"Will I die behind these walls?" Meet the women serving life sentences, photographed by the lawyer who once defended people like them
A new book combines intimate portraits with letters, drawings and prison Polaroids to show the women behind the convictions
Photographer Sara Bennett has spent more than a decade documenting women serving life sentences in New York State, drawing attention to the often-overlooked issues of mass incarceration. Her new book, "Looking Inside: Women with Life Sentences," presents 256 pages of striking portraits and personal stories of these women. In the book, readers can see through Bennett's lens the various stages of these women's lives, from their incarceration to their attempts to rebuild their lives upon release.
One of the featured women, Linda, has been incarcerated for 27 years and was 70 when photographed by Bennett. In a handwritten note to the photographer, Linda expressed her deep emotions, saying that she has felt scared, lonely, hurt, disappointed, and forgotten throughout her incarceration. Linda's story, along with 25 others, showcases the diverse experiences of these women and the challenges they face upon reentering society.
The book also highlights the stark contrast between the women's lives inside prison and outside. For example, a photograph of Assia in the baby clothes storeroom at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility shows her as a 35-year-old woman standing among boxes of baby clothes, while she was only 19 when she was incarcerated in 2003. Assia's experience of being released at the age of 35 is reflected in her statement, "I was arrested when I was 19 and being in this big, unfamiliar, advanced world makes me feel like a 19-year-old trapped in a 45-year-old body."
Through her portraits and the stories she shares, Bennett emphasizes the complexity and humanity of these women, who are more than the single act of crime that led to their life sentences. Her work has been exhibited at prestigious institutions such as MoMA PS1 and the Museum of the City of New York, and she was recently awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. "Looking Inside: Women with Life Sentences" offers a powerful and thought-provoking look at the lives of women affected by the prison system in New York State.
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