Sherrill Roland arose to prominence through The Jumpsuit Project (2016-ongoing), a performative, community-engaged work wherein the artist wore an orange jumpsuit, a piece of clothing associated with detainees and prisoners, and engaged people in conversation about America’s broken criminal justice system. When the pandemic halted the ongoing performance, Roland began making objects that communicated his experiences, using materials relevant to his incarceration and returning to his interest in environmental minimalism. Roland is one of the most prominent formerly incarcerated artists to emerge from the outcry over mass incarceration in the U.S.. Shortly after Roland entered the Studio Arts MFA program at the University of North Carolina a warrant for his arrest was put out, resulting in a ten-month sentence. After his release and retrial, Roland was finally exonerated of all charges and was able to graduate from the University of North Carolina. However, the outcome of these events didn’t change the indelible impact incarceration had on the artist and his practice—the dehumanizing mental and physical abuse; the stripping away of identity; and the ongoing prejudice and stigmatization upon coming home, where judgment persists long after ‘punishment’ has been served.