The Shadow of Control

A man incarcerated in a Romanian prison stands with his arms crossed as the shadows of prison bars fall across the wall behind him. During my visits to this prison, I met men convicted of trafficking women through relationships that began with promises of love and security. Some described the exploitation as a choice made by the women themselves, revealing how coercion can be disguised as consent. His portrait invites us to look beyond the prison walls and consider the manipulation, control and abuse of trust that can precede incarceration.