Blogging Prompt #2

The photo essay “Life Inside a Juvenile Detention Center for Girls” photographed by Richard Ross depicts many young girls in isolation. This struck the hardest for me because these people are in the formative years of their lives and they aren’t learning how to relate to people in a way where the can re-enter society. The emotional toll on these girls is going to continue to affect them after the leave. This stain on their upbringing will damage the stories they dream about living out. They will forever be judged for their time in a juvenile detention center. Their story will always be “criminal” instead of what they wish to be seen as. Their brand as a delinquent is the same as a story about race, or socioeconomic status. People will assume a story for these girls that may not be true. Ross omits the face from his pictures, and says he builds a bond before proceeding to use their likeness. He is sharing their story and seems legitimately concerned with the cause. Ross seems to be ethically using these girls stories to bring light to the struggles and issues in juvenile detention centers. They trade their image for the freedom to express their stories.