OUR MISSION
The Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) brings those impacted by the justice system and the University of Michigan community into artistic collaboration for mutual learning and growth. We believe everyone has the capacity to create art and that artistic practice is a fundamental right of every individual. Our creative arts workshops, publications, and art exhibitions provide opportunities for incarcerated people to express themselves, learn new creative techniques, and grow in their artistic practices. We believe in the fundamental role of art in forging connections across vast physical and social distances, and the role of creativity and imagination in forging a more socially just world.
About Prison Creative Arts Project
PCAP is a university program that offers many different kinds of creative arts programming in all twenty-seven adult prisons in the state of Michigan, as well as several youth facilities and communities of formerly incarcerated people. Our core programs include a literary journal, academic courses, creative arts workshops, art exhibitions, and a reentry arts program. Founded in 1990 with a single theatre workshop, PCAP now reaches over 1,500 incarcerated participants and over 100 U-M students each year. Our community includes U-M students, faculty and staff, community volunteers, youth and adults in detention and treatment programs, and formerly incarcerated adults.
Project Updates & News
PCAP Podcast
While We Were Away is a podcast by formerly incarcerated people, for formerly incarcerated people—and those who are preparing to transition out of incarceration. This podcast follows the stories of community members who have invited us to share in their moments of joy, sorrow, and learning upon coming home.