The current role of the prison within the British criminal justice system is becoming increasingly unclear. On the one hand, in the 21st century it is seen as a “state crime control strategy, a deterrent for those considering committing a crime and a punitive response for those who have broken the laws” McAvinchey (2011 , p. 10). On the other hand, it is also supposed to have a rehabilitative objective, the intended role of a prison is to rehabilitate the offender so that once he has served his prison sentence he can be successfully reintegrated into community and live crime free. fulfilled life. Yet when we look at vital statistics that highlight an increase in the prison population, it becomes clear that the system is neither controlling crime nor rehabilitating offenders. Despite considerable efforts by successive governments, there has been a slight reduction in recidivism rates. over the last ten years, almost fifty percent of offenders having reoffended within twelve months of their release. According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice, “two-fifths of adult offenders will be reconvicted within a year of their release, and three-quarters will be reconvicted within four to nine years” Ministry of Justice ( 2010). As more than half of crimes in the UK are committed by ex-offenders, this shows that prisons are releasing offenders without fully reintegrating them into the community. With the UK economy still recovering from the effects of the recession, it is more important than ever to find a cost-effective way to rehabilitate offenders, as current rates of reoffending cost the taxpayer between £9.5 billion and £13 billion sterling per year. " Johnson (2011 p. 10) UK not alone...... middle of paper ...... in prisoner behavior and the majority of staff recognized the benefits of art projects in prisons "100% of staff felt this was a benefit to the prison as a whole (Arts and Offenders Unit, 2000)" (26) Geese Theater is one of many companies working within the system of criminal justice. When Geese Theater ran workshops in Grendon, they reported positive results and found the arts to be a valuable tool that helps offenders open up and talk about their crimes. They believe that discussions can then make them understand why they commit a crime in the first place. They believe it is important that inmates have access to the arts in prison. The work of the Geese Theater will be discussed in the next chapter as an example of how participation in prison theater workshops can have positive effects on the rehabilitation of inmates, Genes (1995).