ABANDON ALL HOPE

Brushy Mountain was not a place to visit for a vacation, it was the type of place to avoid at all costs, and D-Block was the place that even regular prisoners avoided. Brushy operated for 113 years in the little town of Petros, Tennessee seeing its share of death and violence throughout its long history in the mountains. Holding famous and infamous alike, the now decaying structure has many stories to tell.

Opening in 1957 after Brushy closed the Hole, D-Block was made to hold the worst of the worst and you can tell that when walking through it. Small cells, small yards (a place where prisoners can get some exercise outside), very few windows, and door after door blocking an easy exit. This building within Brushy just has a certain feel and it’s not a good one, hence the title of the photograph.

“Abandon All Hope” popped into my head while editing this shot, that’s the feeling this place commanded, for the prisoners it must have felt that way, having your wrist and ankles shackled before you’re allowed to move anywhere in D-Block. Even now, the one place prisoners could see sunlight has been taken over almost completely by nature blocking any light that would pierce this dark place.

This front hallway was fitting for a shot of D-Block, having an exit sign right above the door but having bars immediately past the door is just a visual ode for this place and the people once held here. I couldn’t resist editing in black and white for this shot to show off the details but without the help of my mentor, this shot wouldn’t have shown my full vision for it.

Today, Brushy doesn’t hold any prisoners in mortal form but some of its residents still call Brushy home. It’s an interesting place to explore and thankfully they’re opening more and more of the prison for the public to visit. -Burke