Four young women living on the bad side of luck

PRISON LULLABIES is the remarkable portrait of four young women living on the bad side of luck, struggling with drug addiction, arrested for dealing, prostitution, grand larceny and serving prison time with one common bond; they were all pregnant at the time of their arrest, and all have given birth behind bars. For these women who are on intimate terms with sexual abuse and assault, destitution, poverty and addition, the Taconic Corrections Facility in New York State offers a rare glimmer of hope. Taconic allows the women to keep their babies for the first 18 months of their lives while insisting that the mothers participate in a rigorous series of classes that range from basic child care to anger management, and drug counseling. Each woman is released in the course of filming, and each must choose, minute to minute, whether to find a job, break the cycle of relapse and re-arrest, or to pick up the crack-pipe, abandon the child and return to the streets. Shot in cinema verite style, PRISON LULLABIES addresses these issues by allowing the audience the opportunity to observe and listen as the stories of the inmate mothers unfold- in their own time and their own words.

Prison Lullabies

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What's This?

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Prison Lullabies

Release Year: 2005

Duration: 83 min

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PRISON LULLABIES is the remarkable portrait of four young women living on the bad side of luck, struggling with drug addiction, arrested for dealing, prostitution, grand larceny and serving prison time with one common bond; they were all pregnant at the time of their arrest, and all have given birth behind bars. For these women who are on intimate terms with sexual abuse and assault, destitution, poverty and addition, the Taconic Corrections Facility in New York State offers a rare glimmer of hope. Taconic allows the women to keep their babies for the first 18 months of their lives while insisting that the mothers participate in a rigorous series of classes that range from basic child care to anger management, and drug counseling. Each woman is released in the course of filming, and each must choose, minute to minute, whether to find a job, break the cycle of relapse and re-arrest, or to pick up the crack-pipe, abandon the child and return to the streets. Shot in cinema verite style, PRISON LULLABIES addresses these issues by allowing the audience the opportunity to observe and listen as the stories of the inmate mothers unfold- in their own time and their own words.

Directed by

Odile Isralson

Lina Matta

Produced by

Odile Isralson

Lina Matta

Original Music by

Loren Toolajian

Cinematography

Odile Isralson

Film Editing by

Jonathan Oppenheim

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Comments

Posted 09/16/09 by Donna

This is disgusting!!! these children were not sentenced to prison!!! also, these women should not be allowed to smoke either. These women need to be punished, working hard labor.

Posted 08/18/09 by Lauren

Joann, you sounded like such a jerk when u said you wouldnt be helping the woman who took care of your 5 kids while you were in prison.

Posted 07/24/09 by Remaliah

I love documentaries and I would consider myself to be a worthy critic. This documentary this the task of unveiling the harsh realities which many people unfortunately face. All throughout me viewing the circumstances these women were dealing with I found myself hoping that they would make it through their difficulties. I think it’s relevant to note that things that may be easy to some individuals may be extremely trying for others. I would recommend this film to anyone when topics like these arise. To whom it may concern, THANKS

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