This paper is a record of monitoring and evaluation of visual arts expression in six inmates subject to re-education measure at Turopolje Correctional Institution, minors showing disturbed behavioural patterns, with felonies record, difficulties in verbal expression, with various educational background, intellectual capacities, financial standing, from various categories of primary families and social and cultural milieus.
The goal was to establish how far expression through visual arts influenced the introspection process and resolving of conflicts without expert help, improved communication with the environment, adaptation to penal circumstances, development of positive behavioural patterns, psychological and social maturation processes. The inmates' expression through visual arts was also monitored as a non-verbal communication helping the involved expert in observation, diagnostics and therapy in cases of no or insufficient verbal communication.
The research was done by methods of systematic monitoring and data gathering.
The research showed that through visual arts the inmates articulated emotional and other problems more easily, adapted better to penal conditions, gained insight into their personal advancements. It also helped them develop skills and habits that in the future could help in the socialization and reintegration process as ultimate goals of re-education measure. It also provided a tool for monitoring their attitude towards the re-education measure and its implementation and the transfer of inmates with the expert team.
The authors hope this study will contribute in promoting visual arts therapy to the status it deserves and its introduction as a full-scale discipline in the implementation of individual prison sentence execution programme.