It was such an honor to discover peace and well-being amongst a diverse patchwork of Bohemians. In those precious moments we demonstrated unconventional love, as if the cameras were just a clever excuse. We rolled up our sleeves to show thorns and we were all titanium monochrome rose. We delighted in our company, and when we blinked then looked again we felt the force of our civility. We knew that what we shared was special. A Golden Community. Jonah
I wonder what the world would be like if we were all surrounded by people who want our dreams to come true and pushed us to be our best selves. Dawn
Healing is establishing a strong contingency not to return to any past experience that affected us negatively. This can be accomplished with unity in diversity as a beloved community. El-Sun
I came home on February 27, 2024. For over 14 years I was in pain, ridden with guilt. My mom died while I was in prison. My brother went to prison for life. The rest of my siblings moved out of state. I came out alone. But now, for the first time in a very long time, I feel happy. I am still healing, still growing. It is a never-ending process. I’m going to be okay. Erik
I
no longer want to be weighed down by regrets. By what ifs. The things that
happened, happened. I don’t want to doubt my strength, and capacity for love. Johanna
Healing
looks like self-love, going forward it looks like preventive care. Healing in
the future means allowing others in and not expecting them to be perfect. To
understand that they are just as human as I am. Ta’Chelle
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We
heal in community, not in isolation. We need to come out for and show up for
others. Being next to and with another person is life-giving. Sally
Invisibility—What Is It and How Does It Feel?
In February 2024, Accompagnateur Workshops began a program with the Phipps Neighborhoods in the South Bronx. This photography workshop, in which the participants take portraits of one another as well as photograph their surroundings, apartments, family members, and neighborhood over four sessions held over four weeks, was organized around the concept of invisibility.
Society calls the participants, who all live in the Phipps Neighborhoods, and so many like them, “marginalized people.” In a very real sense, this definition robs them of their uniqueness and intrinsic value as human beings.
How appropriate, then, and how necessary, for a program to make them visible, both to themselves and to others. What a community was built, even over such a short time! The workshop put them at the center, not on the fringes where the wider society demands they stay. In only four sessions, both the creative act of photography and the circle work, talking about the photographs and the person in them by both the subject and the photographer, revealed and illuminated new aspects of each participant’s visibility and innate creativity.
In life, we feel visible and invisible.
We prim and pose for the camera, hoping to capture our visibility in freeze frame and capture our memories on film.
We feel invisible when we hide ourselves from the camera in the silence of passing life, marching towards the unknown.
According to the invisible, we constantly reaffirm our beauty and worth, as the camera exposes our outer beauty layered among the petals of our inner soul.
Dignity - State or quality of being worthy of honor or respect. I was born with dignity, yet I felt it being stripped away. Now I want it back. I now feel strong enough to deserve my dignity. Now I want, and I am, in dignity again. Jessica
I had the privilege of participating in a specialized photography class designed for incarcerated individuals, and it had been a transformative experience. The program doesn't just teach photography; it restores dignity and empowers individuals who often feel forgotten.
Under the guidance of Saskia Keeley, and with access to essential digital photography equipment, I learned to see the world from a different perspective. Capturing moments through the lens allowed me to reconnect with my creative side and express myself in ways I never thought possible within the confines of a correctional facility.
More than technical skills, this class provided a sense of purpose and self-worth. It reminded me that I am capable of creating beauty even in challenging circumstances. It allowed me to tell my own story, and in doing so, regain a sense of dignity and identity.
I am grateful for Saskia's program and the opportunity it has given me to develop not only with new photography skills but as a person. It was a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and a reminder that no matter where we are, our dignity and creativity can never be taken away.
I wholeheartedly endorse this program and hope that it continues to make a positive impact on the lives of incarcerated individuals who deserve a chance to rebuild their self-esteem and find their voice through photography.
Randy Z.
December 5, 2023, CBS News Photography by Suffolk County inmates on display at correctional facility in Yaphank
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/photography-by-suffolk-county-inmates-on-display-at-correctional-facility-in-yaphank/ class=""
Dignity is finding yourself, loving yourself, feeling beautiful, strong, confident. Doing good things, telling the truth, being honorable. Corrine
I am perfectly imperfect, I am me.
Shannon
DIGNITY: The state or quality of being worthy of honor & respect. Having self-esteem, being a good example, doing the right thing, treating others as you want to be treated, being empathetic. Knowing that I deserve honor & respect and not accepting anything less. Megan
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Yaphank Correctional Facility
Yaphank Correctional Facility in Riverhead, New York, has a long history of service to community safety and crime prevention dating back to 1664, and under Sheriff Toulon’s leadership, a greatly expanded committment to incarcerated rehabilitation as its primary goals while vigorously pursuing those who commit crimes. In partnership with Sheriff Toulon’s staff, Saskia Keeley designed this Accompagnateur Workshop to explore dignity among male & female incarcerated.
