ArtCARE:
Outreach
to Juveniles in Adult Jails
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About ArtCARE
Miami artist and attorney Xavier
Cortada is currently working (during 2001) with juvenile offenders aged 14 - 18
who are incarcerated at Turner Guilford
Knight Corrections Facility waiting to be tried or sentenced as adults.
These youth have been transferred, or direct filed, to adult criminal court,
and are participating in ArtCARE: Outreach to Juveniles in Adult Jails. As part of this project, 140 youth will write a
message that Cortada will incorporate into a collaborative mural. A smaller group of youth
will make drawings, write poetry, create a rap recording, and participate in video and
photography sessions.
A public
exhibition showcasing the mural and other materials related to this project will open on
February 1st, 2002, 6:00 8:00 p.m. at Casa Grande Cultural Center. After the exhibition, the mural will be installed
in the lobby of the Office of the Public Defender. ArtCARE: Outreach to Juveniles in
Adult Jails is a collaborative effort of The Office of the Public Defender and
Miami-Dade Art in Public Places.
These youth, on the threshold of entering the adult court punishment system,
are in need of support programs and guidance as they make the transition to adulthood
under the harshest of conditions. This
program will provide the benefits of arts access by using art as a vehicle for these youth
to develop self-awareness and to share their life experiences with each other and the
community at large. The various projects created by the youth during this phase of ArtCARE
will be designed to caution other youth about the consequences of delinquent behavior and
to educate the public at large about the direct file process and its many consequences.
The underlying premise of the exhibit is that the direct file
approach treats these children as if they are little adults who are not salvageable, and
frequently denies them an opportunity to turn their lives around. Florida leads the nation in juvenile transfers to
criminal court. In fiscal year 1999-2000, nearly 3,300 juveniles were transferred to adult
criminal court in Florida. Rather than
placing youth in the revolving door of adult probation, prison and boot camps, they could
be sentenced to intensive and long-term juvenile commitment programs such as Bay Point
Schools. Such commitment programs have
a record of successfully rehabilitating these adolescent offenders who are often
emotionally unformed and in desperate need of support, education, and guidance as they
enter adulthood.
Miami-based
Cuban-American artist, attorney and activist Xavier Cortada combines his passion for art
with a deep concern for social and political issues and a belief in the power of art as an
agent for social change. He has worked
collaboratively with diverse groups across the United States, Latin America, Europe and
Africa to create pro-social community murals and participant-driven art projects.
Locally, Cortada has served as Artistic Director of various efforts
sponsored by Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, including Master-Peace (a
school-based art project in Miami-Dade County Public Schools) and PATH
(Public Art Transforming Housing in Miami-Dade Housing Agency). In 1999, he worked with
youth in the Countys residential dependency and delinquency programs to create the
mural that hangs in the façade of the Juvenile Courthouse.
ArtCARE: Outreach to
Juveniles Being in Adult Jails is a continuation of an ongoing ArtCARE program
providing the benefits of arts access to juvenile offenders. Miami-Dade Art in Public Places received funding
from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs Community Grants Program and is
in partnership with the Office of the Public Defender.
ArtCARE: Outreach to
Juveniles Being Tried As Adults is an aspect of the Anti-Violence Initiative
established by Public Defender Bennett Brummer to help clients lead law-abiding lives. |
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PROJECT PARTNERS
Miami-Dade Art in Public
Places
Miami-Dade Art in Public Places is a nationally recognized
percent-for-art program established in 1973 to oversee the implementation of public art
installations and educational programs. An ordinance allocates 1.5% of the construction
cost of new county buildings for the purchase or commission of artworks. The goals of the
program are several: to enhance the artistic heritage of Miami-Dade County, to give
dimension to the public environment for residents and visitors, to increase public
awareness to works of art, to promote understanding and awareness of the visual arts, and
to provide educational opportunities to at-risk youth.
Law Offices of Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender
Bennett H. Brummer, the Public Defender for the Eleventh Judicial
Circuit of Florida, created the Anti-Violence Initiative (AVI) to build and enhance
client, government and community collaborations. The AVI is designed to improve public
safety, government accountability and reduce the number of victims. It is directed toward
effecting meaningful, positive and lasting changes in clients lives. The
collaboration between the Office of the Public Defender and ArtCARE is in furtherance of
the principles of AVI.
Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department
The Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department employs
more than 2700 officers and staff and is comprised of six correctional facilities. One of
the facilities, Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGK), is the facility where
juvenile males are held awaiting trial and sentencing. Director Lois Spears is dedicated
to providing caring, compassionate and competent services to incarcerated juveniles. The
professionals with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation collaborate with the
community, various public and private agencies and the criminal justice system to deliver
quality correctional services.
Miami-Dade Weed and Seed
Weed and Seed is a strategy within the U.S. Department of
Justices Office of Justice Programs. It is a comprehensive multi-agency effort to
prevent crime and revitalize the community. Volunteers and staff of the Miami-Dade Weed
and Seed Ex-Offender Re-entry Program conduct weekly visits with juveniles who are
transferred to adult court and are detained at the Turner-Guilford Knight facility. The
outreach program endeavors to recreate a sense of morality in the community while opening
doors for ex-offenders who feel there is no hope for them after incarceration. Following
the completion of their sentences, Miami-Dade Weed and Seed facilitates the
juveniles access to social, economic and educational opportunities.
With the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural
Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County
Commissioners.
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SPECIAL THANKS
This project would not have been possible without the amazing team of
committed individuals who collaborated to guarantee its success. Carol Wilson-Sharp, a
social worker in the juvenile wing of Turner Guilford Knight Corrections Facility, has
worked with juveniles for many years. She was with the team everyday and provided insight
into the plight of the youth. Ms. Wilson-Sharps office is papered with drawings and
letters written by former juvenile inmates. Some of the letters form part of the
exhibition. Tim Walker is a designer and photographer in Miami who volunteered to
photograph the boys for the exhibition. LaEatrice McMurray of the Public Defenders
Office was instrumental in ensuring that jail visits ran smoothly and Jonathan Stout spent
numerous hours producing a videotape of the youth. Conrad Hamather, artist and Director of
Galleries, Miami-Dade Community College, created an installation evoking the cell
experience at TGK. In addition to coordinating the ArtCARE project and compiling this
publication, Lea Nickless Verrecchia of Miami-Dade Art in Public Places collaborated with
Xavier Cortada to create an art installation for the exhibition using prison jumpsuits and
messages written by the youth.
We also thank the following individuals: Wayne Rawlins, Executive
Director of Miami-Dade Weed and Seed, and Public Defender employees: Elisa Corrado,
Rebecca Cox, Tamara Gray, Carlos J. Martinez, Anita Margot Moss, Marie Osborne, Kathleen
Redmond, Lolita Samaroo and Mildred Velez. We also wish to especially thank Janelle Hall,
Captain Manny Fernandez, Lieutenants C. McKenzie and T. Vickers, Sargeant C. Lindo,
Corporals P. Prydent and W. Dominguez, Officers F. Chicoye, S. Johnson, G. Faison, C.
Martin, L. Hardley, S. Perry, M. Thompson, F. Belus, Black, Handfield, Counselors Terry
Moore and Juan Canelo and the entire Juvenile staff at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional
Facility.
To obtain a copy of this information in a brochure publication, contact Lea
Nickless Verrecchia, Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, 111 NW 1st Street, Suite
610, Miami, FL 33128 305-375-5362 tel/305-375-5345. |
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