Exploring the potential of theatre in the rehabilitation of Chilean prisoners

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyse the influence on a group of prisoners of artistic and theatrical workshops carried out at a large prison for men located in Santiago, Chile. From an ethnographic perspective, the article sets out the acquired meaning for participating  inmates of this theatrical experience and analyses its potential for rehabilitation, based on conceptual frameworks proposed by Boal, Foucault and Arendt. Participating inmates described the theatrical experience as beneficial for various reasons: a) it became a space for the recovery of dignity and rediscovery of oneself (beyond prison labels); b) they could develop creative skills and the ability to communicate non-violently with one another, breaking with the logic of the prison code; and c) they perceived their participation as opening up pathways for collaborative work, recovery of trust in others, and the development of alternative reciprocity mechanisms to those offered by anti-social patterns. In sum, the findings suggest that theatre is a promising route toward social reintegration.