A prison arts program in Michigan is yielding life changing results for current and former inmates by providing an outlet for their works in publications and annual public showcases. 

The University of Michigan’s Prison Creative Arts Program (PCAP) was created in 1990 by English professor and political activist Buzz Alexander who was looking for ways to address long standing issues with the criminal justice system in Michigan. 

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The program began with a theater workshop that would let prisoners enjoy the arts from the institutions that housed them. Now, more than three decades later, it has expanded to annual exhibitions, workshops, undergrad courses and events. 

Formerly incarcerated Detroiter Yusef Qualls joined PCAP while serving a sentence that would eventually be ruled unconstitutional. In 1995, Qualls was convicted at age 16 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life behind bars without parole.

Qualls said PCAP allowed him to use his natural love for art to tell his story to people beyond the prison walls. Another former inmate, Karmyn Valentine, joined PCAP during a seven-year prison stint and said she had never considered herself an artist before getting involved in the program. Valentine said for her, joining PCAP was what helped her survive prison. 

Ann Arbor native Danny Valentine, no relation to Karmyn Valentine, spent his teenage years and 20s in and out of jail for shoplifting and subsequent parole violations. When he was 29, he was dealt a 30-year sentence. Valentine joined PCAP in 1995 while in his early 30s and credits the program with saving his life. 

Artwork from Yusef, Karmyn and Danny is on display through Sunday in the Free Your Mind: Art and Incarceration in Michigan exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD). Learn more about PCAP and the annual art shows at the program’s website.