PLANS TO DOCUMENT THE VIOLENCE
AT NEW YORK'S CONTROVERSIAL
RIKERS ISLAND PRISON.
HE WANTS THE PIECE TO BE A
MOBILE PUBLIC ARTWORK SO IT CAN
REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS
POSSIBLE.
>> I THINK ONE OF THE MAIN
THINGS THAT ART IS ABLE TO DO
THAT OTHER MEDIUMS ARE NOT IS
IT'S MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE IN
WINNING OVER HEARTS AND MINDS,
AND ALSO ELEVATING ISSUES THAT
MAYBE GO UNADDRESSED WITHOUT
SOME KIND OF TANGIBLE, VISIBLE
THING FOR INDIVIDUALS TO
INTERACT WITH.
>> Reporter: SEVEN PEOPLE,
THAT'S A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE,
WHAT DIFFERENCE CAN GIVING SEVEN
TALENTED PEOPLE A NICE SUM OF
MONEY, WHAT DIFFERENCE CAN THAT
MAKE?
>> I WOULD ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE,
WHEN YOU GIVE A SPEECH, WHEN I
GIVE A SPEECH I'D BE AFRAID
NOBODY WOULD SHOW UP.
IF ONE PERSON SHOWS UP, THAT ONE
PERSON COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THAT PERSON
IS.
SO THESE SEVEN PEOPLE, THAT ONE
PIECE OF ART COULD CHANGE ONE
PERSON'S LIFE.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE
REVERBERATION OF THE INSPIRATION
OF THIS ART WILL DO, AND THAT'S
THE FUN PART.
