JOHANNESBURG — The Department of Correctional Services has opened an art gallery inside Leeuwkop Correctional Facility in Johannesburg, displaying artwork created by 34 inmates.

This initiative is part of a broader program that has seen the department open nine prison arts-and-crafts galleries since 2023. The program aims to help inmates develop skills, earn income, and prepare for life after release. Correctional officials say repeat offenders contribute significantly to overcrowding, and estimates of recidivism rates in South Africa reach as high as 95%.

Artwork produced through the program is sold to the public, with prices ranging from about 50 rand ($3) to more than 2,000 rand ($120). The proceeds are used to replenish art supplies and provide stipends to the participating inmates. Inmate artwork is also displayed at events such as the Comrades Marathon Expo and the National Arts Festival in Makhanda.

National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale said, "As they leave here to serve parole and finish their sentences, this is the most effective way of making it a point that they don't do crime again." He added, "For them to also see that this can be a way of living, it helps because now they are able to manage their own finances, albeit at a small scale."

Freddy Mongkoai, a 51-year-old inmate serving a 12-year sentence for murder, joined the prison's art program in October. Mongkoai has experimented with painting and papier-mâché sculpture; his latest piece is a replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy. The Leeuwkop gallery displays one of his grayscale portraits, depicting a woman carrying firewood on her head and a baby on her back. "The elders would tell us that there is a woman carrying firewood on her head and a baby on her back, while being followed by a dog, on the moon," Mongkoai said. "That is my favorite because it reminds me of my childhood." He also said, "I get a peaceful and healed mindset when I do my art," adding, "It encourages me to be strong and present," and "I can focus, so it gives me peace of mind." Mongkoai stated, "My dream is to have my own gallery."

Just Detention International-South Africa has partnered with the correctional department on the program since 2024. Unathi Mahlati, a senior program officer at the organization, said, "A lot of them have experienced a lot of trauma before coming into the facilities, but there's not a lot of services for them to process and metabolize that trauma." Mahlati emphasized, "We emphasize that it's not about skill," noting, "It's a creative expression to process trauma." She said, "Correctional facilities have an environment that is very rigid and very dogmatic," adding, "So we give people a chance to just be."