Ellis Unit

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Lyon’s 1971 book 'Conversations with the Dead' gives an intense look at the inmates of the Texas State prison system. Lyon interacted with the prisoners for over a year to show an insider’s view of their incarceration. The images, which are accompanied in the book by writings of inmates Lyon befriended, document prison conditions and create an intimate portrait of those in the system. In the book’s foreword, Lyon states “I tried with whatever power I had to make a picture of imprisonment as distressing as I knew it to be in reality.” He later said of the experience, “I spent 14 months talking to these guys. They broke my heart. Prison is one story after another, and every one breaks your heart.”

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