Country Pick / 2017 / /

9 square metre

  • Prize
  • Photographer
    Maurice Ressel, Germany
  • Studio
    Maurice Ressel Media

“You are sitting in your prison cell at 40°C and every day is repeating itself until you
go mad”, says Sofia, one of 6 women who share a cell of 9 square metre. Aline, Jäty,
Jhais, Han, Sofia and Madya are held indefinitely for violent offences and drug dealing in
Amazonas. According to them, there is no warrant or judicial order for any of them. This
is common practice which causes severe tensions between inmates and guards. Every year
hundreds of inmates die during violent contentions in Brazilian prisons.