Inspired by JR’s project in the Tehachapi Maximum Security Prison, and the Tehachapi documentary released by JR in 2024, a new program emerged for the Can Art Change the World? Foundation a Global Prison Art Program that uses educational and artistic programming to create opportunities for rehabilitation and healing for those in and connected to our world’s criminal legal system. Our prison program was created to continue to utilize the work, methods and vision of JR to deliver transformative programming and educational experiences that create community, belonging and artistic storytelling in prisons around the world.
Our prison program was created to continue to utilize the work, methods and vision of JR to deliver transformative programming and educational experiences that create community, belonging and artistic storytelling in prisons around the world.
In 2025, the Prison Program deepened its impact and expanded its reach worldwide. We completed our first formal program evaluation, using insights from the Tehachapi screening at Tehachapi prison to strengthen our approach and guide future growth. In partnership with Lunarsol, we launched a 12-hour tablet curriculum that now brings JR’s arts-based education to over one million incarcerated individuals across the U.S. The California Department of Corrections approved the program for Rehabilitation Achievement Credit, with new workshops led by Barrett Fadden — a former participant turned facilitator. Our team also led creative workshops across Maine and hosted a Tehachapi screening and Q&A connecting incarcerated participants with local communities. Internationally, we partnered with the French Ministry of Justice to bring screenings, workshops, and our new workbook to prisons across France. This year, The Lancet featured JR’s The Yard in its Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts, presented at the Guggenheim — highlighting the growing recognition of art’s power to transform and heal.
Help us unite communities through the transformative power of art, culture, and education. Your support will enable us to foster creativity and spark social change worldwide.
