FOR THE TIME BEING

When Michelle married her teenage friend Jermaine on the bleak visiting floor of a maximum-security prison, she hoped they would soon share a life in freedom. Jermaine claims to be wrongfully convicted. He is serving a sentence of 22 years to life at the notorious Sing Sing prison near New York City. For years, Michelle fights tirelessly to prove his innocence while also caring for her teenage children, Paul and Kaylea, as a single-mother. In a grueling routine of short phone calls, letter-writing and brief visits to the correctional facility, she dreams of an idyllic family life outside of the prison walls. With Paul and Kaylea setting off into their own lives, Michelle‘s quest becomes more urgent. Then, a new piece of evidence is discovered in Jermaine‘s legal case, raising her hopes for his imminent release. Almost a decade in the making, FOR THE TIME BEING is an intimate exploration of female resilience and a timely look at the far-reaching consequences the ailing U.S. justice system.

Nele Dehnenkamp © Nils Stelte photos © Nele Dehnenkamp