SIA PROGRAMS

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Support Inmate Artist Inc. (SIA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to provide rehabilitation and empowerment opportunities through the visual arts. SIA serves both incarcerated individuals and at-risk youth, using trauma-informed methods rooted in cognitive reconstruction and personal expression. Blooming Wildflowers, one of SIA’s cornerstone programs, targets youth ages 13–18 at risk of incarceration or educational failure, delivering creative mentorship, life skills, and emotional healing through arts education.  (SIA) is dedicated to the rehabilitation, empowerment, and creative self-expression of incarcerated individuals and at-risk youth through trauma-informed, arts-based programming. SIA believes that access to the arts and opportunities for cognitive transformation are critical in disrupting cycles of incarceration, disconnection, and disenfranchisement. All participating artists must comply with Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations in order to be accepted into and remain in the SIA program.

Operating across five California state correctional institutions—including the Sierra Conservation Center—SIA delivers over 1,000 hours of programming annually. These services include visual arts education, anger management, responsible fatherhood, domestic violence prevention, and debate. The curriculum is rooted in evidence-based cognitive reconstruction techniques designed to help individuals heal from trauma, shift harmful thinking patterns, and reframe their futures through creativity and accountability. 

We are proud to support incarcerated artists who are committed to honing their artistic talents and channeling their energy in a positive and productive way while incarcerated. Through our partnership with Wildflower Art Co, the art created by these talented individuals is displayed and sold, with the proceeds from each sale reinvested back into the inmate artist. This partnership provides a platform for these artists to not only showcase their work but also to build a foundation for success upon their release.

Our goal is to help these artists achieve a successful transition back into society, empowering them to sell their art, develop business plans, teach classes, and work toward economic equity. By investing in their futures, we offer them the tools and opportunities they need to thrive. Participation in this program requires an application process for acceptance.

Rehabilitation Achievement Credit Program
Through Proposition 57 (2017), eligible participants can earn Rehabilitation Achievement Credits, contributing to their rehabilitation process while actively working to develop their artistic skills.

Curriculum Development by Wildflower Art Co.
Wildflower Art Co. develops both cognitive and artistic instructional curricula that align with our four T's: Time, Tools, Talent, and Tenacity. These principles guide the learning process, providing incarcerated artists with a comprehensive framework for personal and artistic growth while preparing them for a successful reintegration into society.

 In 2024, SIA launched Blooming Wildflowers Youth Empowerment Program, a trauma-informed, community-based youth empowerment initiative designed by Support Inmate Artist Inc. to serve teens and adolescents at high risk of incarceration, educational disengagement, or systemic marginalization. Launched in 2024, the program provides creative healing, mentorship, and life skills through the visual arts, cultural exposure, and cognitive reconstruction.

Click here if you would like to make a tax deductible donation to help us execute our programs to further serve the needs of our community.