Inside Scotland’s largest prison, HMP Barlinnie, in the North-Eastern suburbs of Glasgow, Creative Scotland is extending its funding to inmates. Through a program run by Jill Brown, inmates at HMP Barlinnie are getting the opportunity to write, produce, and record their own music. For those south of the border, Creative Scotland is an organisation, funded by the Scottish government and the National Lottery Fund, that helps people engage with the arts. Whether that be financial support for music venues struggling with the fallout of COVID-19, or funding for local film festivals, Creative Scotland has been at the heart of the country’s arts scene since 2010.
Jill Brown has been intermittently working in Barlinnie Prison for the last 10 years, organising performances and shows for inmates. From this involvement with the prison, Jill began to arrange songwriting workshops for prisoners with an interest in hip-hop and rap music. In addition to the Barlinnie workshop, Jill has embarked on a publishing project. Conviction Records is a label, formed in late 2021, that focuses on giving those with a criminal history the support they need to pursue a career in music. While the label remains in its early stages of development, secured funding from Creative Scotland marks the beginning of the Conviction Records project.
Speaking to the BBC, Jill said: “The workshops are designed to give the guys who take part a voice, because a lot of people who are actually in jail have never had a voice.” This is a significantly different perspective than one heard last year from Edinburgh Live and the Daily Record. In May of 2023, a video of several inmates rapping in Midlothian’s Addiewell Prison surfaced on TikTok. Reports from both outlets were scathing, calling the prisoners “Shameless”. Although this video was by no means sanctioned by prison staff and was recorded on a smuggled smartphone, it does reveal that many behind bars need some form of creative outlet. It is this need that Jill Brown aims to serve, making prison a more productive and rehabilitative environment for people who often lack the opportunity to integrate back into society.
Speaking to the BBC about the workshop program, one inmate said: “It’s gave me something to look forward to, and it’s something I’m going to follow up on when I’m out. It’s came at the right time. It’s gave me a chance.” Projects like these are few and far between but hopefully the success of Jill’s work in Barlinnie will inspire other facilities to take a leaf out of her book.
