Maria Cortez, an American inmate of four years at the Talavera Bruce prison, on her wedding day. She met her husband Lawrence Cole whilst in prison through one of the religious congregations that come to help women cope with their time in jail.
Talavera Bruce prison in Rio de Janeiro is one of the toughest women’s prisons in Brazil. 300 women are in jail here for offences ranging from mugging to homicide. But it is more than just a prison, the women here form strong bonds of friendship, they share their longings, their losses, their joys, their survival, and regrets. Above all there is a great sense of community here.
Weddings take place in the prison’s chapel, babies are born in the prison’s crèche, and the inmates pray for miracles. The prison has had a new director since December 2002 and since then no riots have been reported, even though "life in prison is like a bomb, from one moment to another it can explode".
by Genna Naccache