One-of-a-kind program helps incarcerated youth

Posted at: 08/10/2010 11:37 AM
Updated at: 08/11/2010 8:42 AM
 

A one-of-a-kind program with incarcerated youth is bringing some hope through art.

A mural was created by teens at the Monroe County Correctional Facility in Brighton. The Rochester City School District's Youth and Justice Program teamed up with The New York State Literary Center.

The mural is much more than art -- it has a message. The instructor says at first, most of the youth approached the project saying they couldn't do it. In the end, it helped the teens work through their struggles.

RCSD Instructor Eva Zweifler said, "Through the process of them reading, writing, drawing, talking, they actually could and they actually produced and they actually became very successful despite what they were thinking they were going to do."

You can find the murals in the visiting areas of the Monroe County Jail downtown and the correctional facility in Brighton.

The arts education partnership is The New York State Literary Center, Rochester City School Districts's Youth and Justice Program, in collaboration with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website www.whec.com.