Tomáš Klus sings and plays for prisoners in prisons. Support and sharp criticism divide society
Well-known Czech songwriter Tomáš Klus is not afraid to go against the current. Since 2018, he has regularly returned to Czech prisons to highlight the issue of recidivism and the stigmatization of prisoners. With a mission to support resocialization and offer them faith and hope, he tours the entire Czech Republic. The endless prison tour, as the singer himself nicknames it, receives very mixed reactions.
In early September of this year, he appeared for the first time in the tightly guarded Mírov, where he performed behind a barbed wire fence. In a place where the most dangerous criminals and people sentenced to life are located, a cultural event for exemplary and exemplary convicts took place. For safety reasons, the singer with his backing band did not get further than the barbed wire fence, but he was still able to get the attention of all those present.
"I know that this makes sense because not to condemn, not to judge, but try to listen to the reasons, perceive the context of life of each person we meet and has some scratch, have the opportunity to help him, employ him, or only with word and gesture; it is also immensely enriching for us."
shared artist on his Facebook after the concert.
First thought
Tomáš didn't come up with the idea himself, but Blažej Pelán, a chaplain of the Pilsen prison. Thanks to him, the musician played the first concert of this series there in 2018. Cultural events are not such an unusual phenomenon in prisons, but few have played as many as Klus has. It may seem that it has almost become a mission for him. Now it has been seven years since he has been holding these meetings, which can be considered a respectable period.
Commercial or profit can be forgotten. Funding comes from the budget of the Czech Prison Service with the support of various associations or organizations and mainly includes the technical side of events. The singer and the band perform without any claim for a fee or financial reward.
Singer, actor, musician but also a very principled activist. A prison tour working on a self-cost basis is not the only controversy when it comes to the finances of Klus's concerts. He is very selective when it comes to partners and financial sponsors. In Valašské Meziříčí, due to disagreement, he did not perform at a concert after finding out that the sponsor was associated with the Agrofert company. He firmly rejects any cooperation with it or anything close to the former prime minister. This is also stipulated in his contract.
Reaction of the surroundings
Tomáš's actions are dividing not only society, but his hardcore fans as well. They are divided into two camps. The majority perceive it positively and support the progressivity with which he approaches this issue, while the others can't absorb it. His philosophy aligns quite a bit with John Locke's "tabula rasa" theory, which states that a person is born as a blank and clean slate. This is essentially confirmed in a post he once mentioned, where he asserts:
"And above all, nobody is born a thief, murderer, or dealer; we are all the results of some causes and good, in many cases even foolish decisions...but that should not mean that those who err should not be wished to come home...," wrote the singer on his FB profile.
Not everyone, however, shares this idea with him. Many comments come from the fact that they don't find it fair. "The next concert could be for families who these people have harmed, couldn't it?" wrote Renata, and many people agree with her. In a slightly satirical tone, opinions were expressed that even those convicts don't really deserve such a concert. "This is outrageous, yes, they committed a crime... but sending Klus to them seems inhumane to me!" said Martin Rota under the Facebook post.
Music as a Tool for Change
The aim of the entire tour is to support positive changes in the behavior of convicts and the chance to strengthen the process of reintegration into society. The concerts are intended to serve as motivation and reward for prisoners who behave properly and try. For many of them, it is also a chance for a clear head and some kind of appeasement.
"Tomáš Klus appeals to society to invest in children, education, social services and compassion instead of adding floors to prisons, especially for those who have never experienced it,"
informed ÓČKO STAR on its Facebook page.
Although opinions are very contradictory, it is evident that the whole act arouses a lot of emotions in people. Tomáš Klus opened the topic of second chances and the future will show how we, as society, will respond to them.
Sources: original text, Facebook, Medium.cz, iDnes.cz, smlouvy.gov.cz
