Prison Arts Collective Research Project

Participants of AIC: Reframing the Landscape of Justice presented by California Lawyers for the Arts, The William James Association, the Justice Arts Coalition, and Santa Clara University at Alcatraz.

Overview

The Prison Arts Collective (PAC) Research Team conducts interdisciplinary research examining the role of arts engagement in the lives of individuals who are incarcerated. Working in partnership with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and other collaborators, our research explores how participation in arts programming relates to well-being, creativity, resilience, self-expression, personal growth, and community building.

Our research uses a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative data to develop a fuller understanding of participants' experiences. Pre- and post-program surveys include validated measures of psychological well-being and creativity, along with open-ended questions that allow participants to describe their experiences in their own words. This approach enables us to examine measurable patterns while centering the perspectives of the people participating in PAC programs.

PAC's research is conducted under SDSU Institutional Review Board (IRB) and California Protection for Human Subjects (CPHS) oversight. Participation in the research is voluntary, informed consent is obtained, and survey responses are de-identified to protect participants' privacy. This work has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts and California's Arts in Corrections program, helping PAC build a sustained research and evaluation program examining the role and impact of arts engagement in correctional settings.

Research Goals

PAC's research seeks to strengthen understanding of the role that sustained access to the arts can play in correctional settings. Our goals are to:

Understand the impact of arts participation on well-being, creativity, resilience, confidence, self-expression, and personal development.
Explore community and connection by examining how collaborative creative experiences may contribute to trust, empathy, communication, belonging, and positive relationships.
Center participant experiences and perspectives by combining quantitative measures with participants' own descriptions of the meaning and impact of arts engagement.
Build the evidence base for arts in corrections through rigorous, interdisciplinary research that contributes to scholarship, program development, and broader conversations about rehabilitation and restorative approaches.
Inform practice and policy by translating research findings into knowledge that can support effective arts programming, evaluation, partnerships, and future research in correctional settings.

PAC’s Impact

Creativity:
- 70% of described themselves as creative and open to novel ideas ,
- Participants expressed a desire for active involvement in learning, confidence in project execution, adaptability to change, teamwork in collaborative settings, leadership, and effective communication in social situations.
Well-Being:
- 80.6% of participants reported that "I've been feeling optimistic about the future."
- 82.5% of participants also noted that "I've been feeling good about myself.”
- 82.6% of PAC participants noted "I've been thinking clearly."

Major Takeaways:
- Ability to Express Themselves in a Safe Space: Participants described the classroom as a unique place in the prison environment where they felt valued, supported, and encouraged to express themselves honestly. One participant stated, "this class is, out of MANY classes, courses, programs, etc., by far my favorite. I look forward to it all week and am able to find, explore & express the artist buried inside me in a safe supportive environment."
- Art as Therapeutic Practice: Many claimed that engaging in creative endeavors reduced the pressures associated with incarceration by promoting emotional processing, reducing anxiety, and creating moments of peacefulness. One participant stated that there is “No other class like this! I am a 'lifer' and do all 'serious,' heavy rehabilitation programs. It is wonderful to have a class where I can relax and 'de-stress' for a few hours. I believe it 'relieves tension and anxiety' to become fully absorbed in a creative project. Beneficial for 'mental health' and 'well-being.”
- “Changing Thoughts and Behavior: “I find myself turn[ing] my thoughts towards art when risky situations or negative thoughts. As I focus more on my arts I find less & less negative [thoughts] making appearances. Thank you.”
- Building Community: “I learned how to open up and be more vulnerable with my peers and I found we actually got [things] in common.”
- “The most important thing I'm taking away from these expressions is the similarities I share with other kinds [of] different cultures.”
- “I've learned to work with others outside my race and learned to paint and mix colors.”

Publications

Buckley, A. (2026). Changemakers’ guide to prison art programming. In Bridging the gap. Routledge.

Heisterkamp, B., Jackson-Green, B., Oshiro, G., Buckley, A. (2024). Prison Arts Collective: Arts Research Process and

Collaboration in Carceral Settings. In Buckley, A. ed., Higher Education And The Carceral State: Transforming Together, Chapter 19. Routledge Press.

Buckley, A., & Trejbalova, T. (2023). Where does art fit into American prisons? European Forum for Restorative Justice.

Buckley, A., & Anderson, A. (2020). The Prison Arts Collective program: An exploration of the benefits of arts education on incarcerated individuals. In Arte en prisión: Justicia restaurativa a través de proyectos artísticos y narrativos.

Annie Buckley presenting at Arts in Corrections: Building Bridges to the Future conference, organized by California Lawyers for the Arts and the William James Association, at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.

Conference Presentations

More, S., Kras, K., Buckley, A., Oshiro, G., Heisterkamp, B., Herrera, F. (2025). The Transformative Power of Art: Well-Being and Resilience in a Prison Arts Program. Presentation at the American Society of Criminology Conference 2025.

Kras, K., Buckley, A., More, S., Heisterkamp, B., Oshiro, G., Herrera, F. (2025). Evaluating the Effects of Arts Programming on Well-Being and Creativity Among Incarcerated Individuals in California: Insights from Pre- and Post-Surveys. Presentation at The Western Society of Criminology Annual Meeting.

Oshiro, G., & Trejbalova, T. (2023). The impacts of arts programing on wellness: Evidence from California prisons. Presentation at American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting.

Buckley, A. (2022). Moving the margin: How art behind bars changes lives—and changes art. Presentation at the College Art Association.

Buckley, A., Heisterkamp, B., Oshiro, G., & Jackson-Green, B. (2022). The impacts of arts programing on wellness: Evidence from California prisons. Presentation at the National Conference on Higher Education in Prison.

Buckley, A., Agustin, J., Baca, A., Garcia, C., & Quevedo, C. (2021). CSUSB community-based art. Presentation at California State University, San Bernardino.

Buckley, A. (2021). The power to change: Reshaping institutions from carceral to academic. Presentation at the College Art Association Annual Conference.

Huitzil, N., & Masushige, A. (2020). Prison Arts Collective: Distance learning art education in California prisons. Presentation at No labels, No Walls Conference.

Prison Arts Collective. (2016). Community based art: Prison Arts Collective. Presentation at California State University, Northridge.

Prison Arts Collective. (2016). Community based art: Prison Arts Collective. Presentation at University of California, Los Angeles.