'This Way Out' is a feature documentary following a group of previously incarcerated seniors as they fight for reforms to the parole boards of New York. This character-driven documentary explores the concepts of punishment, redemption, and what it means to heal.
SYNOPSIS
Across the U.S., parole boards are ill-equipped to determine if an incarcerated person should return to society. Lack of transparency, political pressure, and racial biases all contribute to a system that focuses on original crimes instead of rehabilitation and the risk of re-offending. The result is that populations inside prisons grow older, and communities outside continue to fracture as they miss the opportunity to benefit from credible messengers.
Working to change this system is a group of formerly incarcerated seniors called RAPP (Release Aging People in Prison). Led by Jose Saldana - who spent 38 years in prison for attempted murder - the people of RAPP work tirelessly to bring home those they left behind. Their proposed bill would ensure that parole is based on a person's prison record and current risk factor, rather than the severity of the original crime. It would be the first legislation of its kind in the United States, and would be a model for other states to follow.
‘This Way Out’ chronicles RAPP’s efforts over five years as they beat the odds and gain majority support for their bill in the New York State legislature. Theirs is a story of hard-won triumph and leaves the viewer with a vision of hope for the future.
Intertwined with RAPP’s narrative are accounts of people who are still incarcerated and currently navigating the parole release process. Their testimonies are paired with animated artwork from incarcerated artists to provide compelling examples of the current broken system.
Director Statement
This film was dreamed up by myself (Lucy Kreutz) and my dear friend Marvin Mayfield, who had spent many years in New York prisons. While inside, Marvin saw the harm being done to his family and community by a criminal justice system focused on punishment instead of rehabilitation. After his release, Marvin started a career in advocacy around prison reform. He took classes at BRIC on videography, where he grew to believe that documentaries and character-driven storytelling are key to changing minds.
I met Marvin in 2018 while producing a documentary for National Geographic about the fight for bail reform in New York State. At that point, I had long been passionate about prison issues and had already produced numerous documentaries related to the criminal justice system.
Marvin and I decided to make ‘This Way Out’ together because we shared the belief that highlighting the parole release system is a new and important lens through which to examine mass incarceration. We also believe our approach — personal storytelling and animated artwork from prison — is the most compelling way to do it. By relating these narratives vividly and respectfully, we have the potential to change minds on this important issue.
On March 30th, 2023, Marvin unexpectedly passed away at the age of 61. Marvin had been eager to see our film completed, and to lose him before the film premieres is just one of the many tragedies related to his death. In his name, we continue the work he started.
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Lucy Kreutz
Lucy Kreutz (Director) is an award-winning director and producer of documentary films and television series. Her career has taken her on adventures around the world and into hidden corners of the United States. Her work has won awards such as the Sundance Institute's Sustainability Award, the Faces of Austin Award at SXSW and Environmental Media's award for best documentary series. She also works as a shooter-producer, with a specialty in follow-doc coverage. Lucy’s career started in post production - she has edited five feature documentaries and numerous shorts- which helped her to hone her abilities in the field.
In all of her work, Lucy uses an earnest but humorous approach to tell compelling and unconventional stories.
In addition to her love of filmmaking, Lucy is passionate about ending the prison industrial complex in the United States. Since first entering a prison in 2007 - as a co-producer on Bradley Beesley’s critically acclaimed documentary Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo (HBO) - she has been determined to bring attention to the struggles of people affected by mass incarceration. Her experience behind bars led her to volunteer with Inside Books Project, a non-profit that sends free books to incarcerated people, where she has served on the board for over a decade. Lucy has since produced series for Netflix, the History Channel, and National Geographic that highlight the injustices within our country's criminal justice system.
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ABOUT YOUR DONATION
Women Make Movies (WMM), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media arts organization registered with the New York Charities Bureau of New York State and accepts charitable donations on behalf of this project. Your donation will be spent by the filmmaker(s) toward the production and completion of this media project. No services or goods are provided by Women Make Movies, the filmmaker(s) or anyone else associated with this project in exchange for your charitable donation.
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