[UPDATED] Archbishop: Don't judge prisoners

Archbishop Jason Gordon says no one should be judged, no matter the circumstances, or how far they have fallen. He was addressing inmates serving life sentences during the launch of the TT Prisons Service's 10th Inmates Art Exhibition yesterday at Long Circular Mall, St James.

It is being held in collaboration with the Raja Yoga Prison Ministry.

Nine of the inmates came from Carrera Convict Prison and the other from Remand Yard.

Titled Beyond Bars –Connecting the Inside With the Outside, the five-day show gives the inmates the chance to showcase their talents through their paintings. There are 86 pieces on show.

"People are people," said Gordon, "and we cannot ever judge people by the worst thing that they might have done. We always have to give people a chance for the best thing that they have also done.

"When you see the art that has come out of the prisons, it reminds us that people who are in prison are human beings with a lot of gifts to offer back to us in society."

He said their paintings were reminding the world of the need to use art to make life a masterpiece. He said looking at the inmates and their works of art showed how this country has forgotten so many of its people.

"Society needs to understand how we accept that talent and that gift for the building-up of our nation and for the enhancing of our culture, and that everyone has a contribution to make. It is a wonderful experience to see the art and the contribution that our brothers are making to the arts of TT, and also the beauty that is seen in the art."

The archbishop said the inmates may be in a dark place, but were still able to find beauty within. He said a person who was incarcerated was not necessarily a person who was not free, and the art demonstrated that even in the confines of a prison there was a freedom of imagination, conscience, expression, and a freedom that produced beauty.

"We have to understand that we have to treat each citizen as a human being with incredible dignity, because not because they can produce art we treat them with dignity, no. We treat everyone with dignity, and that means we give everyone the opportunity to become the best versions of themselves."

Prisoner on remand Cleophus Maynard has been in the system for six years and has applied for a plea bargain for a lesser sentence in return for pleading guilty. He is on a capital charge.

He had a special gift for the archbishop –a very realistic portrait of him.

The archbishop said he was most impressed with Maynard's talent and congratulated him on the rest of his work.

The soft-spoken Maynard said he spent most of his life in the United States and it has been difficult making the transition in TT.

"I was involved (in the incident), but it was an accident.

" I really want to get out of prison. The system is totally different to what I am used to, so it has been very difficult for me."

Maynard said painting helps him pass the time as he awaits his sentence.

This story was originally published with the title "Archbishop: No one should be judged" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Archbishop Jason Gordon says no one should be judged, no matter the circumstances, or how far they have fallen. He was addressing inmates serving life sentences during the launch of the Prison Service's 10th Inmates Art Exhibition today at Long Circular Mall, St James.

He said their paintings were reminding the world that people need to make their lives into masterpieces.

Looking at the inmates and their works of art, he said, shows how this country has forgotten so many of its people.

Inmate and lead artist Alladin Mohammed said through practice and contemplation, even the most deformed mind can be reformed. Art was therapeutic in the reformation of the inmates, he said, and the prison system has moved away from retributive to restorative justice, helping the inmates to be part of the solution.