By PETER RUGG
Thanks to Scott Burnett, the Lansing Correctional Facility’s maximum-security inmates might have a guitar-therapy program.
This past spring, Burnett purchased six acoustic guitars and donated them to the prison. Burnett’s gift was inspired by British folk musician Billy Bragg's program Jail Guitar Doors, which provides musical instruments to inmates. Burnett hopes to establish an active arm of the group here in Kansas City.
“I read about it in Billboard around the first of the year, and I’ve done some guitar donations in the past,” Burnett, 33, says. “I e-mailed Billy, and he put me in touch with a dude in New York. I just wanted to make and initial donation to try and get the ball rolling and show that I’m serious about it.”
Burnett says coordinating the donation with the prison wasn’t easy, but officials there have confirmed receipt of the guitar.
Burnett’s donations were coordinated with Heidi Stubblefield, the program director for Arts In Prison, a group best know for forming inmate choirs. Burnett says the guitars were sent to a mental health unit specializing in music therapy for maximum-security prisoners.
“The guitars are in a music classroom, open specific times on specific days so they can be shared,” she says. “I thought that would be the best place for them, so it could evolve into a guitar-therapy group. Every time I’ve been there, you see a lot of guys playing guitar after work is done. They all know how to play, or they’ve taught themselves.”
Burnett plans to organize some type of fundraiser to send more guitars, and have some local artist decorate some of the instruments. Bragg has told Burnett he will mention the Lansing project on the Jail Guitar Doors site.
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