"You can destroy a whole family by taking a mother away..." |
One of the fastest growing and least known populations in the United States are incarcerated women. During the last twenty years, the number of female inmates in this country has increased by over 400%. The overwhelming majority of these women are incarcerated for non-violent offenses, are women of color, and mothers.
WAR ON THE FAMILY: Mothers in Prison and the Families They Leave Behind is a new documentary film being produced by Peace Productions in Chicago. Based on the book of the same title by Professor of Criminal Justice and noted social analyst Renny Golden, the film aims to deconstruct social myths surrounding these women and families. Drug policy researchers, professors, legal advocates, social workers, prison officials and other experts weave a tapestry of societal injustices:
- The impact of the War on Drugs on women and their families
- The overwhelming growth of the prison industry
- The exponential increase of incarcerated women
- The role that social exclusion plays in drug addiction and sentencing
- The financial cost of incarceration vs. drug rehabilitation
- The failure of prison as a cure for substance abuse
- The often brutal conditions of jails and prisons
- The cyclical effect that incarceration recreates in women and their children
- What children suffer when their mothers are incarcerated
- The difficulty of re-uniting families after imprisonment
- The social and financial obstacles women face upon their release from prison
As in Goldens book, the focus of the film is the voices of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women. These stories weave their personal tapestries of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, family instability, poverty, sexism and racism.
Several of the women make the connection to their mother (who many times was incarcerated herself) and can trace problems to that initial separation. Many talk not only of their great hope but also their anxiety about their childrens future.
Society stereotypes and anticipates failure for this population, creating a general feeling that from day one, prison is where they are destined to go. And when they finally leave prison, re-entering society presents a whole new set of challenges. Adequate and affordable housing is difficult to find; employers willing to hire ex-offenders are scarce. As Rev. Bernadine Dowdell, the executive director of Chicagos Grace House (a rehabilitative organization for female ex-offenders) said, These women are in double jeopardy
they get an even worse label than a man would get in the same situation
they are branded.
Among others, the film follows:
- Brandy, a Grace House alumnus, as she commutes three hours each way to work an 8-hour shift.
- Children being awakened at 4:30am for a seven-hour bus ride to visit their mother in prison
- Odessa, a 60-year old grandmother caring for seven grandchildren with little income and no social service support.
Some children of incarcerated mothers are lucky enough to have extended families. Many others are put in foster homes where one in four children are abused. Tragically, untold numbers of children are left to try to survive on the streets.
As painful as the film becomes, however, it does offer hope. Through the voices of some women who have survived comes a new understanding. Institutions, such as Chicagos Grace House, assist women in re-entering society, re-connecting with their families, finishing their education and finding meaningful employment. Some women put their lives back together. Some families prove that, despite societal injustices, the bonds of love cannot be broken. Miraculously, some children are able to break the cycle of addiction and incarceration. These instances, though rare, reveal a glimpse of light from a world that is horribly bleak. Although personal triumph can occur, the social structure remains intact, guaranteeing the same horrific journey for many to come.
Through this social analysis, coupled with the powerful voices of those courageous enough to share their stories, the films goal is to introduce the general public to this invisible population and to better understand the social systems that invariably lead to these tragedies.
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"The violence inscribed on the bodies of the mothers is re-inscribed on the bodies of their children."
-Renny Golden
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Help Peace Productions complete the film War on the Family: Mothers in Prison and the Families They Leave Behind
by making a tax deductible contribution. All proceeds will go directly
to the production and distribution of the film. Thank you!
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