Mothers of Bedford

About the Project

Eighty percent of women in prison are mothers of school age children. Mothers of Bedford looks at the lives of five women inside the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility specifically through the lens of motherhood. It is not just a film about women in prison and how they got there - it is also an exploration of what it means to be a mother. With help from the non-profit Childrenʼ Center inside the prison, incarcerated women are learning to nurture and strengthen their relationship with their children against tremendous odds. The women participating in the parenting programs at Bedford call their experience "parenting from a distance". Mothers of Bedford follows their journey as the women attempt to become better mothers, understand their children, and gain their respect. The founder of the Childrenʼs Center describes the parenting programs as an opportunity to "teach people to swim with success when failure has been your water from the day you began".

During the film we see the normal frustrations of parenting and we witness more surreal experiences such as a childʼs first birthday inside prison, a tour of the cell that the same child lives in with her mother behind bars, a parent-teacher conference phone call from prison, and, by far the prisonʼs biggest celebration of the year, Mothers Day. Bedford Hills is the only U.S. prison with a comprehensive parenting program. Mothers of Bedford provides an opportunity to introduce a wide audience to the world of a womenʼs prison and the mothers "inside" striving to recreate themselves. Given the astounding number of women behind bars in this country the goal of this film is to promote true "rehabilitation" by encouraging the work of Children Centers and parenting classes in prisons throughout the U.S.

These programs represent positive social change that has far reaching effects. Women who have worked at their personal relationships have more success upon leaving prison and their children are less likely to follow their motherʼs footsteps in to prison. The film suggests that it is in the best interest of all involved to support prisoners in their attempts to nurture the relationship with their children and, as one woman says, "become somebody". The power of the mother child relationship is staggering. The effort to keep trying and caring for each other is something we do in all walks of life from penthouses to prison. We see ourselves as we watch the mothers inside Bedford trying to become their better selves and that gives us all hope.

The Fledgling Fund Impact

The Fledgling Fund is pleased to provide post-production, outreach and audience engagement support for Mothers of Bedford. This film gives audiences a look at these women's stories which are so often silenced. Their stories are simultaneously heart-wrenching and inspiring and we believe that it offers ideas about justice system solutions.