Jesse Krimes - Sentence To Create

Apokaluptein:16389067 - Jesse Krimes

 
I have a close artist friend who a few years back began to do volunteer work in a correctional facility, teaching art to inmates. I saw her own personal transformation as a young woman before, and after. The work empowered her and did the same for the inmates she worked with, for over a long period of time. She related and empathized with these young men incarcerated, as a result of her own personal struggles, and went on to pursue formal education professionally, so she could continue to work in the field of youth and corrections. She'd often express to me how the men she met inside prison felt they had no voice, and were simply forgotten about, out of sight, out of mind.

Some time ago I'd heard about this artist Jesse Krimes  I did not follow up until now, through an article written by Kristin Hohenadel for Slate.com entitled, The Art of Doing Time .

 Jesse Krimes  is a remarkable artist, who has a very empowering story to tell about incarceration, isolation redemption, service and hope for the so called hopeless, through art.

During my own personal vocation as a Youth Care Worker I saw first hand, how art gave voice to the troubled kids and young offenders that I worked with for over twenty years. They may not have been able to express their emotions, thoughts and feelings verbally, but talking about the work was a non-threatening, and indirect way of communicating.
Art can be very personally empowering for everyone on many levels.

ReMoved

In my other life, as well as being still involved with art, I was a Youth Care Worker, and a  foster parent. I worked with, youth a risk, troubled kids, and young offenders for over twenty years. Granted, I could use my creative gifts at times with these kids, but generally, I was very busy and caught up with all of the demands and responsibilities of youth care work. This consisted of meetings, reports, being a liaison with the community, and with family members. First and foremost, I always saw my role as being an advocate for the youth I cared for throughout the years.

We live in a disposable society. This attitude tragically, and shamefully seems to have been applied to our children, as if they were throw away kids, and often are children without hope and love in a world that states and professes to believe that children are our so called greatest resource. Talk is cheap and empty.

The most frustrating thing for me, was not working with the youth directly. It was my vocation. In fact the most frustrating thing, was simply working within a broken system, that was mostly self-serving, and dysfunctional. I saw youth and families fall through the cracks, judges and social workers that didn't have a clue, and on too many occasions, I saw an appalling lack of support within the system. It was disheartening, disappointing and most of all heart breaking.

A good friend of mine posted this film that is disturbing, touching and very revealing. I hope it touches you.
I am now past the day of considering foster care again or working as a youth care worker again, and focus primarily on my art work. There are many people who could and can, and I hope they do consider being a Youth Care Worker and or fostering.
The system of course is in dyer need of change, and reform. In the meantime there are many children and youth that need safe, secure and loving stable homes.

As a volunteer in the prison system, I know how many of the prisoners I got to know, started off as foster kids. They came from abusive situations, and where shunted from home, to home, to home, often in abusive situations growing up. It is not difficult to figure out how, and why so many of these, at one time children, ended up in so called 'youth jails' that pose as therapeutic facilities, and eventually find themselves within the prison system as adults. Once inside, there is next to no help available, many have mental health issues that are left untreated, and they are basically warehoused. It is staggering to learn the high percentage of inmates that have be sexually abused as children, and how many are First Nations. Upon release there is even less support and the cycle continues.

We have have a very serious crisis with our youth in Canada, in North America and throughout the world. I remain hopeful but it is difficult, when there are not enough people who care in the world, enough to make a difference.