For Immediate Release
March 13, 2024
Contact: [email protected]

Race Forward, COLORLINES, to Release Women Transcend, a Narrative Project Highlighting the Impact of the Carceral System on Women

OAKLAND - COLORLINES, published by Race Forward, today announced the release of Women Transcend, a multimedia storytelling initiative and film produced in collaboration with formerly incarcerated Black women activists. The central piece of this multimedia project is a documentary feature that follows activists Cheryl Wilkins, Ivy Mathis, and Mama Gloria Williams, showcasing their work to uplift other women as well as their advocacy for clemency and reentry programs. Through the film and accompanying content, Women Transcend challenges us to reflect on how we view, and inadvertently give our consent, to systems of perpetual punishment and isolation.

Incarceration for women has skyrocketed over 500% since 1981, with Black women being imprisoned at 1.6x the rate of white women. Society falsely labels incarcerated moms as “not only bad people, but also bad mothers, bad wives, and bad daughters.” However, these stereotypes negate the traumas that pushed these women on a path to the carceral system. One study of incarcerated women found that 67% had a history of sexual abuse, 79% had a history of physical abuse, and 50% of women had a history of mood disorder. Women Transcend underscores the importance of addressing the root causes of incarceration. 

“Prison regulations override humanity,” recounts Cheryl Wilkins, the co-founder and co-director of Columbia University’s Center for Justice. Throughout the Women Transcend documentary, Wilkins and other prison activists share painful accounts of the physical, sexual, and emotional violence inflicted upon women, often at the hands of prison officials. Research has shown that women in prisons have a 7% higher mortality rate than male prisoners, largely attributed to illness, suicide, or substance intoxication. Incarcerated women are two to four times more likely to commit suicide than non-incarcerated women, which is higher than the difference between incarcerated and non-incarcerated men. Women Transcend features multiple anecdotes that corroborate these facts and challenges our values around crime and justice.

This documentary also delves into the uniquely painful familial consequences women suffer while incarcerated. “When you incarcerate a woman, you incarcerate her children,” says one woman featured in the film. One of the biggest struggles for incarcerated mothers revolves around dealing with the separation of their children and reunification efforts upon release. Most incarcerated women are mothers, with many being single moms. Over 60% of incarcerated women are imprisoned more than 100 miles away from their kids, making them less likely to live close to their children than men. 11% of incarcerated women compared to 2 percent of incarcerated men report having a child in foster care, which can potentially expose their child to trauma. A tragic anecdote featured in the film revolves around an incarcerated mother who learned of her daughter being a victim of childhood sexual abuse while outside of her care. This mother was denied the ability to contact social workers and caseworkers to help safeguard her child. Circumstances like this can explain the gender difference in that upon release, women’s focus remains on reunification with their children and families, while men’s focus remains mainly on procuring jobs and employment.

Women Transcend highlights the horrors of the penal system, but also the resiliently optimistic hope and generosity incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women show one another. Mathis, Wilkins, Mama Glo, and many other women who have survived the prison system often return to offer emotional support to women still trapped in the system. This film also showcases Columbia’s Center for Justice ‘Beyond the Bars’ conference, where activists and researchers share testimonies and data to help end mass incarceration. 

Race Forward is a non-profit organization aimed at advancing racial justice in our policies, institutions, and cultures. COLORLINES is the leading media source for accessible stories on race, power, and democracy.