Until the day we found out my father was going to jail, I lived an average life on Long Island, New York. Since all we could do was go on living a normal life, I continued to go to school, apply to college, hang with friends, spend time with my mother and brothers, and somehow try to do the same old activities. When someone is in prison it feels more like a death and then a resurrection.

Quietly, we all wondered what life would be like once my father returned from prison. We knew that the five of us would be different people when the fifty-one months were over.

During my fathers’ absence my mother amazed me. She took on the role of a mother and father. She had three jobs and took care of her three children. Meanwhile, she remained loyal to my father, and almost every weekend, she drove eight hours to visit him at Allenwood Prison Camp. During those months, she kept the family together and although now divorced, she continues to do so.

Taylor, my youngest brother, was too young to fully realize and comprehend the transition when my father went to jail. At first he believed the visiting room at Allenwood was my father’s new work place. Later when he began to understand the environment, he was quiet and accepting; he never made any accusations against our father. In our family, Taylor is the one that made sure we were all happy.

My younger brother Grant watched over me during the time of my father’s incarceration. Although he was a couple of years younger than me, I always thought he was wiser, and till this day, there is no one I admire more than him. He is not in this series because he was never comfortable being photographed, and every photo in the series was approved by all the members of my family.