Rosie’s, the center’s nickname, is the only facility that houses women and gender-expansive people in the notorious Bronx jail complex—the same one that’s been called the “most infamous jail in the US” due to its high rates of violence and disorder. To get into the salon at Rosie’s, first I had to check in through a trailer at the foot of the Francis R. Buono Memorial Bridge, the only way to get on and off the island. Then, after going through TSA-like security, I was escorted through three separate checkpoints where I needed to hold up a numbered badge that identified me as a visitor. Although I had gotten special permission to bring my laptop and recorder inside, I did have to leave my phone behind.
The salon is located in Rosie’s recreation area, where vocational programs like culinary lessons and cosmetology take place, as well as high school and college classes. It looks more like a school than a jail: Inspirational posters line the walls with sayings like, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” and many of these emphasize the importance of attending class and making it to graduation day.
Before meeting the three women, volunteers with the Beauty Beyond Bars program were warned by guards and administrators to hide scissors or sharp objects and to monitor every product that was visible in the room. “This will go missing,” one Rikers staff member warns, pointing to a row of Redken hair products neatly laid out on a small table. “It’s happened right in front of my face. The women are slicker than the men.”
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