"Concrete, Steel & Paint portrays the core values of restorative justice—respect, responsibility and relationships—expressed through art. it is art that involves victims, offenders and communities in a dialogue that is sometimes difficult and painful, sometimes reconciling, but always engaging. As one prisoner says in the film, ‘We have come together collectively through art.’ It will be a great discussion tool for college classes, community groups and others interested in issues of justice, community-building, conflict resolution and socially-engaged art."

"This film takes us through the process of translating ideas, feelings and hopes into art that can speak to the public about justice and redemption, but it is also the story of transformation, as offenders and victims resolve heart-felt differences and gaps in their awareness, and come together to build something beautiful. In an academic setting this film can illustrate the complexities of issues like of victim awareness, offender reintegration, and restorative justice, and help to begin conversations that add depth to what students read."

I used ‘Concrete, Steel & Paint’ in an Introduction to Corrections course to focus student group work over the course of the semester. Small groups worked on framing major themes, questions and issues the film raises and collecting and evaluating relevant information. Groups focused variously on perspectives of crime victims, offenders and reentry, community arts and community justice, prisons and prison reform, sentencing and restorative justice. Students reported that using the film in this way was an extremely effective means of engaging them in grappling with the core issues it raises. For example:

• The incarcerated men created a mural design and found that victim advocates viewed it differently than was intended. How are crime and justice understood differently, depending on one’s perspective as victim, offender or community member?
• The film depicts both a process and a product. Is justice a process, a product or both?
• What does the project suggest about what victims, offenders, their respective families and community people need from the justice system?
• The muralists decided to create two murals, instead of one as originally intended. Is it possible to have one justice outcome that works well for all involved or is a package of responses required to, for instance, address victim and offender needs?
• The interviews with community people about their reactions to the murals suggest that the mural speaks to the experiences of those not involved in the project, is open to their interpretation and impacts them in different ways. The mural is, in a way, living and dynamic. Can the justice process have a similar impact on those not directly part of it?

“I like the film. It’s about our lives. My brother’s name is on one of those murals.” And so the sister of a victim of violence in the city of Philadelphia began the conversation the first time I screened “Concrete, Steel, & Paint” with students. It is about my students' lives and their community. But, the film is also about some of the big questions that many educators want students to grapple with and grow from: What is just punishment? What is restitution? What does it mean to wrong society and pay for your wrongs? How are differences constructed between people (criminal/non-criminal, victim/offender, us/them) and how are they bridged? The questions are not easy, and the answers are not always clear. The film, pedagogically sound in that regard, does not simplify or sanitize. It allows us to grapple. And be moved and inspired while we do it.

“Concrete, Steel & Paint was screened at the 2009 National Conference on Restorative Justice.  It presents a realistic and powerful portrayal of the emotions and quandaries when offenders and victims meet.  Victims and offenders met in prison to work on a collaborative project to develop neighborhood murals for use in high crime areas of Philadelphia.  In the process there is healing for victims, earned redemption for offenders developed through the shared process of creating public art.  Shared creative processes provide the mechanism for honest, human dialogue from which they gain mutual respect, understanding, and empathy.  I use it in my courses in corrections, reentry and restorative justice to stimulate and reinforce discussions of alternatives to traditional ways of thinking about justice issues.  It is a terrific film.