Kultura i Edukacja 2011, No. 6 (85)
ABSTRACT
Th e article concerns the role of culture in conditions of isolation in prison. Th e author argues
that cultural activities are (together with education, work, or exercise) important in infl uencing
the behavior of inmates in penitentiaries. People who are serving a prison sentence not
only have a chance to assimilate culture in a passive way, but also to create it as well. Prison
cultural products include paintings, prints, ballads and songs, proverbs, poetry and plays,
ornate letters, as well as art objects created (oft en on request) for aesthetic and functional
purposes. Art created “behind the walls” has various functions, such as mitigating the eff ects
of isolation, promoting positive self-esteem for prisoners, or fi lling their time.
Key words:
grypsera, culture, rehabilitation, prisoners’ creativity
