Window Into Solitary

Collaborating on this project with Jessica, Gail, Marriam,and Youngblood has been a privilege. I am in awe of their strength. I am in awe of their ability and commitment to keep their hearts open when they have been subject to such inhumane treatment. The paths that each of them have taken following incarceration is a testament to that commitment.

I don’t know if I would have been able to survive what they did and still care.

This project speaks truth to power. It shines a light on the abuse of power by the state.We are all responsible for allowing this inhumane treatment to continue, which is an attempt to break the human spirit. I have to hope that it’s out of ignorance that solitary confinement has been allowed to continue and that this project will be the catalyst for the abolishment of what can only be described as torture.

Deborah Espinosa

Deborah Espinosa is an attorney-at-law and an artist at heart. She combines her legal and multimedia storytelling skills to advocate for the rights of people from poor and marginalized communities, in both the United States and African countries. She knows that collaborative storytelling is the most compelling and impactful advocacy tool for reform of unjust law. 

Deborah is former staff attorney and staff photographer for the international NGO Landesa. She is a member of the inaugural cohort of We, Women, a project of women and gender-nonconforming artists whose photo practice is grounded in collaboration and community engagement. She turned her personal photography project, Living with Conviction: Sentenced to Debt for Life in Washington State into a nonprofit organization that is leading a movement to equip and empower people to know, use, and shape their post-conviction rights. Community-driven storytelling is core to Living with Conviction’s mission to secure economic and racial justice with and for marginalized communities. 

Deborah was born and raised in southern California to a Mexican father and Norwegian mother. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington.

Window Into Solitary

“Window into Solitary” is a photography exhibition with the goal to educate and activate the public about the profound impact and harrowing consequences of the widespread use of solitary confinement in American prisons.

The exhibit focuses on 17 formerly incarcerated people from across the U.S. who have spent extensive amounts of time in solitary. In addition to powerful photographic images, the exhibit includes written testimony by the participants about their experiences in solitary confinement and their thoughts about its widespread use across the U.S. carceral system.

Produced by

Look2Justice
www.look2justice.com

Social Documentary Network
www.socialdocumentary.net