AIC 2017 eBook

Highlights and Daily Activities
The conference took place over five days from Monday, June 26 through Friday,
June 30, with the first day structured as a “Pre-Conference Training Day” for
contractors working in the California state prison system. The day began with a
keynote speech by Secretary Scott Kernan of the California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation, who reviewed the department's renewed
emphasis on rehabilitation and programs that support re-entry. His address was
followed by an orientation to best practices as well as updates about the
California prison arts program with the Interim Director of the California Arts
Council and other agency staff.
Tuesday's “Overview of Prison Arts” began with a welcome by Timothy Law
Snyder, President of LMU, who reflected on this “human miracle...that occupies
each of us, and that is an astounding will to create and an astounding ability to
create. That is what makes
us distinct in the universe.” He summarized recent research documenting the
value of arts programs in corrections in the context of the university's mission,
which he described as the service of faith and the promotion of justice. He was
followed by Bryonn Bain, performance artist and UCLA professor, who performed
excerpts from his nationally acclaimed show, ​Lyrics from Lockdown. In addition to
panels on evaluation, restorative justice, building public awareness and cultural
equity, Tuesday's program included the first day of the sequential art classes for
which participants had signed up in advance.
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