Prison Bands: Lifers Group

In 1976, Lifers Group launched a very important program. The (Juvenile Awareness Program) was created to draw the attention of young people—who, due to adverse family circumstances, lifestyle, and lack of a social support network, are more likely to find themselves forced to view the prison walls from the inside. 

As part of the program, young people were invited into cells with inmates who had served their life sentences sentences in the prison. The inmates sought to deter the wayward youths from viewing prison as a kind of status symbol. The program was referred to as “Scared Straight.” Later, Shapiro used this title to document the Lifers Group program in a documentary. The documentary was broadcast uncensored in the late 1970s. (This was one of the first broadcasts in which the words “fuck” and “shit” were not bleeped out. —ed.)

Maxwell Melvins was admitted to the facility in 1987, where he soon became a key member of Lifers Group. He was observant enough to notice that the young guys waiting for the program were entertaining themselves with freestyle rap. That’s when the idea popped into his head: to create a musical production that could serve as a kind of bridge between the young people and the inmates, and perhaps the message would also find receptive ears. Lifers Group hip-hop band was born. It had nearly 40 members. The band’s musical career gained momentum when Melvins got in touch with David Funken Klein, the newly appointed head of Hollywood Basic. They released the Lifers Group EP in 1991, followed by a short documentary titled Lifers Group World Tour: Rahway Prison, That’s It. It’s also worth noting one of Lifers Group’s best-known songs, 'Belly of the Beast.' In it, inmates tell their stories so you can learn from their mistakes. This could very well be the Lifers Group’s motto: “Learn the expense of our sorrow.” In 1993, the Melvins were transfered to another prison. No one explained the reason for the move. However, this prevented the band’s leader from maintaining any kind of contact with his fellow inmates. Lifers Group has received numerous accolades. In 1991, they were honored by the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) for their work helping young people and their selfless efforts to make the world a better place. In 1993, the band earned a Grammy nomination; their video, directed by Penelope Spheeris, received this recognition (Lifers Group World Tour: Rahway Prison, That’s It!). Prison authorities did not allow Melvins to attend the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall. The mountain came to Mohammed. The American news channel 20/20 filmed an interview with the musician in prison, which his fellow inmates were also able to watch. Melvins was finally released from prison in 2012. He continued his outreach work afterward, giving lectures on the harmful effects of drugs, criminal behavior, and domestic violence. His life story is perhaps most extraordinary in that he rose from extreme poverty to life behind prison walls to better understand himself, and to this day he shares the experiences he has gained with his fellow human beings, for whom he serves as their sole anchor in the labyrinth of society’s deepest recesses.   

References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifers_Group https://rufusandjennytriplett.com/2011/12/20/former-prisonworld-intern-gets-released-after-32-years/  youtube.com  https://4bro.hu/zene-eletfogytig-legendas-bortonzenekarok/