Content warning: violence, RACISM, police brutality, trauma in prisons and jails.
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Sean Carey (August, 2017) discusses, among other things: how his drug addiction led to his incarceration; his trouble adjusting to prison; the unhealthy and unsanitary conditions within the prison; the way that SEG (segregation units) and other forms of punishment worked; the daily violence between inmates; and how incarceration has taken time from him and his family that can’t be taken back.
Richard Blaney (August, 2017) describes how, after so many years in prison, he feels more used to incarceration than outside society. His interview reveals the lack of support for people transitioning out of prison. In relating the trauma of his experience, Richard discusses his main coping mechanism, which was to limit his contact with the outside world when he was on the inside; it was too painful to hear about what he was missing. He ends his interview with thoughts on the ways the system fails to rehabilitate.
Hazel Mencos (August, 2017) talks about braving the long journey from Guatemala to Connecticut to reunite with her mom, the horrors of spending time in a detention center, the challenges of a new school and hometown, and the empowerment she finds as an organizer with Unidad Latina en Acción. To read an English transcript of Hazel's interview click here.
Michael Smith’s (August, 2017) interview goes in-depth describing the physical conditions of prison: how dusty and cold his cell was, what it’s like to live in a “cage” with six other people, and the scant resources he received.
William Wilmont (August, 2017) discusses, among other things: how public defenders mishandled his case; his paranoia and violent behavior as a result of an untreated mental illness that wasn’t taken seriously by medical staff; having to always be on guard on the inside; having to block out traumatic events to get through the day; the lie of “rehabilitation” and the lack of preparation he received before being released.
(August, 2017) Link to English transcript coming soon.
This Anonymous Narrator’s (August, 2017) retelling of his life before prison indicate the ways his background in a volatile home impacted his mental health and his contact with the criminal justice system.
In this interview, the Anonymous Narrator (August, 2017) talks about how five years in prison has stripped him of his capacity to feel. He talks about his hope that he can regain an ability to reach out and interact with people after undergoing the harsh conditions of prison.
Some of the topics Tim Fair (October, 2017) discusses include the constant fear that accompanies life on parole, the conditions of halfway houses, reflections on how his upbringing and family gave him hope for turning his life around, losing a mother while inside, and the ways he conceptualizes his place in the larger system of mass incarceration.
Andre Jerome (October, 2017) relates the importance of college education for him while he was inside and how it changed his life. Andre also discusses how character gets judged in prison, how he earned the respect of people there, the importance of religion while he was inside, his understanding of the system of mass incarceration, and staying true to oneself despite it.
This Anonymous Narrator (September, 2017), who is nine-year-old, talks about what it is like for her to have a dad who has been incarcerated during her childhood. She emphasizes how important communication with her father has been for her, how she treasures the things he wrote her, and the reasons she lived in fear that he would get hurt in prison. This narrator also discusses hard it is at times to be in school without a dad because of the criminal justice system and feeling like the odd girl out. Content Warning: mention of suicide.
In this interview, Keesa DeSilva (March, 2018) talks about what it was like to be in prison when more than ten other family members were incarcerated at the same time. She tells the harrowing story of her sister’s passing, which occurred because of diabetes complications, and which happened in a tier of cells above her. All family members were gathered by COs to be informed of the death. Keesa’s story points to the stakes of poor healthcare in prisons and the lack of trauma counseling provided for individuals like her. "We just had to deal with it". This life story highlights the inhumanity of prison daily life and the unparalleled strength individuals like Keesa possess to keep going through it all. Content Warning: mention of sexual violence and trauma.