Telling the tales of prisoners

A former prisoner says 31⁄2-months in prison is nothing compared to the fact she will never return to her old career or former life.

Caren’s story is typical of many told by those forced to deal with the aftermath of a prison stint in New Zealand.

JustSpeak, an organisation campaigning for criminal justice reform, has launched Ko¯ rero Pono, an interactive art exhibition giving power to the voices of ex-prisoners whose lives had been hindered by their sentence.

The exhibition challenges the justice system and suggests a more compassionate approach to imprisonment.

Seventeen artists have helped bring the project to life through paintings and photographs of ex-inmates.

Hosted at Potocki Paterson Art Gallery on Dixon St, people can see 15 pieces of art and read their accompanying stories through a phone app.

The app, also called Ko¯ rero Pono, allows viewers to point their camera at the portraits and unlock further commentary from original interviews and hear stories told by the people who have lived them.

In an interview shown as part of the exhibition, Nga¯ ti spoke of his experience with family violence and sexual abuse as a young man growing up in state care.

‘‘I went from [a] boys’ home to Mount Eden Prison at 16. I remember my first jail sentence – it was only three months but I was broken and the environment that I was in was quite rough. I was first introduced to gang violence in jail – pack attacked.’’

As well as personal commentaries, partners and relatives of people who had been through the criminal justice system shared their stories.

JustSpeak director Tania Sawicki Mead said getting people comfortable enough with the artists to share their most private, personal stories took time.

‘‘We needed more real stories from people who had been through the system, particularly people who had been in jail because there was such an absence of stories from those people’s perspectives.’’

The exhibition will run over a 10-day period with its final showcase on October 26.