I Thought I Was Seeing Convicts

The exercise yard of Corcoran Prison in California is wedge-shaped. At its narrow end stands a watchtower, from which guards can see every inch of the bare, open area—and, if necessary, have a clear line of fire. Cameras also monitor the entire yard, leaving no place where prisoners can escape observation. Dressed in nothing but socks, shoes, and shorts, they are no more than bodies expected to conform to a norm of passivity and predictable behavior. Fights are immediately met with firearms or water cannons.

The control mechanisms of the penal apparatus fascinated Harun Farocki throughout his career, and he made several films and installations exploring the use of cameras, ankle monitors, and other surveillance technologies. In I Thought I Was Seeing Convicts, he shows how violence has become impersonal and detached, almost like in a game. The penitentiary system has degenerated into a punishment industry, in which convicted individuals are reduced to mere units.