In Brooklyn, criminals will be sent to an art studio instead of a prison

Kings County Attorney in Brooklyn, New York, suggests the vandals go to an art studio instead of a prison. He is a proponent of a fine anti-crime policy for the visual arts. It is reported New York Post.

In particular, the prosecutor offers criminals to take drawing lessons instead of appearing before a judge.

So, under the program, crime suspects can attend two-hour classes at the Brooklyn Museum. There they will discuss famous works of art, and then create their own drawings and collages. After this, the charges will be dropped, Gonzalez said on Wednesday, October 2.

The program, called Project Reset, caused outrage among the police. They say that Gonzalez "must return to the drawing board."

“I’m honestly stunned ... you just give the criminals all the power,” one of the policemen was indignant, and then added: “What about the rights of the victim?”

To obtain the right to participate in the program, a person must be accused of non-violent misconduct, including vandalism, or petty theft, and receive temporary release, the source said.

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In the classroom, the suspects will study vivid and controversial paintings, as well as philosophical ideas about criminal justice reform. After that, they will be able to “turn to their inner Picasso,” in the message.

“They draw, and I explain to them: I don’t care what it looks like - just draw, be free ... We give them a pass, books for drawing and invite them to return to the family and share it with her,” Craig Bleu told a press conferences, presenting the program. It is he who conducts these classes. - Then he added: "When they leave, we leave the past behind."

After that, the charges are dropped from the participants, their cases are closed, and they are no longer required to stand trial.

Gonzalez insists that this program makes the justice system “fair.”

“It's about bringing people to justice, but doing it in a way that respects human dignity and provides them with tools to contribute to their community,” Gonzalez said. “This will reduce recidivism and make our justice system fairer.”

But the police say the program will dissolve the criminals, as it will eliminate the serious consequences of the offenses for them.

“You are stealing, but due to the fact that this is a low-level crime, are we going to send you to an art class?” A police source was indignant. He added that it “becomes scary”.

In the Gonzalez office, they reported that 51 people had already passed the program - after attending art lessons, their affairs were closed.

The scheme is funded by taxpayers from the city council, as well as from private sources of the Cohen Foundation, the Tau Foundation and the Art for Justice Foundation.