Children Detained Finding Joy

When we do programing at Justice Studio within the Pinellas County juvenile detention center, our focus is to foster a space of self-expression and connection within the restrictions of the carceral system.

BY: EMBER STONE

A somewhat surprising tool for connection within Justice Studio is the radio. There's something really special about a room full of teenagers making art and singing to the radio in unison. Especially when those teens have very little freedom of expression within their current circumstances. The radio acts as a form of connection not only between the kids, but also to normal daily life in the outside world. It gives them the opportunity to learn the newest popular songs, hear commercials or snippets of news, and see what songs the JDC staff and teaching artists also sing along to. Occasionally, the kids even roll the book carts off to the side, creating a stage for them to dance and laugh together.  

Having a radio in Justice Studio has always been a big asset, until a sad day in autumn of 2025, when our 1980's radio stopped working. The studio has been starkly quieter ever since. As I look back through my notes from late 2025, the kids have continually asked when the radio will return. Our hope is to be able to get a new radio soon. We've found that the old saying "they don't make'em like they used to" rings true for radios. We've ordered new radios off amazon in the past, which have quickly given out. The radios that have lasted the longest for us have been ones that have sat in a garage for decades, gathering dust before finding a new purpose among the art supplies and books of Justice Studio.

If you'd like to donate a radio you have lying around to our Justice Studio program, please reach out to hello@nomadartbus.org. Alternatively, if you'd like to donate funds to support us in getting a new radio, you can do so here. This contribution would bring big excitement back to the kids in our Justice Studio Program!