06/08/2026
On June 13, 2026, from 5–8 PM, The Judith Center and Just Detention International (JDI) will open From the Inside, an exhibition featuring nearly one hundred works by individuals who have experienced trauma behind bars, including those who have been subjected to sexual abuse while incarcerated. From the Inside mainly showcases pieces by artists incarcerated in three state prisons: the California Institution for Men, the California Institution for Women, and the California Rehabilitation Center. Most of the artists are current and former participants in ther**eutic art workshops led by Just Detention International, which provide a space for incarcerated people to process trauma through creative expression. The pieces that emerge from this program reveal the devastating and personal impacts of the criminal legal system, but also propose how visual art can serve as a powerful tool while bearing witness to injustice. Presented alongside first-hand narratives written by program participants, the exhibition features drawings and paintings on canvas executed using prison-approved materials, including watercolors, paper, oil pastels, and acrylic paint. Also on view are sculptures made from mixed materials sourced from prison yards, such as food wrappers, small rocks, discarded cardboard, and leftover industrial paint. Wide-ranging in subject, this body of work centers voices that are too often excluded from public and cultural discourse. After the opening, this exhibition is free and open to the public by appointment. For more information, contact [email protected].
