Hearty Music Behind Walls
The voices of more than 60 male and female singers were smooth and powerful. The glorious high and low voices struck all the audiences who happened to hear the choir and could not help but ask who these singers were and where had they trained, for being able to perform such beautiful melodies. The answer was rather surprising when it was told that these singers were drug addicted prisoners from various correctional institutions who had gathered and been trained for a choir, part of inmates’ treatment program called Music Therapy, in prison.
Music is not something new. Indeed, it is a general activity that has always been performed within prisons as recreation program. In Thailand, most prisons usually have one or more music bands, traditional Thai and rock band, trained and performed by inmates as entertainment on various occasions such as New Year and other festivals. But just during this last year, Pathum Thanee Correctional Institution for Drug Addicts cooperated with the Christian Ministry Mission to train a group of inmates for a chorus team. The outcome of the training was so satisfactory that it has brought joy and pride to all concerned parties who could not resist bringing these inmates out of the institution to convey that heartfelt joy to audiences across the country. This music therapy has simply represented that it not only creates a positive outcome to the inmates themselves, but also enhances productive attitude in those who hear the voices of the choir.
The inmates of Pathum Thanee Correctional Institution are previous drug addicts who do not know even a single music note. When chorus singing was introduced to the institution, they were puzzled and did not expect themselves to be qualified or capable members of the choir. But thanks to the strong effort of trainers, in a short period of time, the inmates have finally found themselves and proven to be a capable team of chorus singers. Their beautifully combined voices have rendered astonishment and admiration to every person who listens to the choir. Hearty music has happened behind those secret walls.
Actually, the choir is not merely a singing activity. The inmates who participate in the choir have learnt to live and interact with other inmates. They have to cooperate, to study, and to exchange experiences with one another. The outcome of the interaction is considered as productive as other theoretical rehabilitation activities. The singing practice has rendered both physical and mental treats, and proves to be an economical and worthwhile investment of human resource development.
Following the Department’s “Open the Prison to the Community” project, the inmates have been brought out to perform chorus singing to the public outside prisons. People in the community can learn about the prison’s activity and, at the same time, the choir can be a protective wall against drug addiction within the risked group, particularly students in educational institutions. As ex drug addicts, the participants are spending their time behind bars due to the drug offences they committed. Indeed they are in the best position to give warning to the younger generation not to enter the dark circle of drugs like their previous painful experience.
At present, the choir activity has expanded into more facilities. From time to time, choirs from different institutions are brought out to perform on different occasions and in different places across the country. Their voices not only marry among themselves to create endless beautiful songs, but it also creates linkages between inmates and their friends, inmates and the staff, and between Corrections Department and the community. The music rendered by the choir is the voice leaking out of the walls, providing information on the treatment of inmates to the public. It has also taken part in drug prevention programmes for youth. It is definitely the pride of the inmates and all correctional staff.
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Prison choir singing in public