Prisoners from across the state know their art has been picked to appear at the Artists on the Inside exhibition, but they cannot attend the exhibition at the Kerry Packer Civic Gallery in The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre in the city.

Their work is labelled with anonymous statements telling what inspired them to pick up a paintbrush. One, called Dreamtime, tells of a “collaboration of white and Aboriginal culture coming together”, while another is simply called ‘Life’.

‘Window to the Reef’ shows beautiful images of underwater sea life, its artist tells in an explanatory note how it came from a place of wanting to depict “something bright, and colourful and fun”.

All have been painted in a prison art therapy program that the executive director of offender development at the state’s correctional services department, Darian Shephard-Bayly, says is helping prisoners explore new ways to look at the world.

“Through producing art, prisoners can build resilience, discover new skills and strengths, share humour and express gratitude,” he says, adding that art can help lower frustration levels, alleviate boredom and create connection.

“There’s a healing quality around art. Many people need to face what they have done and the impact that it has had, the impact it’s had on their loved ones, as well as the community, and this can be a comforting part of their rehabilitation.”

A section of the Window to the Reef artwork on show. Photo: supplied

Art therapy has been helping prisoners for the past 12 years as the state continues to work toward ambitious rehabilitation targets helping prisoners build new life skills to lower the rates of re-offending and returns to the state’s prison system.

In 2016, the State Government announced a target to reduce the numbers of prisoners re-offending and returning to prison by 10 per cent in 2020 – from a 46 per cent rate of re-offenders at that time.

Shephard-Bayly said the state surpassed the target – tracking prisoners from 2020 to 2022 to see if they re-entered the prison system – and finding numbers had fallen to 39 per cent.

“At the same time the national average rose from 51 per cent to 53 per cent,” he said.

Now a new target has been set to reduce the numbers of prisoners returning to South Australian prisons after release by 20 per cent on the 2016 rate up to 2026.

It has not just been art that has helped, with Shephard-Bayly saying the therapy is part of a comprehensive investment in rehabilitation focusing on helping prisoners look at life and their choices through a new lens.

There are also more intensive behavioural change programs in place discussing domestic violence, sexual behaviour and violence prevention, along with drug and alcohol programs.

An emphasis on Work Ready, Release Ready programs to equip prisoners with skills to re-enter the workforce are also helping, along with more services to support those released.

As part of the South Australian Living Artists exhibition at The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre’s Kerry Packer Civic Gallery on the UniSA City West Campus, visitors can vote for their favourite artwork and leave a handwritten comment for the artists.

While the art is not for sale and each piece will be returned to its owner, Shephard-Bayly believes it still helps the artists make a connection with the wider community.

“Prisoners get a sense of pride, and may find new identities and a sense of belonging when completing a piece of art. This, in turn, contributes to improving post-release outcomes,” he said.

“Learning art really does give people an opportunity to try something they have never tried before, there’s a quality around art that exposes ideas and concepts that are beyond some of the interactions some people would have previously had.

“There are ideas and concepts that can extend their thinking.”

Artists on the Inside is showing Monday to Friday until August 30.