Beyond the wall

It was in 2013 that I first learned about the special life of prison inmates. It is not uncommon for inmates to grow corn and soybeans and use them for their food. However, it was felt very special that prison inmates used their crops to feed schools and kindergartens around the prison with the help of NGOs. Many of the countries in recent years have chosen the correctional and correctional methods that focus on isolating criminals from society or punishing criminals for their sins. In some cases, criminals with high amounts of money or high social conduct are unreasonably punished only by relatively light penalties. However, the Malandi prison in which I met was different. Aside from the many steps taken by prisoners to come to prison, they were paying their price to work for themselves and their communities through labor. The hands of the prisoners, once harassed by violence and blood, were feeding the children of the needy villages and then enlivening the community. The story of the inmates, who cleanse themselves through labor and is at the starting point of a virtuous cycle for society, tells us what kind of social responsibility we should have in our modern society. I stayed with the prisoners in prison for 15 days for the first shoot in February 2014, and again for a month in August 2016 with the prisoners. I met about 700 inmates during two shooting sessions, and conducted in-depth interviews with more than 10 of them and home visits after release. The "Beyond the Wall" series is still in progress. I hope that people's interests can be used to save African children and to make many of Africa's prisons a better place, as my pictures promised with many inmates. I hope that the interest of people who are doing their part in the society at the bottom of the society of all nations including Africa is also expected to continue. This photograph work was carried out through a two-year preliminary preparation with the permission of the Malawi Correctional Authority and the corresponding prison. The inmates who were released during the shooting period were allowed to use the portrait rights individually after their release, and preparations for further work are underway.