Imaginations, Arts, and Me

This article was written by JDPP Teaching Artist and Performer, Robin Cullen.

The W.O.R.T.H. (Women Overcoming Recidivism Through Hard Work) Unit at York Correctional Institution, a mentoring program developed in partnership with the Vera Institute of Justice and influenced by rehabilitative prison models in Norway, opened in 2018 for young women aged 18-25. In January 2019, JDPP began a program called I AM – Imagination, Arts, and Me – in the W.O.R.T.H. Unit, facilitated by two JDPP Teaching Artists, Lisa Matias and Robin Cullen.

The I AM program is a twelve-week program that meets in the unit on Thursday evenings from 5-7 pm, once in the fall and again in the winter/spring. Each 12-week session culminates in a two-hour family engagement visit where the women who have participated in the I AM program can invite their families and friends to watch a performance-style sharing of the work they’ve been doing each week. At the family engagement visit, after the sharing, the women, their families and friends, and staff members can enjoy visiting with one another for the remaining time.

On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, I AM performers – four mentors and eleven mentees – entertained  an audience of twenty-three friends and family members and nine DOC staff members. The theme was Connections. The women shared writing, art, and choreographed movement pieces they created throughout the program. The women’s sharing was amazing! They were vulnerable with their writing; created bold, colorful visual art; and took many creative risks with their movement pieces. Many of the women had never performed in front of an audience before!

Family members, friends, and the York staff members all interacted with the performers after the sharing. The women received so much positive feedback. They were very proud of themselves, and a great time was had by all!