MIRROR IMAGE ARTS

The Pipeline to Prison

We are disrupting the Pipeline to Prison throughout the Greater Denver Metropolitan Area. The pipeline is a charged and complicated issue, affecting youth everywhere we operate.

The United States persists in incarcerating children and youth despite overwhelming evidence of its ineffectiveness in steering them away from further system involvement. Although the number of youths arrested and incarcerated has declined significantly between 2000 and 2020, the decline is not spread equitably across all demographics. Children of color are especially vulnerable to overcriminalization and therefore overrepresented on every front. Of the 265,600 children arrested in the United States in 2021, 1 in 3 were Black children, though Black children constitute only 15% of the nation’s youth population.

Mirror Image Arts utilizes Restorative Theatre™, positive youth development, and trauma-informed and restorative approaches to disrupt this pipeline. We work with youth (ages 7-21) in schools, diversion programs, and juvenile detention centers. Through our work we aim to:

• Provide youth a safe, caring relationship with a trusted adult.

• Co-create spaces of belonging where youth AND youth-serving adults can build self-awareness, connection and empathy.

• Offer youth-supported spaces where they can process their emotions, practice bold decision-making, and reflect on the results of their choices.

• Role model for youth how resilience can be expressed so they can navigate difficult social situations and come back stronger.

• Assist schools and youth detention centers in their move from punitive disciplinary practices toward positive youth development and healing-centered engagement.