Prisons of Creativity: Artistic Innovation During Incarceration

Sparking a discussion of the importance of creativity for the well-being of society, this book highlights and argues for the potential of those in prison to learn and exercise the skills of writing, visual arts, and music; to protect their intellectual property; and to distribute their works to the public, and the consequent benefits of their creative contribution to wider society.

Focused on the premise that a nation’s well-being and competitive advantage in innovation are advanced by promoting the creative efforts of all its citizens without exclusion, including those residing in prisons, this book uses the United States as a case study to illuminate the potential among any nation’s prison population to contribute to its store of creative works. Arguing that creativity should be encouraged for the benefit of all, it offers a framework for how incarcerated individuals globally could be permitted to engage in learning and undertaking skills in the expressive arts to produce works for public dissemination. Supporting this argument, it explores and analyses the Intellectual Property clause of the Constitution of the United States.

Emphasizing not just the internal but also the external value of creativity in prison, Prisons of Creativity widens and elevates the discourse concerning the institution of prison in society and its social goals. It will be of great value to anyone with an interest in arts in corrections, including educators and practitioners, professionals and policy makers within the criminal justice system, and students and scholars of criminology, criminal justice, and related areas.

John R. Whitman, Ph.D. is an educator, entrepreneur, and author writing about innovation, intellectual property protection for underserved populations, and the social economy. He has an AB in philosophy from Boston University, an EdM in education from Harvard University, and a doctorate in education from the University of Toronto.