Inside Long Bay

On December 24, 2024, I visited Sydney’s Long Bay Correctional Complex for a feature commissioned by NewsWire Australia, exploring what Christmas looks like inside prison walls. The stark environment was devoid of the usual festive cheer, replaced instead by quiet introspection and solemn routine. I documented inmates grappling with isolation and staff maintaining order during a period usually marked by family gatherings. My images sought to convey not only the stark contrasts between the world inside and outside but also the complexity of emotions, hope, loneliness, and reflection, that come to the fore during the holiday season in incarceration