About the Photographer
Jenn Ackerman picked up her first camera after critiquing images and their effectiveness. She discovered the power of an image and quickly became enthralled with its storytelling abilities.
She has an excitement for storytelling and believes it is a great honor and privilege to share the stories of people who otherwise might not be heard. It is from this privilege that she feels an obligation to tell intimate stories with dignity for the subject and truth for the reader. She finished her master's from Ohio University in March 2008.
Her photos have been recognized by: Southern Short Course (Student Photographer of the Year), NPPA Best of Photojournalism (1st & 3rd Place - News Video), White House News Photographer’s Association, College Photographer of the Year (Gold – Picture Story), and Atlanta Photojournalism Contest.
About the Featured ProjectThe goal when deciding to publish Trapped: Mental Illness in America’s Prisons was to uncover the mental health crisis in America. Just as the intro states, the system is trapped with treating this growing population and the mentally ill often find themselves trapped in the system with nowhere else to go. In order to show this struggle, Jenn Ackerman went inside the Correctional Psychiatric Treatment Unit, the largest mental facility in Kentucky. While prison might not be the best place for the mentally ill, this program at the Kentucky State Reformatory is adapting to the meet the needs of this growing population in the prison system.
About the SiteInDepth was created by Jenn Ackerman in her master's capstone class as a place where in-depth documentary photography and investigative visual journalism could be highlighted and viewed. With a strong belief in the power of photography, the goal is to use visual elements to stimulate understanding and to engage viewers on the issues uncovered.
Here are some of the her classmate’s projects from the class:
Snowbirds in Quartzsite - Tim Gruber
Verite - Michael Kleinfeld
