San Quentin Project: Description of Prisoners Received at California State Prison at San Quentin Cameo Glass High fire stoneware piggy bank

High fire stoneware piggy bank decorated with glossy brown and cream hues

where it crosses the Big Sandy River and heads into Kentucky

this print is a wish for good days ahead

Robert Rauschenberg

San Quentin Project: Description of Prisoners Received at California State Prison at San Quentin Cameo Glass High fire stoneware piggy bankThe specter of incarceration casts a very wide shadow in America, a nation that houses more prisoners than any country in the world. In spite of the tragic realities that often accompany it, the world of crime and criminals has always provided rich fodder for the public imagination, manifested in pop culture in forms ranging from folk ballads to modern day television and film portrayals. Prisons such as Alcatraz (California), Sing Sing (New York), and