An inmate (name withheld) who advanced to the parish finals of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) 2025 National Festival is being touted as an example of the transformative power of the arts.
The inmate was entered into the competition through the non-governmental organisation, Yard Empire, which administers a weekly rehabilitation programme in several prison facilities across the island, including at Tower Street.
Yard Empire Creative Strategist Iris ‘Terri’ Salmon said that the inmate’s journey to JCDC happened purely by chance, adding that it was not something the organisation set out to do.
“I normally say to the inmates [that] when you get locked down in the afternoons, what I taught you, if it meant anything to you, put pen to paper, try write a poem, try write a song. And when I come the following week, bring it to me and I will look at it,” Salmon said.
“He brought what was a song to me. It wasn’t a complete thing; he put together probably three lines or so and I eventually helped him,” Salmon added.
Salmon shared that, through continuous week-on-week improvements, the inmate’s language capacity and writing skill began to show promise and it was evident, even among his peers, that he had some real talent.
“Based on his writing skills and delivery. It dawned on me that I needed a place to showcase his talent. I said to him, ‘I am going to enter you into the JCDC Festival Competition’. I see where you are eager and have potential,” Salmon said.
“I knew I would need to get the support of the Department of Corrections and so I then sought a meeting with leadership,” Salmon added.
Salmon shared that while the leadership at first seemed a bit hesitant, they soon agreed that the opportunity was worth pursuing after seeing the inmate’s work.
“It’s been almost 40 years since I’ve seen a prison inmate participate in the JCDC Festival, I mean, when I was a teen it was something that used to happen, it wasn’t strange. I reminded the leadership and others of this as I sought the various approvals and even though some were initially a bit wide eyed, a lot of persons came onboard to make it possible for the inmate to be entered,” she added.
Salmon and the inmate spent the Christmas holiday preparing a dub poetry piece titled, ‘GBV Take Heed’.
The competition kicked off in January; however, on April 18, after securing a gold medal at St Luke’s Church, the inmate failed to advance to the next round.
“Most people in the audience were shocked that we didn’t go further [because] he was exceptional,” she said.
“For me it is just a good feeling because this inmate has spent most of his life, almost two decades, behind bars and I definitely could see that the competition provided an outlet to express himself and do something positive,” she added.
Admittedly, Salmon shared that not all inmates can be engaged in this way, but emphasised the importance of providing meaningful activities.
“I get it. There are hardened criminals. But the truth is, at some point, most of these people will be reintegrated into society, so we have to build them up for that time or else we will have even greater problems,” added Salmon.
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