Screening of Ashley Hunt’s Corrections

The Kitchen, 512 W 19th Street

Ashley Hunt

Corrections, 2001

59 minutes

In his ongoing interdisciplinary project The Corrections Documentary Project, artist and filmmaker Ashley Hunt investigates the institution of the prison: how it helps to structure and preserve racial and economic divisions within society. In Corrections (2001), Hunt specifically looks at the privatization of the prison system, exposing the conflict between for-profit corporations focused on pleasing investors and the communities which must deal with the consequences of high incarceration rates. Probing further to explore links between political campaign strategies and the increasing penalties for nonviolent crimes, Hunt uncovers a complex system of desires and incentives that lie behind the growth of the American prison system. In the process, incarceration emerges as a means of maintaining the status quo in times of social change. At times darkly humorous and devastatingly pointed, Hunt reminds us of the ulterior motives that warp the rule of law to impinge upon freedom in the name of order, and the dangers of turning a blind eye to the consequences.

With an introduction by Nathan Schneider, an editor of Waging Nonviolence. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The American Prospect, Seed, Religion Dispatches, and elsewhere.

This program is free of charge and open to the public; seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

This event is organized in conjunction with Maintenance Required on view at The Kitchen. Please note this event does not take place at the Museum. Please consult individual calendar listings for details.