Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Ex-con artist shows inmates that life is a work in progress

When Charlie Patterson was doing time, in 2003, a local artist saw something in him and gave him a second chance.

When Charlie Patterson was doing time, in 2003, a local artist saw something in him and gave him a second chance.

Now, twice a week, every week, Patterson, 46, returns to Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, where he teaches art to inmates, imparting life lessons along the way.

His efforts - or mission, as he calls it - are part of the city's Mural Arts Restorative Justice Program.

"It's about giving something back to these guys and making a connection by telling my story and the impact it can have on those coming in here," Patterson said.

Inmate Marc Thomas, 38, said Patterson is just what he needs.

"He's a definite inspiration to me," Thomas said during class recently as he shaded blue chalk on the background for a parrot he had drawn.

"He was in our shoes, so he knows what it's like, and if we do go home, he'll help us stay on the straight and narrow."

Until recently, Patterson's life had been just as chaotic as the lives of some of the inmates he now teaches.

Patterson had prior arrests for robbery, weapons and drug offenses.

Most recently, he left Curran-Fromhold in 2005 after being held for 23 months while awaiting trial for an armed robbery, of which he was later acquitted.

While inside, Patterson became involved with an artist, Al Tull, who was working on a mural as a part of the city's Mural Arts Program.

"I had always had an interest in art, but Al became like a mentor to me," Patterson said.

When Jane Golden, the director of the Mural Arts Program, saw the work that Patterson had done with Tull, she made him a promise.

"She said, 'When you get out, I will have a job for you if you want it,' " Patterson said.

Golden said that she believes that offering people like Patterson opportunities is a part of a larger obligation to society.

"What we try to look for in candidates is a spark, a certain interest, dedication, drive or tenacity that makes us feel like they would be a good fit," Golden said. "You never know what the outcome will be, but I feel like to do nothing is unacceptable."

Golden said that when she met Patterson his spark was undeniable.

"What I immediately noticed about Charlie was that he worked very hard and had such dedication and talent," Golden said. "There was never a doubt in my mind that he would succeed."

Golden started the Mural Arts Restorative Justice Program, in 2001, to help create meaning in the lives of the inmates who were involved in the projects.

Because of the overwhelmingly positive feedback, Golden started holding art classes as a part of the program.

"It's definitely something that can give the inmates a psychological boost," Golden said, "because here you have a group of people who, instead of being known for something negative, are being embraced for something positive."

Lou Giorla, the prisons commissioner, said that the partnership with the Mural Arts Program was designed to teach inmates to express themselves in a positive way and to beautify the dull, empty walls of the prison hallways.

"What it did was, it softened the atmosphere here while allowing [the inmates] to engage in a pursuit that was acceptable, and gave them a lasting sense of hope," he said.

Patterson's students agree that the class provides a break from daily prison life and an opportunity for personal growth.

"It relieves a lot of stress," said Charles "Stutter" Ingram, 19, who is awaiting trial for attempted murder, as he finished a portrait of his girlfriend and 2-year-old son with the words Daddy loves you scrawled at the bottom.

Henry Jackson, who is awaiting trial on weapons charges, said that Patterson is motivating him to strive for something better.

"He knows where I come from, so he understands and he takes great patience to help us," said Jackson, his paintbrush soaked in hunter-green paint and poised over the stencil of a flower.

"It gives me a great sense of hope to change," he added, "because he came from where we come from and he turned his life around."

And that alone, added Earl Johnson, 29, who is doing time for a gun charge, makes attending the class "even more worthwhile."