< images © Virgile Bellaiche
How are the lives of relatives affected when someone they love is deprived of liberty? Feelings of powerlessness, dehumanisation, the struggle to maintain family ties, invisibilisation — prison affects not only the incarcerated people but also, often invisibly, those left on the outside.
This six-episode docuseries was produced, in collaboration with Acifad (Argentina), Amparar (Brazil), Relais Famille (Canada), OIP-SF (France), Documenta (Mexico) and POPS (United Kingdom), as part of the Connecting Stories Beyond Bars. project.
Prison Insider sincerely thanks all those who trusted us and shared their story.
– This docuseries was produced thanks to the financial support of Porticus.
Argentina
ACiFaD
Brazil
Amparar
Canada
Relais Famille
France
OIP-SF
Mexico
Documenta
United Kingdom
POPS
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More episodes
The power of the group (1/6)
Testimonial
America
Europe
Access to legal rights
Torture
Violence
Social ties
Hearing the voices of relatives of incarcerated people in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico and the UK reveals one key finding: the group brings enough strength to build resistance. Coming together offers a space for dialogue, mutual support, and the ability to build concrete responses to d…
The cost of incarceration (3/6)
Testimonial
America
Europe
Justice
Mental health
Material conditions
Social ties
Rehabilitation
The State deprives people of their freedom and ignores everything else. It is the relatives — most often women — who bear the costs of imprisonment and support those in prison, while trying to keep life going outside.
The mechanics of punishment (5/6)
Testimonial
America
Europe
Minors
Access to legal rights
Justice
Violence
Social ties
Alternatives
Prison is not only a place of punishment; it is also a reflection of social divides. Rather than repairing damage, it accentuates inequalities and perpetuates discrimination. To combat this, associations of relatives are establishing themselves as spaces of resistance.
From experience to action (6/6)
Testimonial
America
Europe
Access to legal rights
Justice
Social ties
The prison system deprives and marginalises, but resignation does not prevail. Relatives take action and demand justice to build a system respectful of human rights.