Jail Guitar Doors, USA

Jail Guitar Doors seeks to improve prison recidivism rates by providing musical instruments, education and cultural experience to the inmate population. We give concerts to raise awareness of music and musical styles, and provide workshops and discussions with the indigent prison population. We provide further musical instruction capabilities, support musical arts in corrections programs, and believe music to provide extremely important re-entry life-living skills for when this population returns to society. We provide concerts to the public-at-large to raise funds in support of our mission and to help raise awareness of issues facing inmates who return to their respective communities.

Inmate population is largely indigent. 51% are doing time for drug offenses, 35% for public-order offenses (largely weapons and immigration) and 10% for violent crimes. Poverty, poor education, unemployment and poor physical health, accompanied by alcohol, drug and mental health issues, intellectual disability, and poor social and communication skills, place individuals at high risk of rearrest and reimprisonment. We work with prison officials to provide support for their institutions, and programs that teach music. Learning music teaches valuable skills: self-discipline, patience, getting along with others, focus-ability, and non-confrontational ways to express emotions. This helps inmates and helps the community to which they will return and become a part of.