Still shy of a year in Milwaukee, the months since starting my position at NNS have been full of opportunities to meet locals and help tell their stories. From the Milwaukee food cart scene with Dwight Vickers to urban fishing with Angel Perez, I appreciate Milwaukee opening up and letting me share their stories through my camera.
The piece that has stayed with me most is my collaboration with reporter Devin Blake. It was a story about Derek Williams, whose 180-year prison sentence was reduced after he saved a correctional officer’s life, yet his path to parole remains long.
When Devin first described the story, I wasn’t sure how to visualize it. That was until he mentioned Williams’ wife, Rikki. With Williams still behind bars, I chose to tell their story through her point of view.
Rikki was kind enough to allow me to ride along with her and her mother, Donna Woodruff, as they made the hour-long journey to see Williams at Sturtevant Transitional Facility, something she does three times a week.
During the journey, I was able to take photographs showing what she deals with regularly. Rikki told me how she had put more than 70,000 miles on her car visiting Williams at different facilities.
During a video call with Derek, an everyday routine for Rikki when she can’t visit, I was invited into her home. This gave me the chance to meet and photograph him, as well as the mementos and photos she keeps close.
My goal for these photographs was to be able to show the impact that the long parole process had on not only Williams, but also on his wife and their family. I am grateful I was given the access and opportunity to share a glimpse of what the Williams’ family experiences.
Read the story here.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
