In celebration of Women's History Month, we will lift up the voices of justice involved women with lived experience of parenting during incarceration through a film screening and discussion. Moderated by Stacey Palau, Chief Executive of New Life Community Resources, panelists include formerly incarcerated mothers Aliyah Person, Angela Norman, and Crystal Ross. After watching the film Apart, we'll hear about the real life experiences of these three remarkabe women and discuss the themes of the film in relation to their liveed experience. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is recommended but not required.

About the film: 

Since the beginning of the War on Drugs, the number of women in U.S. prisons has increased over 800%. The majority are mothers. Against the backdrop of a Midwestern state battling industrial decline and an opioid epidemic, APART offers an intimate portrait of three women incarcerated on drug-related charges who face the challenge of mothering their children first from prison and then after release. With the help of a unique re-entry program run by Malika, an advocate formerly incarcerated in the same prison, the women lean on each other to find the strength and support to rebuild their lives and relationships with their children. Counselors and instructors teach employment and life skills and help unpack the traumas of living in the wake of addiction and longing for distant loved ones. By highlighting the women’s investment in their own futures and in one another, APART also offers a wider indictment of incarceration in America, underscoring the ways institutions and systems all too often prioritize punishment and discipline over healing.

Watch the Trailer