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BROKEN? was created by new york city high school students who took part in a human rights photojournalism and documentary program sponsored by the unis human rights project and proof: media for social justice.

Using the city as their classroom, they trained with photographers, videographers and journalists and met with academics, lawyers, and activists. They also met with over 40 formerly incarcerated people to hear and record their stories and to take their portraits.

At its core, “Broken?” asks us consider four questions: How did the land of the free become the world’s biggest jailer? Is the US criminal justice system broken or is it doing exactly what it was designed to do? Can a system that was designed by men who did not believe that everyone was equal, be just? And if not, how do we change it?

WRITERS
  • Abby MacPhil |UNIS| Managing Editor & Program Organizer
  • Shanoor Seervai | Contributing Editor
  • Preye Jituboh |UNIS| Student Researcher
  • Elisabeth Wandel |UNIS| Student Researcher
  • Oriana Ullman | Contributing Editor
INSTRUCTORS
  • Debra Driscoll | PROOF | Program Organizer | 2015 & 2016
  • Sandra Lipkind | UNIS | Film Instructor | 2017
  • Chris Bartlett | Photography Instructor | 2015
  • Michael Kirby Smith | Photography Instructor | 2014 & 2015
  • Sebastian Meyer | Photography Instructor | 2016
  • Leora Kahn | PROOF | Curato
  • Willhemina Wahlin | PROOF & Charles Strut University | Graphic Designer
STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS
  • Ayla Agha | UNIS | 2018 & 2020
  • Serena Aimen | UNIS | 2017 & 2020
  • Gloria Almenas | High School of Fashion Industries | 2016
  • Emma Blau | UNIS | 2015 & 2016
  • Sarah Blau | UNIS | 2015 & 2016
  • Dalia Bresnick | Trinity School | 2016
  • John Bunning | UNIS | 2017
  • Eloise Chambadal | UNIS | 2017, 2018 & 2020
  • Nathalie Chieveley-Williams | UNIS | 2018 & 2020
  • Ella Corn | Little Red School House | 2016
  • Sarah Duran | Northwest Academy Portland, Oregan | 2016
  • Josue Flores | Lyons Community School | 2016
  • Kevin Flores | Lyons Community School | 2016
  • Aki Gaythwaite | UNIS | 2018
  • Bjore Hopkins | Dalton | 2015
  • Preye Jituboh | UNIS | 2016
  • Noella Kalasa | UNIS | 2017, 2018 & 2020
  • Eva Kashuk | UNIS | 2015
  • Risha Khandaker | Cambria Heights Academy | 2015
  • Zoe Knable | UNIS | 2017, 2018 & 2020
  • Kamil Kuzminsk | Apple I School | 2015
  • Lydia Leiber | UNIS | 2017
  • Timothy Lin | UNIS | 2015, 2017 & 2020
  • Margherita Marras | UNIS | 2018
  • Zahra Meetings George UNIS | 2015
  • Sanjeevi Nuhumal | UNIS | 2015
  • Marlon Polycarpe | UNIS | 2015
  • Signe Rawat | UNIS | 2017
  • Prachi Roy | UNIS | 2018 & 2020
  • Elizabeth Roytberg | UNIS | 2018 & 2020
  • Lina Schwering | UNIS | 2015
  • Isabella Serrano | UNIS | 2017
  • Jasmina Shafi | UNIS | 2014
  • Luca Silveira | UNIS | 2014
  • Joel Talbot | UNIS | 2015
  • Mbuke Tugutu Frank McCourt High School | 2016
  • Pritika Varughese | UNIS | 2015
  • Mariela Vera-Briggs ICS 151 Bronx | 2016
  • Elisabeth Wandel | UNIS | 2014 & 2015
  • Yoshiya Yamamoto UNIS | 2015
  • Won-Jae Chang | UNIS | 2020
  • Dieynaba Dieng | UNIS | 2020
  • Gabriela Penido | UNIS | 2020
  • Arielle Thomas | UNIS | 2020
  • Annika Heegaard | UNIS | 2018 & 2020
A COLLABORATION BETWEEN
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS
  • American Friends Service Committee
  • Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
  • Brennan Center for Justice
  • Brotherhood Sister Sol
  • Brooklyn Community Bail Fund
  • Center for Constitutional Rights
  • Common Justice
  • Echoes of Incarceration
  • Families for Freedom
  • Fortune Society
  • Hour Children
  • Just Leadership USA
  • New Sanctuary Coalition of NYC
  • New York Civil Liberties Union
  • New York State Youth Leadership Council
  • Osborne Association
  • Police Reform Organizing Project (PROP)
  • Queensbridge 696 Cure Violence Program
  • Safe Passage Project
  • Vera Institute of Justice
  • Voice of Witness
  • Witness to Mass Incarceration
  • Youth First Initiative
THANKS
  • Jeremy Birk | UNIS
  • Nila Chatterjee | UNIS
  • Valerie Watt | UNIS
  • Alice Temnick | UNIS
  • Elke Bergholz | UNIS
  • Kiara Downey | UNIS
  • Gina Casella | UNIS
  • Antoine Delaitre | UNIS
  • Tanya Krupat | Osborne Association
  • Cliff Mayotte | Voice of Witness
  • Erin Vong | Voice of Witness