Seeking a student through Summer 2013 to begin work on a collaborative project and course called Photo Requests from Solitary.

We will invite people held in solitary confinement in prisons in New York State and California to request a photograph of anything in the world, real or imagined. Many have been there for years, even decades. By filling their requests, we give people in isolation a chance to see something they want to see, used to see, or may never see.

The research assistant will be working directly with Jeanine Oleson, a faculty member at Parsons, as well as Tamms Year Ten, the human rights organization that launched the project in Illinois with men in Tamms supermax prison; Solitary Watch, a national solitary confinement media watchdog organization, and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, a national organization that supports state campaigns to end the use of solitary.

The assistant will be working in a team with grassroots organizations, prisoners, and families to identify a list of photo requests, set up a database, communicate with partners, working on funding and exhibition opportunities, identifying artists/photographers who will fulfill requests, and preparing for the Fall 2013 Collab course. Requires a person who is a self-starter, interested in social justice/human rights work, organized, able to create workflow systems (basic web design and image file skills would be helpful), and a willingness to fully engaged with this incredible project coordinated through Parsons. Approx. 2 days a week through August. Email a cover letter, resume and any questions to Jeanine Oleson, olesonj@newschool.edu