During the time I served in federal prison, music was the one thing that connected me with life on the outside. Music also connected me with my life on the inside. It gave me refuge. The hours I spent studying and practicing were hours that my energy and attention were focused on improving myself. I was putting in the work to change my situation for the better. I was trying to be prepared for the day when I was released back to the “free world.”

I was fortunate to be incarcerated at a time in America when rehabilitation was a genuine part of corrections and was supported with budgets and staffs who knew from experience that the only way to reduce recidivism was for prisoners to learn new skills and attitudes as tools to help them become contributing members of society. Not only did I grow as a man, and a musician, but music also allowed me to be of service to my fellow prisoners while I was locked up. Our prison band performed regularly for events in the facility and we even played outside the prison in community outreach events that were a benefit to all.

To sit alone in a room with a guitar to try to figure out how to say to my friends and loved ones that I had made mistakes, but that I was grateful for them not throwing me away, was a giant step for me. I know the power of music to benefit a life that looked hopeless and was rescued and reformed.

That same process continues to help me to this day.

To see Jail Guitar Doors come to fruition is absolutely beautiful. It was great to meet these guys. When I was in prison myself, many years ago, I was lucky enough to have access to a guitar, which belonged to the prison vicar! I know how much it helped me get through it.

Jail Guitar Doors made a real difference to the atmosphere at the prison. It isn’t just the guys who are on the project. The program has made a difference. It’s like a wave that sweeps out across the prison, changing how people feel about the place. It’s been a major success and inspiration in Brixton Prison. It’s down to the people who have been involved over the last 18 months to keep on making the effort, because, the truth is, most of it may well go unnoticed. I think it’s going to be really tough to change the minds of the media and the public who have a very, very different view as to what should be happening to prisoners in prisons.

In early 2007, I was looking to do something positive to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Joe Strummer when I received a request from a local jail. Malcolm Dudley, a drug and alcohol counselor at nearby Guys Marsh Prison in Dorset was utilizing his skills as a musician to set up a guitar class as a means of engaging prisoners in the process of rehabilitation. Borrowing a guitar from the prison chaplain and repairing an old nylon-strung instrument found in a prison cupboard, Malcolm began to make progress with the inmates. However, he soon became aware that their development was being held back by the lack of available instruments on which to practice between sessions. He wrote to me asking for help.

I immediately grasped the potential of Malcolm’s work, knowing from my own experience how playing guitar and writing songs can help to process problems in a non-confrontational way. I bought half-a-dozen acoustic guitars and had them spray-painted with the titles of Clash songs.

Having delivered the guitars and hearing from the inmates themselves about the positive effects of the work, I wondered if there might be other people like Malcolm in prisons across the country, willing to do the work, but held back by a lack of instruments. At the NME Awards in March 2007, I announced the formation of Jail Guitar Doors to find such people and meet that need.

I am pleased to say that the first person in the room to walk up to me with an offer of support was Clash guitarist Mick Jones. Since then, JGD has donated instruments to more than 20 prisons. I’m asking musicians, particularly those of you who were inspired by the Clash, to raise funds to help inmates take the first steps towards rehabilitation.

Prison has to be about much more than just locking people up. We want people to be able to move on from their situation and reconnect with the outside world, and my hunch was that playing an instrument – particularly a guitar – could help that.

I sat with prison officials today at Sing Sing Prison. In the course of the conversation, I discovered that an unofficial house band formed as a result of the Wayne Kramer outreach event. I asked if I could meet with the inmate musicians and was transported to the education building located near where our event was presented (Tappan Block).

The smiles on these guys’ faces, still glowing from May 2nd, was incredible! The inmates told me how that day inspired them, giving them so much hope to keep on — and the recording continues to provide them with a point of reference and inspiration in times of doubt.

An inmate ran down the hall and asked to speak with me. He introduced himself as Billy, and told me that since his entry into Sing Sing 15 years ago, he has had no contact with any family members. During this time his siblings had children who are now in their early teens. Word about Wayne and friends showing up and jamming at Sing Sing reached his family, which caught the interest of Billy’s nieces and nephews who asked their parents, “Who is Uncle Billy and how does he know all these rock stars and when do we get to meet him?”

Billy wanted me to let everyone know that because of what happened on Saturday, May 2, 2009, he now has his family back in his life and they visit him regularly! He shook my hand firmly and said, “Tell everyone you all gave me back my family. I will never forget what you did for me!”

I stood there frozen in place, speechless...

Dear Wayne,

I want to thank you on behalf of the staff and inmates of Sing Sing Correctional facility for your efforts for the “Unofficial House Band” (UHB) and for our fledgling music program.

Your donation of your amp was thoughtful and unexpected. The inmates in our music program were grateful beyond words to receive a gift from you. Gene also told is that this amp was meaningful to you, which makes it extra special to us. We could see that it was lovingly road used! As we do not have the funds to provide any instruments, your donation is essential to the expansion of our music program.

The UHB plays at many facility events such as graduations, volunteer recognition events, and cultural events. The band members attended the Road Recovery event in May and were excited by the performances and deeply moved by your candor with them. All who were there that day, staff and inmates, know that we were witness to something special and life altering. Most importantly, I know that the members of the band and all the inmates here are humbled and honored that somebody such as you on the outside cares about them and is supporting their efforts to transform their lives. We believe, as does Road Recovery, that music is an important tool that can be utilized in dealing with issues of recovery and incarceration.

Again, thank you for your kind donation to Sing Sing. We look forward to again working with you, Margaret, and the U.S. arm of Jail Guitar Doors. You are both welcome to visit us again at any time.

Very Truly Yours, Dr. Lesley Malin
Asst. Deputy Superintendent

Jail Guitar Doors is giving us the opportunity to express ourselves through music, through poetry. It’s just amazing. We find that with the whole prison routine, it’s just very monotonous. There’s no change and so when we have someone coming into prison and they bring instruments and encourage us to write and encourage us to express ourselves through song and poetry and rap and all those things, it’s something totally new. I just felt like I didn’t want it to stop. I didn’t want to stop singing. I’m in the right place.

Billy Bragg's Jail Guitar Doors UK web site

The Prison Honors Program

Ken Hartman: "The Trouble With Prison"

Justice Policy Institute

The Osborne Association

Tom Morello & Serj Tankian's Axis of Justice

Air Traffic Control

Paving The Way Foundation

Gavin Watson Photography

Future of Music Coalition

GOGI

Prisoner Support Directory

Insight Prison Project

Critical Resistance

CDCR

BOP

Justice Reform Commission