The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories

In the era of the of a resurgence of the female voice and civil rights I have decided to investigate what jail life, often depicted by a man perspective, is like for a woman. My ongoing project tells the incarceration condition discovering the spaces

The common imagery of the prison life is fed by the photographic and cinematic depiction that nearly always represents the male population.

 In the era of a resurgence of the female voice and civil rights I have decided to investigate what incarceration is like for a woman: the maternity, the relationship with family and partners, the harsh condition with other cell-mates of different countries and cultures.

 In Rome, the city where I live, the  women's section of Rebibbia prison is the greatest in Europe.  The huge architecture developed on the model of the Panopticon of Jeremy Bentham is divided in two main buildings, the Camerotti and the Cellulare, that inevitably mark the time of prisoners’ days.

 I have decided to let these spaces speak for them: the cells, the nursery, the kindergarten, the common spaces for social and educational activities, the laundry, the farm, the visitors’ room are the only places where the inmates spend their lives for years.

 Since there is no privacy in a jail and everything is under control I have turned the personal perspectives in a collective story devoted to pain and relief at the same time, hanging in between violence and redemption, pointed by dramas and solidarity as well.

Discovering a world often neglected and very different from my expectations has been an eye-opening experience that has changed my way of  reaffirming to myself and of being a free woman.

 

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

The first floor of the Camerotti building, a part of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.The first floor hosts many prisoners awaiting trial.

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

A hallway in the Camerotti building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.In the female area there are also spaces for social and educational activities, a library and a theater.

© Francesca Pompei - The corner of a cell in the Camerotti building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.
i

The corner of a cell in the Camerotti building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

The building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison known as Camerotti.Inaugurated in 1979, the female detention area of Rebibbia jail is divided in two main buildings, the Camerotti and the Cellulare.

© Francesca Pompei - The corner of a cell in the Camerotti building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.
i

The corner of a cell in the Camerotti building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

A corner in the Camerotti building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison. Inaugurated in 1979, the female detention area of Rebibbia jail is divided in two main buildings, the Camerotti and the Cellulare.

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

The laundry space of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.The women area deals with the wash of the male section and of the Regina Coeli jail too.

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

The catholic meeting room of the Camerotti building in the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.In the women section there is also a Buddhist corner set up by a detainee.

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

The kitchen of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.Here, with the support of the Municipality, some volunteers and associations organize cooking classes for selected prisoners.

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

The main hall of the kindergarten area in the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.The women can follow their babies growing until they are 3 years old.

© Francesca Pompei - Toys on the floor in a cell of the kindergarten area of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.
i

Toys on the floor in a cell of the kindergarten area of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.

© Francesca Pompei - The corner of a cell in the Camerotti building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.
i

The corner of a cell in the Camerotti building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.

© Francesca Pompei - A corner in a cell of the kindergarten area of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.
i

A corner in a cell of the kindergarten area of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.

© Francesca Pompei - The projection's room of Rome's Rebibbia prison.
i

The projection's room of Rome's Rebibbia prison.

© Francesca Pompei - The entrance of the visits room of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.
i

The entrance of the visits room of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

A hallway in the Cellulare building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.The Cellulare building hosts the prisoners condemned by a final sentence passed against them.

© Francesca Pompei - The dressmaker’s room of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.
i

The dressmaker’s room of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.

© Francesca Pompei - Cells' doors in the Cellulare building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.
i

Cells' doors in the Cellulare building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

A security cell in the Cellulare, a building of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison.The security detention can be punitive, sanitary or in case of dangerous and self-destructive behaviour. It lasts at most 1 week.

© Francesca Pompei - Image from the The women of Rebibbia. Walls of stories photography project
i

A pigeon in a corner of the Camerotti building, a part of the women's section of Rome's Rebibbia prison. A symbol of freedom.

Latest Projects

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Stay in the loop


We will send you weekly news on contemporary photography. You can change your mind at any time. We will treat your data with respect. For more information please visit our privacy policy. By ticking here, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with them. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.