Cages as Houses

I'm trying to show a way of life that is scary to look at and contemplate, for me.

People in the inner towns also have this tight security, but I did not dare get out of the car to take the pictures for fear of annoying them.
Theirs are more creative and picturesque, really, especially when there are people in the "picture" communing and talking through these strongly barred entrances as if the barriers were not there.

I understand the security like this is even tighter in Guatemala and especially Nicaragua. I also understand that people do not leave for a weekend or extended time without house sitters.
Stealing is the most frequent crime here.

What have we come to? The amazing thing is that they have created beauty out of fear.

of the walls. At least that's what they did in Asmara Eritrea. Some had the usual spiked fence.

You said "inner towns"...

Are there other places that are "safer"?

Interesting how colorful and even attractive the houses looked, despite the cages.

This is a really nice group of images.

I did a group like that in Chicago during the heart of the crack epidemic. Property owners were using bundles of razor wire, sharp steel and cement to keep people out. I walked through the same neighborhoods last year and all of that stuff was gone.

The wrong people are behind bars in your images.