For inmates at the Mesa County Detention Facility, art is a means of escape everyone can agree with.

The jail hosted an art contest as part of its Substance Use Disorder program, and the winning pieces of art are currently on display in the lobby.

Victor Jackson, whose sketch of an old truck took first place, said he was confident in entering the art competition because that’s one area in which he excels.

Michele Wilkie, the program director for the Mesa County Detention Facility’s Jail Based Behavioral health Substance Use Disorder Program, said the program is voluntary for people who have diagnosable substance abuse issues.

“I was interested in trying something new, trying to better myself in a bad situation,” Jackson said. “I mean, we can all either sit in our cell and eat a bunch o

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