Inmate-Produced Documentary Takes Youth behind Walls of Wisconsin Women's Prison
[we have received the following press release and are pleased to publish it here...]
Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton and Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Matt Frank today co-hosted a media screening of a new documentary that brings viewers inside Wisconsin’s largest correctional facility for women. The 30-minute documentary, titled “Game Over: Women in Prison,” was produced by inmates at Taycheedah Correctional Institution (TCI) in partnership between the DOC and the Northeast Wisconsin Northeastern Wisconsin In-School Telecommunications (NEWIST/CESA #7), Educational Television Productions of Northeastern Wisconsin (ETP-NEW), and Wisconsin Public Television.
"This documentary pulses with the power and poetry of Taycheedah inmates' voices, their stories making life inside prison walls indelible in our memories. They give us vivid images that demonstrate how incarceration translates into loss of pride, respect and dignity," Lt. Governor Lawton said. "Their production will spur conversations in classrooms across the state that we trust will help Wisconsin's young women learn the wisdom and courage of taking responsibility for good decision-making."
Secretary Frank said, “As the state’s largest correctional facility for women, Taycheedah was the logical choice for a project of this type. We are pleased to have partnered in the creation of the documentary, and we hope that educators in Wisconsin find the video to be an effective tool when they work with students.”
Distributed through NEWIST/CESA #7, the documentary includes first-person accounts from several TCI inmates about the lives they led before entering the correctional system, their initial confinement at TCI and the lives they lead while incarcerated. They also candidly discuss the factors that influenced their criminal behavior, such as histories of drug addiction or sexual violence, and they talk about the impact that their crimes have had on victims, family members and their children. In addition, the program includes explanatory narratives by key prison staff, including Warden Ana Boatwright. Ten TCI inmates assisted in the making of the documentary by participating in interviews or through production work.
“Game Over: Women in Prison” premiered Dec. 1 on Wisconsin Public Television and future airings are planned. The production is geared primarily to females age 10-21. A teacher’s guide has been created for use in classroom instruction, and video diaries of the inmates’ final thoughts about involvement in the project are included in the DVD, as well.
“This frank, unadorned, cautionary tale of life in prison by inmates in Taycheedah provides from-the-inside, seldom-seen stories,” said Eileen Littig, an Executive Producer with NEWIST/CESA #7. “This project succeeded because of the strong working partnership and cooperation that we established with Taycheedah Correctional Institution. Special thanks go to the inmates who were eager to ‘tell it like it is.’”
Additional details on the documentary can found at the NEWIST/CESA #7 Web site, www.uwgb.edu/newist, or by calling 1-800-633-7445.
Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton and Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Matt Frank today co-hosted a media screening of a new documentary that brings viewers inside Wisconsin’s largest correctional facility for women. The 30-minute documentary, titled “Game Over: Women in Prison,” was produced by inmates at Taycheedah Correctional Institution (TCI) in partnership between the DOC and the Northeast Wisconsin Northeastern Wisconsin In-School Telecommunications (NEWIST/CESA #7), Educational Television Productions of Northeastern Wisconsin (ETP-NEW), and Wisconsin Public Television.
"This documentary pulses with the power and poetry of Taycheedah inmates' voices, their stories making life inside prison walls indelible in our memories. They give us vivid images that demonstrate how incarceration translates into loss of pride, respect and dignity," Lt. Governor Lawton said. "Their production will spur conversations in classrooms across the state that we trust will help Wisconsin's young women learn the wisdom and courage of taking responsibility for good decision-making."
Secretary Frank said, “As the state’s largest correctional facility for women, Taycheedah was the logical choice for a project of this type. We are pleased to have partnered in the creation of the documentary, and we hope that educators in Wisconsin find the video to be an effective tool when they work with students.”
Distributed through NEWIST/CESA #7, the documentary includes first-person accounts from several TCI inmates about the lives they led before entering the correctional system, their initial confinement at TCI and the lives they lead while incarcerated. They also candidly discuss the factors that influenced their criminal behavior, such as histories of drug addiction or sexual violence, and they talk about the impact that their crimes have had on victims, family members and their children. In addition, the program includes explanatory narratives by key prison staff, including Warden Ana Boatwright. Ten TCI inmates assisted in the making of the documentary by participating in interviews or through production work.
“Game Over: Women in Prison” premiered Dec. 1 on Wisconsin Public Television and future airings are planned. The production is geared primarily to females age 10-21. A teacher’s guide has been created for use in classroom instruction, and video diaries of the inmates’ final thoughts about involvement in the project are included in the DVD, as well.
“This frank, unadorned, cautionary tale of life in prison by inmates in Taycheedah provides from-the-inside, seldom-seen stories,” said Eileen Littig, an Executive Producer with NEWIST/CESA #7. “This project succeeded because of the strong working partnership and cooperation that we established with Taycheedah Correctional Institution. Special thanks go to the inmates who were eager to ‘tell it like it is.’”
Additional details on the documentary can found at the NEWIST/CESA #7 Web site, www.uwgb.edu/newist, or by calling 1-800-633-7445.
posted by Cheryl Hentz at 4:29 PM
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