“If there was something someone could have said or done that would have changed the path that led you here, what would it have been?” While most people have something in their life that they regret or might have done differently, for the inmates of the Washington Corrections Center for Women, this question carries a lot of weight.
THE IF PROJECT follows Seattle police officer Kim Bogucki after she posed the “IF” question to female inmates in 2008 and received a stack of raw and poignant essays that she and repeat offender Renata Abramson hope can help shed light on the social issues that lead to incarceration, improve policing practices and increase support for the successful transition to post-prison life. A more intimate version of Orange Is the New Black, “The IF Project” hopes to address these issues and lay the groundwork for change.
In the United States, there are over 6.9 million people in prison, in jail on probation or parole. That is one in every 24 adults. Perhaps even more alarming is that women are the fasting growing segment of the incarcerated population, increasing at nearly double the rate of men since 1985. And of the 700,000 inmates released from prison each year, approximately two-thirds will reoffend within three years. THE IF PROJECT explores the reasons behind these staggering numbers and takes viewers on the inmates’ brutal and honest journey on what led them to prison in the first place. And, in a time where the topic of mass incarceration as well as criticism of American police officers continue to make headlines, the documentary demonstrates that both populations can serve each other and ultimately, our communities as a whole.
From filmmaker Kathlyn Horan, THE IF PROJECT premieres on Logo on Wednesday, September 14th at 9pm ET/PT.
www.theifprojectmovie.com
