None of this is easy

A couple of days ago, I gave a lecture about art in criminal justice contexts. It’s not a field in which I have deep expertise. My experience of running art workshops in prison dates from the 1980s and early 1990s, and took place in relatively good conditions. Since then I’ve been inside only to see the work that others have done, and talk to those involved. That work is among the most difficult, serious and important I have ever seen. Those who dedicate their lives to it, including the audience for my lecture, know that better than anyone. They live its tensions and dangers on a daily basis, and see also its triumphant capacity to transform lives. They do it with their eyes open, believing that all of us are capable of change, however long and painful the journey might be.

When I was preparing the talk, I was contacted…