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Living in Limbo

by Taylor Weidman

In the Philippines, an overburdened justice system has become so clogged that the average case lasts four to six years. Despite only an 18% conviction rate, police continue to arrest suspects without warrants or witnesses – a violation of Filipino law. Under-staffed and under-funded prisons now operate between 200 and 1000% of capacity as marginalized citizens struggle to cope with a broken system.

The Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation (HLAF) aims to secure the immediate release from prison of persons, especially children and women, detained for victimless offenses, those imprisoned for a period equal to or longer than the penalty imposable for the offense with which they are charged, wrongfully accused and jailed persons, and those suffering from any form of inhumane and unjust detention. They are working to accomplish these goals through legal assistance, empowerment and advocacy programs.

Over the summer of 2009, I was able to spend time with both the staff of HLAF and the inmates they were helping in the prisons - allowing me a view of how the organization is working to enact systemic change, while seeing how this work affected individual lives. Their work, rather than just put a band-aid on a problem, produces real changes and empowers individuals. Through this photo project, I was able to document the situation for the prisoners inside of the prisons, and the work that HLAF is doing to help release the wrongfully detained.

Taylor Weidman On behalf of International Bridges to Justice/Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation

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