elsie
haddad
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Stranded – On Life After Imprisonment
In January 2012 I met a group of men hanging out on the Beirut seashore, all ex-convicts who had met each other in jail. Having shared the same cell for years, once released they had found a rock in the sea that became a sort of a sanctuary for them.
Getting to know them, made me reflect on the psychological effects of incarceration and what that meant for their reinsertion back into society.
Prison constitutes one of the oldest and most conventional tools used by society to punish crime, but the toll detention has on individuals after their release is often overlooked. I wanted to take a closer look at what it meant to be an ex-convict in this society and how each person dealt with that challenge.
From the beginning I understood it had to be a collaborative effort. I didn’t want to look at them through my camera as if they were subjects under scrutiny - they had had enough of that - I wanted them to be involved in the creative process.
Each decided their terms for participation. Some used photography, some drew, some wrote and some stitched, adding a new dimension to the work.
While deeply committed to the project, I tried my best to remain objective and analytical. But everything changed dramatically and my approach amplified when my youngest brother Tuna was arrested on a drug charge and put in jail. All of a sudden the project was inside my home; it had become very personal. On an impulse I asked my brother to be part of the project and he agreed.
This is an on-going project that attempts to document intimate stories of people who have served time in jail and to communicate their struggles while trying to pick up their lives on release. Each story becomes its own small book with which we get to look with a transcendent eye on the idea of crime and punishment and sometimes on the absurdity of correction facilities and puritan societies.
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Abu Abdo was arrested and sentenced to 7 years in jail for drug dealing. Here, he is standing by his father's grave who passed away in jail when Abu Abdo was still serving time.
Britel, Lebanon. 2015
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A view over Britel, the native village of Abu Abdo. Britel, like the Bekaa, is a forgotten land. There aren't a lot of opportunities there, and the economical situation is very tight.
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Yehya, Abu Abdo's youngest son, was born after his release. Here, he plays with a toy gun in front of their house in Britel.
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A militia camp in Britel where fighters from Hizbollah kept watch during the first years of the Syrian war to control the area and keep ISIS fighters out.
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Abu Abdo sits with his family on their porch in Britel.
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During 10 years, Hussein went in and out of jail 4 times for different reasons; the first time was for drug dealing. Here, is where he waited for a friend to exchange fake money bills. He was caught for the second time and served a year and a half. Aley, Lebanon. 2015
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Hussein poses with Nassim, the stonemason who offered him a job in constructionsn after his last release in 2014.
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Hussein, overlooking the sea in Ramlet El Baida, Beirut.
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Hussein broke his leg while working at a construction site. While working with him, I gave him a 35mm camera so he can document his days from his point of view. This is a selection of photos he took of his foot on different days at his studio apartment in Aley.
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Ahmad, a self taught painter and poet, spent 5 years and 6 months in jail for drug distribution. He now lives and works in Beirut, Lebanon. 2018
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Ahmad's home and workshop in Beirut.
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Ahmad sits in the coffee shop he manages on the Vendome Stairs in Beirut. It's also when he spends most of his time painting and writing.
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Jenny, spent 1 year in jail for signing rubber cheques on behalf of her fiancée. She started working as a taylor for Sarah's bags right after she was arrested. Here, she stands in the garden of Sarah's bags, where she's still working, 17 years later. Jenny decided to sew over her face so that she doesn't reveal her identity. Beirut, Lebanon. 2018
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Jenny's arabic calligraphy sewings on what will be turned into a woman's purse.
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A year ago, Jenny rented a cab car and took up a second job as a taxi driver. A view of the capital's main entrance coming from the South.
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Tuna, my brother, spent 1 year and 3 months in jail for drug promotion. He was released on January 25th 2018.
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While Tuna was incarcerated, i went looking for the place where he hid away from the police before getting caught. This is a shot of a small forest near my parents' home in Zouk Mosbeh.
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Instant Photos I used to send to my brother Tuna while he was in prison.
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My mother thrilled to receive a flower bouquet that my brother sent with his then girlfriend on Mother's day.
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Tuna taking a walk in Portemilio where we spent most our summers growing up.
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Tuna and his friend Elie hanging out in Ballouneh square, an area famous for drug dealing. Elie also spent a year and three months in jail for drug dealing. He was released after being acquitted while my brother was in.
