Blue Earth project photographer Deborah Espinosa is continuing to hold community events around her project, Living with Conviction, which is a multimedia and civic engagement project on the debilitating impacts of court-imposed legal financial obligations (LFOs), i.e., fines, fees, costs and victim restitution, on formerly incarcerated individuals and their families in Washington State.
She is organizing a Community Gallery Walk from July 8 through August 5, showcasing 14 portraits and personal stories of formerly incarcerated individuals hosted by 14 local businesses in Vashon, WA. The portraits and personal stories highlight fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and grandparents all struggling to survive and thrive, while also challenging the stereotype of what it means to be a felon.
There will also be a community conversation on August 5, 2018 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the Vashon Maury Land Trust, 10014 SW Bank Rd, Vashon, WA 98070. The Conversation focuses on LFOs that courts impose on criminal defendants at the time of sentencing. Until recently, 12% interest has been accruing on this debt from the date of sentencing. Failure to make monthly payments can result in re-incarceration, without the assistance of counsel.