STRIVE provides opportunity for men and women to advance themselves in society with training and empowerment.
ACCOMPAGNATEUR WORSKSHOPS support men and women as they accept the past, see their lives in the present, and create their futures.
The hands of a retired warrior. My hands are a blessing, they express what I know, the scars within. They embody the strength I have gotten overtime to continue. Steven
- A shot can tell many stories, the camera can bring out the best and worst of people. I want to brighten people’s day by day showing their internal beauty through outward expression. Abraham
- Learned to cherish the moment one click at a time. Angel
- It was a powerful experience -- telling a story with pictures, expressing feelings with pictures. Craig
This workshop was life-changing. Everything was amazing, taking photos of my mom, being photographed by her, taking pictures of the other mothers and daughters. My favorite exercise was sharing in the group about what I felt towards my mom. Experiencing this together and feeling that my mom is very dedicated to be in my life. I am a good daughter. I had to go through things to be who I am today. I know I will value my mom more and make sure she is heard, and also that she is loved by me.
Ashlyn
The concept of the “other,” where participants learn to see one another and themselves, drew S.T.R.O.N.G Youth to my Accompagnateur photo workshops in 2019. Youth affiliated with street organizations and enmeshed in the justice system, and local white youth from more affluent neighborhoods of Long Island were partnered for activities with the camera and therapeutic conversations. Our goal was to connect the groups with their common bonds as teenagers, sharing thoughts and experiences in conversation, and through the medium of the camera, seeing the other, not the stereotypes of offenders and “moral” citizens.
We now do this work on an annual basis.
We now do this work on an annual basis.
Our 2023 summer workshop concentrated on the bonds, frayed and fragile, between mothers and daughters who are gang involved, or at-risk.
The mother-daughter bond is complex in all circumstances. And with this community, in which many families are new to Long Island, new to English, and new to life here, there is also the loss of home, tradition, belonging, and extended families.
These young women and mothers came together over four sessions to see themselves, their mothers, and their selves in their mothers. The mothers came to see their selves, their daughters, and their selves in their daughters.
The mother-daughter bond is complex in all circumstances. And with this community, in which many families are new to Long Island, new to English, and new to life here, there is also the loss of home, tradition, belonging, and extended families.
These young women and mothers came together over four sessions to see themselves, their mothers, and their selves in their mothers. The mothers came to see their selves, their daughters, and their selves in their daughters.
This workshop has helped me immensely in so many ways. I loved being able to spend time with my mother and bond with her in ways I thought impossible. I was scared to communicate with my mother but then I didn’t feel stressed. I actually felt comfortable and even liberated when sharing with my mom. It also made me realize how sensitive and vulnerable my mom actually is. I feel that my mom and I will be so much closer now thanks to this wonderful experience. Desiree
My favorite exercise was taking photos with my mom. This workshop makes me look at her differently because I can see she struggles. Giovanna
I feel closer to my daughter. We had never done a mother-daughter activity together before. We should have done something like this sooner. I so enjoyed taking photos of my daughter. This program helped create a closer bond between us.
Suzanne
I feel closer to my daughter. I understand that she sees me in a different way than I originally thought. I am glad she could express some of her feelings. The space allowed for all of us to address how we are feeling as it was such a safe environment. I will try to remember these meaningful moments and what was said at different times. Going forward I want to share one-on-one moments with my daughter. Brandi
This workshop has been so helpful in rebuilding a bond between a mother and a daughter. It was an eye-opening experience and a great way to connect with my mom. This helps me be more understanding of my mom and her feelings, to be more compassionate towards her. I now try to think if I did something how would that affect her and our relationship. I want her to be able to say she is proud of her daughter’s accomplishments. Aliyah
I feel happier with myself as a mother to be able to connect more with my daughter. Today I have an open door to talk and share more with my daughter. Today I take it as an invaluable opportunity in our lives. Zoila
I could understand and see more in the mother-daughter relationship and not feel so alone anymore. I am so grateful for you for creating a safe space to share our life stories with other moms and daughters. I was surprised how much I was able to open up, and that my daughter could as well. Bianca
I don’t really like talking about myself and my family in front of others but I am happy I did in this space. I loved telling everyone how beautiful my mom is and express myself in new ways. I already see that my mom and I are talking more since we started the program. Nevaeh
