Orange jumpsuit jail cover for The Courier-Journal

I had photos on the cover of the Wednesday, April 27, 2016 issue of The Courier-Journal for the story, “Director Addresses Overcrowding in Jails: Bolton assures public that old jail now housing inmates is safe.” Louisville Metro Department of Corrections Director Mark E. Bolton made his case to the media.

After the jail press conference to explain why new inmates are being placed in the old jail, a few of us were taken on a tour by LMDC Assistant Director Steve Durham to see the space and take pictures along the way.

After seeing a few empty but soon-to-be-filled cells, we ended up at a block that had already been filled with around 30 inmates. It’s always best to have a person in your photos, but unless corrections has a signed photo release for an inmate, you’re not allowed to show their face. Durham and a lieutenant that were showing us around were speaking with inmates through the bars while inmates mugged at the TV camera. But then I went around the corner and noticed the horizontal slot where trays are slid through the bars. In the foreground an inmate in orange jumpsuit with “LMDC” printed on the pants leaned on the pay telephones, and the group of inmates to the left were soft and in brighter light. They paid attention to the reporters and TV photographers while I made a candid photo through the slot with and without flash.

Then it was gone. Everything changed as Durham and the others were on the move back to the conference room where we began and the other inmates had busted me, looking my way. Tour over.