The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Restorative Justice Program: Beyond the Wall
Mural Arts Philadelphia (MAP) incorporates the theory of Restorative Justice in providing art instruction, mural making and community service work within the criminal justice system. Inmates, ex-offenders and juvenile delinquents are afforded the opportunity to learn new skills and make a positive contribution to their communities to repair the prior harm they may have caused. In our programs ther
e is a growing emphasis on re-entry, reclamation of civic spaces, and the use of art to give voice to people who have consistently felt disconnected from society. PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS
MAP offers a wide array of mural making programs for men and women at criminal justice facilities, including state correctional institutions and county jails. Inmates in MAP programs create and install murals inside the prisons, as well as paint on cloth for community mural installations and work on landscape design and other community beautification efforts in conjunction with the mural projects. MAP's re-entry program provides mural making part time jobs to ex-offenders who participate in classes within the Philadelphia Prison System. This program epitomizes the values of personal relationships, treating all with respect and dignity, and above all, the importance of employment for ex-inmates. PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS
MAP is working with adjudicated youth at detention centers, residential programs for court placed youth and in home detention programs, as well as with young adults on probation. MAP offers art instruction and community service work, along with workshops from visiting artists and poets, and involvement in major mural projects throughout the city. A MAP initiative for young adults focuses on providing training and job skills development to young adult offenders on probation who are part of the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership program. These participants will learn mural restoration, building and lot reclamation, and landscaping, in addition to traditional mural making techniques.
