One Sunday afternoon I sat in the chapel of the women's prison at Niantic, CT waiting for the women's choir to enter for worship service. I will never forget the sight of the women all dressed alike in state issue blue jeans, maroon T-shirts and gray sweatshirts; and can still clearly hear their voices as they entered the room while singing "Can't Give Up Now." That's when I started to cry. 

There will be mountains that I will have to climb
And there will be battles that I will have to fight
But victory or defeat, it's up to me to decide
But how can I expect to win If I never try

I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
And I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me

Never said there wouldn't be trials
Never said I wouldn't fall
Never said that everything would go the way I want it to go
But when my back is against the wall
And I feel all hope is gone,
I'll just lift my head up to the sky
And say help me to be strong

I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
And I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me

No, You didn't bring me out here to leave me lonely
Even when I can't see clearly
I know that you are with me, so I can't

I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
And I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me

The illustration to the left is a simple collage I made to represent the feelings I had after this first women's prison experience. The background is made from jean, T-shirt, and sweatshirt fabrics as are the uniforms worn by the women. In the center is a print of Jenny Saville's painting "Juncture." To me, these incarcerated women are stripped of their identity, noses pressed into the wall, and rendered naked in their vulnerability.

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