Inmates at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Yaphank, New York, are participating in a photography program aimed at aiding their recovery from drug addiction. Twenty nonviolent offenders serving time on drug charges are featured in an art exhibit displaying their photographs and collages in the jail's visiting lobby throughout September.
The five-week program, spearheaded by Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr., pairs inmates with photographer Saskia Keeley. Keeley instructs participants in portrait photography and guides them in creating collages that visually represent their past experiences, present circumstances, and future aspirations.
"This program has changed my whole life," said Skyler Davis, who was released in late August after serving a sentence for drug possession. Davis's experience highlights the program's impact on individual outlooks and life choices.
Another participant, Sean Hughes Jackson, shared that his incarceration made him realize his life had deviated from normalcy. "I was doing drugs with my mother — and I thought that was normal," Jackson recounted, adding that he now has a new perspective and is committed to sobriety.
Keeley, who has implemented similar initiatives in correctional facilities across the nation, aims to empower individuals to move beyond their criminal histories. "Incarceration is not a substitute for rehabilitation or treatment, but while someone is in our custody, we have a responsibility to give them every possible tool to make a different choice when they leave here," Sheriff Toulon stated. He noted that the program, in its four-year existence, has helped inmates shift their perspectives.
The exhibit, unveiled by Sheriff Toulon on Tuesday, serves as a testament to the inmates' progress and their commitment to recovery.