Photo by Laurie Jo Reynolds and Chris X. The prisoner requested a photo of himself in front of a blue sky.
My dear friend Jon forwarded me a link to this organization, YearTen.org, which chronicles life in solitary confinement for the men of Tamms CMAX, a super-prison in Illinois. For more than 10 years, many of these prisoners have been or are still living in tiny rooms, with no stimulation and no interaction. Their only salvation? Photographs.
I was moved by this idea and this organization. Perhaps you will be too – this is where you can help.
On the site, you can read the requests for pictures by the prisoners. Some ask for family photos, others ask for Jesus. Or, like the above picture, some want images of themselves dropped into a background that highlights hope, love, or something more. A few men just want something funny to look at. It’s strange to think about a photograph as a privilege, but when you’re denied everything else, a single image can be the difference between salvation and insanity.
If you want to pitch in (and maybe change someone’s life), join me in sending photos by following this link.
Change someone’s day, week, or life with a single image. Thanks.
Everyone has value regardless of their actions. We are all capable of great good & great evil. I live by the grace of Jesus.
Thank you for sharing this Chase.
Photogs that want to make a diference in peoples lives should also check out FlashesOfHope.org. They are always looking for photographers. I’ve shot with them… it’s very rewarding, and a great way to give back to the community.
thanks so much to everyone here for the thoughtful, heartfelt conversation. just want to say how much I love and appreciate the words, regardless of position (AND the way in which you’ve gone about it here…)
for the record, my goal here is in creating awareness for the side of things less thought, for new perspectives and to help create a sense of compassion.
thx for all comments and awareness.
and thanks to my friend jon for pointing this out!
One of the reasons that our jails and prisons are so full is that we keep babying the prisoners instead of teaching how to be respectful law abiding citizens. Let them do without a few things and maybe they might appreciate freedom they can have if they behave themselves.
I agree. I think that the biggest problem I see here is that as a photographer, especially during the time on deployments and the power we had in printing family photos for people every once in awhile, I know better than a lot the extreme emotional and pychological(sp?) power a single photo can have. If these are the things these people want, let them do without and let it torment them a little, after all we are talking about murderers, rapists and the like… This is a maximum security prison, not a county jail where the guy who had a beer too many is sitting in the drunk tank for the night. . . . But on the flip side of that I suppose, Having ONLY that photo to look at is a way to twist their mind into the “I need to get my sh** together because I want to get outta here and see [insert photo content here]” It’s a double edge sword any way you look at it.
Also, maybe it’s the comment moderator, or probably just the crowd that Chase Jarvis attracts, but, I would like to take the time to point out that I really appreciate everyone having an opinion and not just talking smack. That’s pretty great to be able to have a real conversation and not read through “Frank you are dumb and that’s a dumb opinion” with zero supporting argument. You know, like, well, most of the internet…. You guys all rock.
Thank you so much for posting this. I looked through the requests, and I found one for a picture of downtown Chicago or Lake Michigan that I can fill. I will be sending that photo to them with an offer to fill others requests when I can.