Mural Gives Elmwood Inmates a Voice, Celebrates the Power of Hope and Rehabilitation

"Rising" explores the theme of fatherhood from the perspectives of current and former inmates at Elmwood Correctional Complex.

For Mark Ashford, a former inmate at Elmwood Correctional Complex, the darkness was selfishness and lack of compassion.

“I didn’t care about nobody but me and what I wanted,” said Ashford, one of several dozen current and former Elmwood inmates who contributed to the mural. “I didn’t care who I harmed or hurt, besides my family.”

That's the person he used to be. Today, he identifies with the words of light and healing at the top of the mural, which are written into the figure of a man holding a child: love, empathy, respect, trust.

The 10-by-4-foot painting, which explores the theme of fatherhood, is the result of a collaboration between the County of Santa Clara Office of Diversion and Reentry Services, County Sheriff’s Office, Gilroy-based nonprofit Carry the Vision, and the Gilroy Center for the Arts, which featured “Rising” in an art exhibit this winter. The venue also hosted a roundtable discussion earlier this year on restorative justice that included County leaders, community partners and mural participants.

The purpose of the mural is to enable people who have been incarcerated to be seen and heard, transform their pain into art, and inspire others. It is also meant to foster a broader conversation about transforming the criminal justice system in Santa Clara County through a focus on compassion, healing and rehabilitation.

“Rising” is one of three murals created for the Office of Diversion and Reentry Services in the past five years. It complements a similar mural, also produced in collaboration with Carry the Vision, involving women who were incarcerated at Elmwood. That project was titled “Still. I Rise.”

“These mural projects allow for our justice-involved community to share their experiences from incarceration to reentry,” said Javier Aguirre, Director of the Office of Diversion and Reentry Services. “Their voices, through art, can be seen by the entire community, allowing all of us to come together in dialogue and understand this journey with hope and empathy.

Rising above darkness and torment

The artist behind the mural is Rolando Barrón, who worked with current and former Elmwood inmates to produce the four-panel painting. The men were given sketches of the mural to color and adorn with words. Barrón then met with the mural contributors to produce larger mockups, distilling their input at each stage. Sam Brown, who coordinates special projects for Carry the Vision, spearheaded the mural project, bringing his own experience with incarceration to the process.

The final image shows a man bearing an infant in the air, having risen above the trauma and darkness that once defined him.

“I hope people see the triumph that the mural shows,” Barrón said.

Ashford began his journey of healing in 2018, while still incarcerated, with the help of Carry the Vision, which contracts with the County to provide classes to people at Elmwood, teaching life skills, mindfulness and other tools for long-term success. The organization provides a range of other programs to the wider community in partnership with several County agencies, the City of Gilroy and nongovernmental organizations.

Now, Ashford is a healing circle facilitator with Carry the Vision. Participating in the mural project was part of his mission to give back to the community and stop the cycle of intergenerational trauma in his family.

“I am a father,” he said, “trying to give back what I neglected to do while I was in my active addiction or incarcerated.”

Creating a culture of compassion

The County’s Reentry Resource Center was essential to Ashford’s continued transformation upon his release from custody. There are two center locations in the county, a main branch in San José and a satellite office in Gilroy. They have served more than 20,000 clients since 2012 with a variety of programs and services, from food and clothing to employment assistance and educational programs.

The Reentry Resource Centers are key elements of the County’s evolving approach to incarceration and rehabilitation.

At a January roundtable discussion in Gilroy – which featured Aguirre, County law enforcement and probation leaders, two Gilroy City Council members, and mural participants, among others – newly elected County Sheriff Bob Jonsen articulated his vision for restorative justice. He said he wants to foster a culture of compassion and common humanity, where all members of the community see one another as equals.

“I no longer want people being released from jail,” he told an audience of more than 50 people. “I want people graduating from incarceration.”

Lighting the candle of hope

Mark Segovia, another mural participant, grew up in Gilroy, where he got involved with gangs and drugs as a teenager. He went on to become a successful chef, but he was still consumed by anger and negativity.

A chance conversation with Shelley Swan, Carry the Vision’s executive director, led Segovia to enroll in the organization’s programs and do the hard work of reconnecting with himself and finding his purpose. He is now Carry the Vision’s youth diversion program coordinator with the City of Gilroy and the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.

Segovia would like the mural and the conversation surrounding it to spread a message of love and compassion to the entire community, not just those who are incarcerated or trying to reenter society.

“We want to light the candle of hope and let people know we care about them as human beings, so people start asking for help and get the support they need,” he said. “We want to let people know they belong. When someone feels they belong, they start to listen and open up. And then you can help them grow within themselves.”

“Rising” is currently on display at the South County Reentry Resource Center in Gilroy, located at 8425 Murray Ave. It will move to its permanent location at the Reentry Resource Center in San José in late spring. The San José center is located at 151 Mission St.