Historically, SEA has developed its programme around the thinking of the Artist Placement Group, that context is half the work (APG, 1980). In recent years this ethos has grown, and perhaps is as much, if not more, about “bumping into the real world” (Fernández Pan, 2012), in particular through ‘live’ public art projects in a wide range of contexts. This article explores SEA's collaboration with New College Lanarkshire (NCL), supported by ArtWorks Scotland (AWS) as an example of how partnership enabled a ‘mass’ placement activity of 15 SEA students in seven Scottish Prisons in all of NCL’s learning centres and looks at student motivations for participation and the emotional impact of the experience.