GUTS "Grow Up Today and Support each other"

Through an innovative approach we wanted to develop a method that could help to reduce reoffending among young (ex) prisoners and offenders. We wanted to help them to set targets for their future ...

The overall idea of the project was that young inmates must reflect on their offences and imagine a future without crime. We also wanted to take them back to their youth when they had ambitions and dreams. We wanted them to learn from their mistakes and to formulate ambitions and take steps to realize a better future. Music fosters social connections and community within prisons, reducing feelings of isolation and promoting solidarity among inmates. It serves as a therapeutic tool, alleviating stress, promoting relaxation, and aiding in the processing of trauma. Importantly, music contributes to detainees' rehabilitation by instilling discipline, perseverance, and teamwork — qualities crucial for successful reintegration into society. Overall, music in detention transcends mere entertainment, offering hope, empowerment, and avenues for personal growth. In our opinion the project achieved this by working with autobiographical storytelling techniques and writing rap songs. The overall ambition was to create an opportunity to rework the experience related to the crime but also to realize an opportunity for mutual reflection on the experiences shared by all participants.