Pearson says Muldrow’s workshops have been a valuable addition to programming at the juvenile facility.e workshops have been eective in helping non-LGBTQ juveniles in the facility and sta members “be more sensitive and accepting in their interactions with LGBTQ people,” Pearson says. As another way to increase public awareness of juvenile incarceration in Madison and racial disparities in the justice system, photographer and GSAFE sta member Amber Sowards came to the jail several times to photograph juveniles of color there. She created a traveling exhibit called Captured, which has been shown in several local galleries and community centers. e opening event for each public showing of the exhibit included a panel discussion with community members, including two county judges. Reaction to the exhibit indicated that “people feel that it needs to be shown; it creates discussion about the (juvenile justice) system and what needs to be xed,” says Sowards, who is GSAFE’s communications and development manager. Most of the juveniles she approached in the facility were not camera-shy.ey wanted to have their photos taken, she says. “ey just wanted to have their stories told.”
time since folks in positions of power within the school district had visited the jail. Not many county superintendents had ever visited the jail or cared about the outcomes the jail school produces,” Muldrow says. But Muldrow says Juvenile Detention Center Superintendent Edjron Pearson has been “one of the most amazing partners and advocates for youth I've ever met.” Pearson saw that there was a need for the program and supported Muldrow’s proposal, she says. Part of the reason he wanted the program is that “he has run into issues with religious providers coming into the facility and saying anti-LGBTQ things to kids.”
According to its statement of purpose, the coalition formed as part of an eort to “connect incarcerated young people with programs that will then give them access to academic achievement, community building, mentorship, and artistic expression beyond the detention center and probations.” It also gives incarcerated youth the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with innovative educators and community leaders during their incarceration. e workshop has been a labor of love for Muldrow, who has “always been drawn to advocating for young people and cultivating their genius, their humor, their joy. It's a pretty incredible opportunity.” By reinforcing the idea that each individual can shape his or her destiny, “we know this kind of education is going to support the best outcomes for kids,”Muldrow says. Muldrow says the feedback from the kids “has been really positive.ey’ve been responsive and interested, and we’ve had very few incidents of negativity. When they get out of jail, many of them want to sign up for classes or other programming oered by GSAFE.” Before Muldrow began the workshops in the summer of 2015, she says “it had been a really long
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