“Prison Reform: A Bird’s Eye View” (2025) Page 1

This piece is composed of ten found photographs and one digitally created image, inspired by the guiding question behind Norway’s justice system: “What kind of neighbor do you want?” It serves as the opening work in this series because it addresses the project’s core concern: with 95% of incarcerated individuals eventually returning to their communities, the conditions of their imprisonment fundamentally shape who they become. Traumatic prison experiences often inflict lasting harm, increasing the likelihood of recidivism.

The background features an idealized suburban neighborhood—a family playing in their yard, a child riding a bike, a woman heading to work, and a disabled woman carrying groceries. These familiar, everyday moments reflect the diversity of communities that must ultimately reintegrate formerly incarcerated individuals. Circling above, a committee of Vultures looms—symbols of both death and transformation. Adding to this tension is the presence of the Caladrius, a snow-white bird from Roman mythology said to have the power either to heal or to spread illness. This contrast captures the uncertain nature of reentry: will the returning individual bring renewal to their community or continued harm?

This work, composed of four found photographs, presents a symbolic commentary on socioeconomic disparities within the U.S. justice system. A Stork, traditionally associated with wealth, privilege, and good fortune, is shown departing from a prison setting with a large bag of money tucked under its wing. In contrast, a common Pigeon, often emblematic of poverty and marginalization, remains behind, separated by razor wire and gazing after the departing bird. Through these visual metaphors, the piece critiques the inequities that define access to justice in America, where wealth can often determine legal outcomes, from bail to sentencing, effectively creating one system for the privileged and another for the economically disadvantaged.

This photomontage was created from nine found photos. The inmates are represented by House Finches, small birds that signify vulnerability. They are watched over by Swallows playing the role of prison guards due to their association with protection. They are also symbolic of homecoming, which signifies the Finches/inmates that keep returning to prison. The returning Finch in the upper left corner brings with him profits that can be seen piling up through the prison windows. The for-profit prison system in the U.S. does not encourage rehabilitation because they make money when people commit crimes.

This piece is composed of three found photographs, depicting Chickens confined in prison cells as a representation of the treatment of pregnant inmates. One hen has laid eggs, which are being taken from her—symbolizing the forced separation of incarcerated mothers from their newborns. In many U.S. prisons, infants are removed from their mothers as early as 24 hours after birth.

Chickens were intentionally chosen for their layered symbolism. While they are often associated with cowardice due to their easily startled nature, they also embody maternal care, protection, and vulnerability. Here, they serve as stand-ins for incarcerated mothers, capturing the intense fear, helplessness, and emotional devastation experienced when their babies are taken away. The piece confronts the viewer with the stark realities of a system that strips women of both freedom and motherhood.

This piece is composed of eleven found photos, carefully arranged to convey the struggles of incarcerated fathers. Cardinals were chosen as a central symbol, representing these fathers because, in Native American traditions, Cardinals signify devotion. Their presence highlights the enduring commitment of fathers to their children, despite the barriers of imprisonment.

A study of 19 incarcerated fathers found that, despite personal and environmental challenges, their resilience and determination to parent motivate them to “perfect” themselves as fathers. This theme is reflected in the composition: the sunlight at the top of the image represents their desire to be good fathers, while the gray clouds fading into a dark forest illustrate the harsh reality that their children bear the greatest burden of their absence. Elements such as the wooden beam, chains, and collars further emphasize the fathers’ struggle to improve themselves while confined, symbolizing both the weight of their past and their ongoing fight for redemption.

This piece, created from three found photographs, explores the largely overlooked issue of infant mortality among incarcerated women. The image depicts a baby with the wings of a White Dove—an emblem of innocence and purity—sitting alone on the floor of a decaying room beside an empty bed. The angelic figure contrasts sharply with the harsh environment, evoking themes of vulnerability, neglect, and loss. Women in prison are disproportionately affected by chronic health issues, substance use disorders, and mental illness—all factors that increase the risk of complications during pregnancy.

Although comprehensive data on infant mortality in U.S. prisons is limited, existing research links incarceration to poorer birth outcomes, including higher rates of preterm birth and low birth weight—both major risk factors for infant death. This work calls attention to the human cost of systemic neglect, especially for the youngest and most defenseless.

This photomontage explores the harsh reality that children of inmates are over three times more likely to be incarcerated themselves. It is composed of four found photographs that together convey themes of innocence and predetermined struggle. The birds on the mural behind the baby symbolize freedom, providing an ironic contrast to the child's situation — a new life beginning with already limited prospects. Through the creation of this collage, I also learned a new Photoshop technique to fade image layers to transparency, which helped blend elements and reinforce the layered complexity of the message.

This piece consists of four found photographs collaged to depict an adult Bald Eagle and a Bald Eaglet confined together in a prison cell. It comments on the alarming reality of children being integrated into the adult prison system. In the United States, all 50 states allow juveniles to be charged as adults, and 11 states—including Pennsylvania—have no minimum age requirement, meaning children as young as eight can face adult prosecution and incarceration.

Housing minors alongside adults exposes them to heightened risks of physical and sexual violence, psychological trauma, and suicide. This work challenges viewers to recognize that children are not simply smaller adults—they are more vulnerable, emotionally reactive, and dependent on their environments. Yet, they also possess a greater capacity for growth and change. Treating them as adults in the justice system ignores these fundamental truths.

To be captured is to be seized, taken, or held, often by force or with deliberate intent. This photomontage, composed of ten found photographs, portrays a man in freefall, suspended in a moment of crisis. As he plummets toward an uncertain fate, he is intercepted midair by a committee of Vultures. In Christian iconography, Vultures symbolize divine judgment and death. Their intervention suggests not salvation, but condemnation. The red-toned, inverted color palette reinforces this sense of doom, echoing the brutal conditions of the U.S. carceral system, which often punishes without restoring. The fall represents the consequences of a life lived without meaningful support or intervention, while the Vulture’s grasp signals the systemic harshness awaiting those caught in the machinery of punitive justice.

This piece, composed of eleven found photos, highlights the stark contrast between rehabilitation and punishment in prison systems. American Bald Eagles symbolize inmates within the U.S. punishment-based prison system. Unlike their Norwegian counterpart, their chains are too long, forcing them to struggle to stay above the molten lava below—a recurring metaphor for the dangerous cycle of criminal behavior and recidivism. The spiked collars represent the harsher conditions they endure, emphasizing the punitive nature of their incarceration. Two of the three Eagles have already fallen into the lava, illustrating the high recidivism rate in the U.S. prison system, where many inmates, lacking proper support, ultimately return to crime.