Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration

This mural by Reimagining Reentry Fellow Mark Loughney humanizes incarcerated individuals, shedding light on the immense human cost of mass incarceration in America.

Created during Loughney's ten years of incarceration, these portraits offer a dignified, intimate view of his fellow prisoners, challenging the stigmatizing image of those within the prison system. The title references the pyrrhic defeat theory, which is the idea that those with the power to change a system benefit from the way it currently works. This 38’ x 6’ mural is on display within the Education Center at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site and is viewed by nearly a hundred visitors daily. The work was installed by Rec Crew participants Terrence Bostic, Terrell Harris, and Stephen Price.

FUNDERS: Art for Justice Fund, City of Philadelphia

PARTNER: Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site