Is it possible to become a better mother while serving time in a maximum security prison?
This is a seemingly impossible question, a contradiction in terms. But a very relevant question though – because 80% of female prisoners in the US are mothers of school-age children.
Filmmaker Jenifer McShane addresses this question in her latest film, Mothers of Bedford. McShane spent 4 years visiting mothers in Bedford Hills prison, and following their families. The film examines the staggering power of the mother-child relationship, and explores the effects of a long-term prison sentence on that relationship.
Mother and child in Bedford Hills prison
The film shows the struggles and joys of five women – prisoners and mothers. It shows the normal frustrations of parenting, as well as the surreal experiences of a child’s first birthday party inside prison, the cell that child lives in with her mother, and the biggest celebration of the year, Mother’s Day in prison.
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