|
REPRINTED FROM THENEXTMAYOR.COMFebruary 9, 2007 press release, (submitted via e-mail) |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2007
CONTACT: Melanie Johnson
(215) 545-9700
(267) 984-2027 cell
melanie@nutter2007.com
Philadelphia, February 9, 2007— Mayoral Candidate Michael Nutter will travel with Jane Golden of the Mural Arts Program (MAP) to Graterford prison tomorrow to see prisoner-rehabilitation efforts firsthand. Nutter has made safety and crime a centerpiece of his campaign, and the effective re-entry of prisoners into society is a vital component of his strategy.
“More police officers on the street will help stop crime in the short term,” Nutter said. “But if we want to make this city safe in the long term, we must offer prisoners the opportunity to transform their lives after prison.”
Nutter will arrive at Graterford Prison at 9 a.m. Saturday morning. He will meet with the prison superintendent, tour the facility, and visit the auditorium, where inmate-created murals have been painted, largely my prisoners serving life sentences.
MAP was started as a way to find alternatives for young people involved in graffiti or other minor crimes. As part of its efforts, MAP travels to the State Correctional Institution at Graterford to work with inmates enrolled in an officially-recognized work program. Participants work with MAP to create murals for schools and community centers throughout Philadelphia.
Nutter views prisoner rehabilitation as an integral part of his long-term plan to rid Philadelphia of violence, and he is eager to see how programs like MAP have worked to transform the lives of prisoners.
The prison is located at Graterford and Perkiomen Creek roads in Graterford, Pa.
###