Iowa City-based writer Andy Douglas will talk about his latest book, based on his experiences singing in a choir made up of incarcerated men and community volunteers in a medium-security prison in Iowa. The book describes the joys and struggles of creating music in such an environment, discusses how the arts can transform lives, and explores a restorative justice approach for the American criminal justice system. This event will also feature singing!

“Based on my experience as a volunteer singing in a choir with prisoners, the book delves into issues of restorative justice, music and the arts as rehabilitative tools, and explores some of the most pressing issues facing the criminal justice system and the men and women whom we as a society have chosen to put behind bars. Through interviews, correspondence and personal experience, I tell the stories of several “insiders,” volunteers and prison administrators, aimed at providing a window into this complex and fraught world. The book also takes a deep dive into a number of the issues facing the criminal justice system. It engages with restorative justice and the importance of victim acknowledgment and reparation. It looks at other programs that help insiders atone and come to grips with their emotional lives, as well as develop skills and knowledge they’ll need post-release. Mostly, though, the book is about the sheer joy of making music together, of creative, collective, connective singing!”

More info: http://www.andydouglas.net/redemption-songs/