“Prodigal Father” follows a filmmaker as he explores the aftermath of his father’s decades-long heroin addiction and violent past. How do a mother and her eight children survive with a father in-and-out of prison? Taking place over 20 years after his father’s last arrest, the filmmaker learns that change is possible, but redemption is […]
Archive | Incarceration
Xavier Phifer – Resilience Story
Xavier Phifer, a 17 year-old student from Brooklyn, describes how his mother’s incarceration ten years ago shaped the person he is now. With her support, he has pursued education and filmmaking, advocating for laws that would place incarcerated parents closer to their children. Francis Adjei
Caring Through Struggle
In this short documentary, young filmmakers with incarcerated parents set out to unveil some of the hidden consequences of our nation’s approach to imprisonment. The crew journeyed to understand their childhoods being brought up by grandparents, and by extension, the issues caregivers face when raising a child with an incarcerated parent. Part of the Echoes […]
Visiting Through the Youth Lens
Research has shown that a sustained relationship with a parent in prison is one of the most influential factors in both reducing a child’s trauma, and also in lowering that parent’s rate of recidivism. However, children often face great resistance to visiting a parent. This short film describes the challenges, the sorrows, and the […]