// BBC HEALTH NEWS — SALUTE
Charity using art to help inmate rehabilitation
A self portrait of an inmate in his cell created with acrylics
One inmate created a 3D model of a peacock butterfly
A charity is supporting the rehabilitation of prisoners by offering them the opportunity to create and sell their own artwork.
Prisoners at HMP Erlestoke, in Wiltshire, have created their own artwork as part of the Prison Art Project scheme which is supported by homeless charity ALABARÉ. Participants are able to sell their work online with 50% of the proceeds going to the artist.
Many of the participants said creativity helped with their mental health and wellbeing while others said it felt "rewarding" to produce artwork.
Laura Joy, from the charity, said: "Artwork really gives people a chance to do meaningful activity towards rehabilitation and to support better choices."
Participants are provided with an art pack full of supplies like acrylics, pencils, watercolours and pastels with the condition that they create up to four pieces of artwork.
If their work is purchased, the artist receives half of the profits with the remainder used to fund the purchase of materials for others on the scheme.
The project has had more than 3,000 participants since it began in the 1960s.
There are currently 100 artists participating from 37 prisons and young offender institutions across England and Wales and more than 1,500 pieces of art were waiting to be uploaded and sold online.