Princeton ReachOut 56-81-06

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Krista Brune '06

Krista Brune, a Spanish and Portuguese major from Centennial, Colorado, has compiled an exceptional record at Princeton, winning the María Zambrano Prize for best junior paper in her department and the Spirit of Princeton award for her extracurricular activities and community involvement. She has participated in numerous activities, including Outdoor Action as a leader and a first aid instructor, translating for Spanish-speaking patients at the University Medical Center of Princeton and, in particular, the Princeton Justice Project. She served as its secretary, the project leader for its prison reform group, and the organizer of an ambitious prison reform conference. "This inspired me," says Krista, "to develop a volunteer component of our prison project where we would facilitate writing and art workshops for the female prisoners."

In the words of the faculty and legal advisor to the Princeton Justice Project, "Krista is a dynamo of physical energy and enthusiasm, plus unending intellectual curiosity, and a deepening commitment to social justice. Best of all, she is so totally organized a person that she puts the rest of us to shame; she keeps a schedule of meetings and activities that suggests there are at least 2 of her out there at all times, plus a full time secretary." He went on to say, "In short, you cannot find a better person than Krista: calm, diplomatic, kind to a fault, considerate of others' feelings, and always aware that she has a mission or many goals for making this a better world." Another faculty member told us that "Krista is, above all else, a supremely intelligent and intellectually curious person, who is passionate about her involvement in prison reform . . . a stunning example of what Princeton students are at their best . . ."

Krista's project is to create a website, and hopefully a book, about arts and education programs in American prisons that would serve as a resource for those active in, or interested in entering, this field. She will be sponsored by Voices UnBroken, a small, Bronx-based non-profit organization that works in New York correctional facilities and juvenile detention centers, providing inmates with resources for creative expression.

Krista plans to begin by doing research on existing programs in New York, Michigan, California and Colorado – interviewing directors, volunteers and inmates, and collecting work produced by these programs. She will create an archive of the physical materials collected, to become part of the Voices UnBroken resource library. Then she will synthesize the interview results and her findings to create a website, recording the history and cultural memory of these projects and analyzing the essential elements of successful creative programs in prisons.

According to Krista, the analytical sections "could function alone as a training manual and introductory curriculum for prison workshops. This brief material would serve as the basis for a series of training workshops that the Voices UnBroken staff could offer to university students, or other youth and/or arts groups, interested in beginning creative projects in the prisons.

"At the very least, this project would lead to a comprehensive database and resource guide of the history and present status of creative and educational work within prisons that would serve Voices UnBroken and other like-minded organizations in their prison work and me in my continued involvement in the prisons. This research-oriented project corresponds with Voices UnBroken's vision of strengthening the network of organizations involved in prison work. It would also help to increase the resources of Voices UnBroken, allowing them to continue growing into a stronger non-profit organization with a more developed national network."

The founder and Executive Director of Voices UnBroken, Victoria Sammartino, told us that a group of people who work within prisons came together five years ago and decided that a central source of information on existing programs was essential. But all of them had other time commitments, and no one was prepared to devote a year to taking on the project. So when Krista (who knew nothing of the prior meeting) approached the Executive Director about creating such a resource, she was warmly received – "just the person Voices UnBroken and the fields of prison arts and education have been waiting for."

Susan Danoff, the Executive Director of Storytelling Arts – an organization supported by ReachOut 56 that does work in the juvenile justice system – met with Krista and later told us, "I was extremely impressed with her deep commitment and interest in prison reform… Her proposal to ReachOut 56 is both far-reaching and creative . . ." Susan said that the sharing of information on what others are doing would be helpful, and added: "I have been impressed by her follow-through, commitment and intelligence . . ."

Since accepting her ReachOut '56 Fellowship, Krista was notified that she had won a Fulbright to study in Brazil for the 2007 academic year, which begins next March. Krista has arranged with Voices UnBroken to begin her work for them early – she has already joined the Executive Director in attending a University of Illinois conference on arts-in-correction programs – and to try to complete the information on the website before departing for Brazil. Upon her return in early 2008, Krista would wrap up any loose ends and, assuming the need is there, put the material in book form.

We asked Krista about her future plans. "Eventually, I plan on earning my Ph.D. in Latin American cultural studies. After completing my dissertation and coursework, I will continue researching, writing and teaching at a university. More importantly, I plan to facilitate creative expression workshops for traditionally 'underserved' communities, specifically prisoners and immigrants. These programs will combine my academic background in Latin American arts and literature with my personal creative interests in visual arts and poetry. My hope is that these creative workshops encourage the expression of voices that are often ignored."

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