Arts & Recovery partnership plans to bring creative recovery program to female inmates at Montgomery County Regional Jail

MT. STERLING, KY: The Gateway Regional Arts Center (GRAC), Montgomery County Regional Jail (MCRJ), and the Montgomery County Health Department (MCHD) are pleased to announce their new relationship to utilize the power of art for positive social development with female inmates at the Montgomery County Regional Jail. In coordination with the BRITE Program (Bringing Resources and Information To Empower), this program will manifest as a long-term relationship between the two entities, providing art-related therapy experiences for women who live in the facility. 

“We, at the Gateway Regional Arts Center, are thrilled to be working with the BRITE Program to bring a spark of creativity to the lives of inmates at MCRJ,” said Jordan Campbell, Executive Director at GRAC. “The staff, including Jailer Ian Roberts and Chief Deputy Beth Willoughby, have been very supportive. We are also grateful to Angie Gregory at MCHD for thinking of the arts as a possibility in the already wonderful BRITE Program. This partnership will provide a consistent, encouraging creative outlet for inmates and, we hope, reduce recidivism in the long run.”

Jailer Ian Roberts shared the positive sentiment about the new partnership. ”Having taken art classes myself, I see the impact it can give expressing oneself and help to develop positive coping skills,” said Jailer Roberts. “Using art as a constructive strategy can be a new way to enhance self-expression, coping skills, stress management, and a strengthened sense of self worth.” BRITE Program Lead Angie Gregory, who has worked with the women at MCRJ for 3 years, agreed. “Healing arts is a wonderful opportunity for those in recovery or struggling with addiction,” she said. “The beauty of the arts is the various forms it can take such as painting, music and writing to allow for self expression and reflection.”

GRAC’s doors opened in 2009 and is committed to enriching the lives of people in Central and Eastern Kentucky through arts & cultural programming. It’s recent creation of the Arts & Initiative aims to create deeply embedded community partnerships with critical social services and municipal organizations to bring art to those who might otherwise not have access to creative opportunities. MCRJ shares a similar mission; in developing positive coping skills and outlets, an individual can be a productive member of society. The BRITE Program, funded through KY Overdose to Acton Grant (KYOD2A), is designed to provide linkage to care and offer resources for those struggling with addiction or in recovery. The program will consist of regular art instruction, workshops, public art showings in the Frye Gallery at GRAC, and even murals inside the jail. GRAC will provide qualified artists to instruct classes, as well as materials, and MCHD will provide integrated therapy and substance abuse-related resources. 

The ultimate goal for all three organizations is that the arts experiences will provide hope, engagement, and skill-building for the women. The end goal is that this is a tangible, life-changing avenue for those dealing with drug recovery and involvement in the justice system. “Our slogan at the Arts Center is All the Arts for All the People,” said Campbell. “And we really do mean ALL. These women are human beings, as we all are - and every human deserves the chance to learn and grow. Art is an excellent vehicle for healing and change.”

The program kicks off in September and will culminate in a public art gallery at the Gateway Regional Arts Center on Main Street in Mt. Sterling. 

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