Justice in the Making- Reflections on Prison Art and Advocacy
When I first heard of Impartial and its Criminal Justice advocacy work, I was immediately drawn to its mission, ideas, and programs. This was when I first reached out to begin working with Impartial, but my main interest began to shift once I discovered the prison art program and was introduced to some of the many beautiful pieces of art Impartial had collected and was exhibiting. I was only further inspired when I heard that Impartial volunteers were gathering these prisoners’ individual stories along with their work to bring greater light to their stories. It has been truly inspiring to see this program continue to grow.
The power of prison artwork is clear as it defies the expectations society often imposes on incarcerated people. Through the individualized artwork, incarcerated artists communicate emotions and insights that most of humanity will never see from them. During work with Impartial and navigating the website like many readers here likely are, I was struck by the paintings created by individuals with possibly lengthy sentences, yet were still capable of creating deeply moving, often hopeful works of art.
Impartials advocacy on behalf of prison artists is one way of bringing light to those systematically silenced. It is so powerful that Impartial uses the prisoners themselves to organize support for advocacy and reform that pushes their liberation to the forefront. These visual stories deny the dehumanizing tropes we often see in mainstream media and instead ask us to consider: What happens if we center the humanity of the imprisoned?
The article gave me something no law or theory of law could, the emotional truth of incarceration. One that I remember is a plain pencil sketch of an adorable looking dalmatian, which definitely lingered with me. As a dog owner myself, it led me to wonder, was this a sketch of a prisoner’s dog they had left behind? It reminds us all that in every case there is a human life with history, pain, artistry, and dignity.
We’re taught in law school to look for precedent, procedure, and efficiency. But lost in the mix is the human element, the real lives that the legal systems we’re studying shape. Reading Impartial and its prison artwork initiative made me stop and listen to the voices we often ignore. This expanded my concept of what it means to advocate. Advocacy is not just drafting arguments or compiling evidence, it’s telling stories that reach people at a human level. It’s showing them that justice is tangible, not just logical. Working with Impartial taught me that reform isn’t just about changing laws, it’s about changing minds.
And art, especially from those behind bars, is a powerful tool we possess for doing that. As a budding lawyer, I would like to carry forward what I have learned here, that justice requires rigor and empathy. This prison art program is such a great reminder for so many who may be disheartened by what is occurring in our world today that hope exists, and we can act to humanize the law. I believe that it is important for all future law students to understand this.
My name is Sophie Pilkington and I am from a small town in Western North Carolina where I grew up on big blue mountains, with my very big family. I now attend The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and will be graduating with my bachelor’s in May of this year! I will be graduating with a double major in Political Science and History and a minor in Women and Gender Studies, and I hope to attend law school in the Fall of 2025. I am currently waiting for final decisions on my law school applications and taking a breather before I embark on this journey! I love dogs, horses, reading, hiking, and all things History related! I even just came back from a semester abroad in Florence, Italy. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and get to know me!
Sophie Pilkington
