A Few Words from Senator Mary Henry who's been an active participant in the Project. Senator Henry is former President of the Penal Reform Trush and is a frequent visitor to Mountjoy Prison where she takes a great interest in Prisoner wellfare. Senator Henry is also famous for going beyond the call of her political brief, frequently cooking for our colourful Team at her home ably assisted by her husband John McEntagart.
The Maiano-Mountjoy Project
In the October 2006 issue of Working Notes published by the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice in Ireland Peter McVerry SJ has an interesting article entitled "Rehabilitation—Are we for Real" In this he points out that we in Ireland, have a deplorable record in rehabilitation of prisoners many receiving little or no education or training while in prison. Much the same was said in the 2005 Report by the Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention, Judge Dermot Kinlen.
Many of those in prison have a poor educational background, have few skills and a considerable number have never been employed. The chance for prisoners in Mountjoy to engage in a project, such as the Italian-Irish Arts Project making the sets and costumes for the opera La Boheme, in conjunction with offenders in Maiano Prison in Spoleto has been a unique experience for them.
Over the years the Drama Group in Mountjoy has produced plays, the sets and costumes being made by both male and female offenders. The enthusiasm of those involved, staff as well, and sense of purpose of all made me instantly feel when Joe Mitchell came to me asking for my support that this was an opportunity that could not be missed.
Governor Lonergan was immediately supportive realising that theatrical events in Mountjoy had given much towards rehabilitation of prisoners in the past. Fortunately, the Department of Justice gave us its blessing, too, and for this we are most grateful.
Porzia Addabbo and Michele Zualdi who oversaw in Dublin the designs produced in Maiano made sure the prisoners felt that they were the important members of the team. The staff in the workshop organised groups to work together who maybe had never been involved in collaborative work before. It all became just like a building site on the "outside" with some al fesco cooking adding to the sense of normality of it all.
I found it hard to believe Wilma O'Keefe when she told me that the women who make the costumes had had little experience using sewing machines before. What people can do when given an opportunity—they can even make hats!
So, the music for La Boheme was listened to by the teams, the DVDs were played and discussed. The different styles of different productions were considered. All were opera experts by the end even though I don't think any had ever seen an opera. What a pity to have to come to prison to hear an opera for the first time. People with low self esteem found it amazing what they could do when given an opportunity. As one of the women who worked on the project said "we may have done bad things, but that doesn't mean we are bad people". The certainly showed they could be very, very good sometimes.