Jan Banning's 'Law & Order' is a photography book that depicts 25 different prisons in four countries around the world. The pictures in the book invite ruminations on prison architecture, culture, and, ultimately, the differences in jurisprudence around the world.
The four countries that Banning traveled to for 'Law & Order' are France, Uganda, Colombia and the United States. Each of these countries are intentionally on different continents, a decision made to emphasize the variances between penitentiaries as much as possible.
The prisons themselves vary from maximum to minimum security, and thus the images are at times terrifyingly bleak while sometimes almost charming. For instance, Lille Prison in France has a well-maintained turf soccer field, while Dekalb Prison in Georgia, USA, has a stark and brutal look that makes viewers fear institutionalization.
Prison Photography Books
'Law & Order' Shows 25 Penitentiaries in Four Countries
Trend Themes
1. Global Prison Photography - This trend indicates a growing interest in visual documentation of prisons around the world, creating an opportunity for a new market of photographers, publishers, or filmmakers to capture and share their perception of the prison world.
2. Prison Reform Advocacy - This trend highlights the need for prison reform movements to mitigate the disparities and abuses in prisons. It creates an opportunity for activists, lawyers, and advocacy groups to use the power of photography to amplify their messages and reach more people.
3. Prison Tourism - This trend showcases the potential for a new type of tourism that caters to people's interest in prison architecture, culture, and history, providing an opportunity for entrepreneurs, travel companies or museums to provide immersive experiences around prisons worldwide.
Industry Implications
1. Publishing Industry - The global interest in prison photography creates potential opportunities for publishers to produce and distribute more photography books, ebooks, and other educational materials about prisons for diverse audiences such as researchers, activists, or art lovers.
2. Visual Arts Industry - The trend towards documenting prisons reveals an opportunity for visual arts platforms and galleries to showcase and promote exhibitions that explore the aesthetics of prisons and give emerging artists a platform to share their vision through photography, painting, or other visual media.
3. Legal Industry - The prison reform advocacy trend offers opportunities for lawyers and NGOs to use visual documentation of prison living conditions and culture to push for legal reforms and raise awareness about prisoners' rights and access to justice.