RELEASED: Prisoner Re-entry in NYC

 

The Released with Conviction project is produced by the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services to men and woman with recent criminal convictions. Reentry after incarceration is an issue that affects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. Most individuals returning home want to prove that, given the right opportunity, they can be responsible parents, productive citizens, and assets to their communities. CEO believes, and it has been proven, that a stable life can be achieved when people are employed as soon as possible upon their release.

The exhibition in the corner room of the Mid-Manhattan branch of The New York Public Library will showcase a core collection of photographs taken of the participants from the RELEASED project.  Library patrons will be able to view the photographs streetside and in the library space.  Text information on the participants lives will be available inside the room and people will be able to link to the audio portion of the project through their laptops or other devices by visiting ceoworks.org/released.  

 

Jeyhoun Allebaugh is a freelance photographer based in New York City and North Carolina who specializes in documentary, sports and portraiture photography. As a Turkish-American and avid fan of hip-hop and bluegrass music, who has spent his college years in the mountains of North Carolina as well as South Africa, Jeyhoun brings a diversity of taste to all aspects of his life. His work has appeared in GQ, PDN Emerging Photographer, USA Today, UK Guardian, SLAM Magazine, HOOP Magazine, The Durham Herald-Sun, The Durham Independent Weekly, NBA.com and SI.com. Learn more about Jeyhoun at www.jeyhoun.com.

 

Michael Scott Berman is a photographer specializing in food and portraits. His past clients include the New York Daily News, The Guardian, PNC Bank and the AARP. He was the recipient of two grants from the Brooklyn Arts Council and has exhibited his work at the Leica Gallery in Manhattan and at Brooklyn Borough Hall. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University and a Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University. Besides photography, Michael also produces videos and writes stories for his food blog, pizzacentric.com. Learn more about Michael at www.msbphotography.com and www.pizzacentric.com.

 

Bryan Tarnowski grew up in North Carolina and moved to New York City to pursue photography in 2008. He assists a number of the best fashion, commercial and portrait photographers in the world and has worked on shoots for top magazines and worldwide ad campaigns. Focusing on a wide variety of social documentary subjects, he likes to learn more about his subjects and quench his thirst for greater knowledge of the world. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Vibe Magazine, PDNedu among others. Learn more about Bryan at www.bryantarnowski.com.