FF Gaiden: Control (2016). Larry Achiampong and David Blandy
The exact number of former Armed Service personnel in prison in Britain is at present unknown and figures are widely contested but it is believed that the number represents ‘a significant subset of the adult male prison population and by occupation, potentially the largest’. With a move to now better recognise veterans within the criminal justice system what does this identification mean for the individuals themselves?
FF Gaiden: Control explores the tensions inherent within this dual identity of ‘veteran and offender’ through a series of personal testimonies from the perspective of the veterans themselves and their family members. These accounts are played out through the world of video game Grand Theft Auto V, investigating this virtual space synonymous with violence to speak of their experiences of societal control.
Commissioned and produced by FACT. Supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation. With thanks HMP Altcourse, Keith McDonnell, Tony Connolly and the HMP Altcourse gym team, HMP Liverpool and Partners of Prisoners.