Hello, I am Dr. Randall Horton, and I am the Executive Director of Radical Reversal. I, along with Artistic Director Devin Brahja Waldman are co-collaborators of the Radical Reversal Project, a poetry/music band dedicated to challenging systemic injustice in the American legal system through the installation of recording studios and creative/performance spaces as well as programming in the Department of Correction facilities in the United States.

The video on this page features an original song recorded at Ross G. Bell Youth Detention Center in Birmingham, AL.

Radical Reversal seeks to amplify the dialogue concerning incarceration and create justice and rehabilitation equity through artistic practice. We believe it is our civic duty as human beings to cross-collaborate aesthetically and educationally with artists, communities, and organizations to impact the lives of those on the “inside.” This project hopes to create a new dialogue that situates art and artistic practice in the middle of the conversation regarding the prison industrial complex and prepares the returning citizen for life long after the physical release from the “inside.

To date, we have installed recording studios/creative spaces inside three prison facilities with the support of grants from Creative Capital and Poetry Foundation: Jefferson County Youth Detention Center in Birmingham, AL, Suffolk County House of Corrections in Boston, MA and Minnesota-Faribault Department of Correction in Faribault, MN. So far our music studio installations have been met with a large degree of excitement from those who are on the inside, and we have been successful in recording their music and poetry."

Please visit our website: radicalreversal.org and check out the progress we have done in each facility. Also, please feel free to sign up for the Radical Newsletter!

Having spent time in prison—having visited many prisons and juvenile facilities across the country where I did readings, lectures or workshops—the one thing that always hunts me when I leave a facility is the lack of creative and educational outlets that will make those on the inside feel good about themselves and create a better mindset to face the outside world once released from prison. When they ask, “When are you coming back?” I often have no answer.

So, what are we asking for?

We are fundraising for travel, accommodations and workshop fees for our Radical Teaching Artists (RTAs) program in AL, MA, and MN to work inside the facilities teaching poetry, music and audio engineering workshops. We are hoping to raise some funds to last us into the fall, at which point we will be applying for other grants to install more music studios inside more prisons. With your support, we will be able to maintain a presence in all three studios we've installed so far and use what funds we still have left from our Poetry Foundation grant to provide the remaining musical equipment according to the inmates' wish list. We have begun the process of becoming a 5013c nonprofit entity and we are awaiting our determination letter, which is also a costly process. With your help, we will be able to cover our expenses to physically show up in the three studios that we've already installed and also work with local artists who teach workshops so that the inmates have consistent access to the studios.

If you would like to donate musical instruments or recording equipment, please contact [email redacted]

"Thank you kindly for your support.

Sincerely

Randall Horton and Devin B Waldman"