a Detroit rock legend is bringing
guitars into a pretty unlikely place MC
fives Wayne Kramer and as jail guitar
doors provide prisoners with instruments
photojournalist Alex at Wells shows us
how the program is pacing inmates here
in southeast Michigan sorry the prompt
away from us uniquely Detroit right now
as you can see me I'm wearing this badge
of disgrace this blue uniform I'm in
there for conspiracy murder and I've
been in for 43 years
I'm in for first-degree murder I've been
incarcerated for the past 32 years
I'm in locked up for aiding and abetting
I'm wearing this badge of disgrace based
upon the choices I've made twenty eight
and a half years ago we asked you to
give us the spirit and the strength to
be able to express ourselves in this
powerful the song it exists it's already
in the air yes we just have to pay
attention yeah jail guitar doors come in
great program that uses guitars as a
form of therapy and healing to use this
program moved me in a spiritual way what
we do is we give them a subject we have
the right how they feel about this
subject they're just giving you what's
in their soul it's real this program is
facilitated by Wayne Kramer
it's well known I served a federal
prison term in the 1970s and ultimately
decided if we don't do something to help
people change for the better the
experience of prison life itself
will change them for the worse and he
felt that no heart was a good thing to
be able to bring therapy to guys and to
be able to lift up the human spirit the
program has meant a lot to me because
they just allowed myself and other men
here to be able to open up express
ourselves well lift our spirits what
this does for these guys this breaks up
the monotony of doing time and it also
lists these guys know they're still
human let them grow this helps them grow
embrace the qualities that they bring
and these guys were
we're gonna remember this for a lifetime
you know it deeply inspired us you guys
inspired as we thank you for sacrificing
in time there's people on the outside
free world that cares about people like
us they know that we're your maybe
happiest times in your life we're all
about relationships music is a portal
it's a conduit for us to connect with
each other and ultimately we feel that
we're not alone and so if we can just
get back to the fundamentals of having
good basic wholesome relationships I
think that's really what brings us
happiness and makes us successful it's
the way we communicate and create a
community we meet in the music as the
first song said forgiveness gives us
wings
[Applause]
[Music]
thank you for the love that you have
shown is thank you for donating guitars
and thank you for helping us to come
together in unity sent a positive
message out there you can see really a
private event a private sort of effort
project so grateful they let us bring
our cameras in to show you what was
going on great job by Alex at well yeah
and you're singing along and you look
over and there