Mothering Inside

When a mother is sent to prison, the whole family does time

Mothering Inside poster

What happens when a mother of small children is “put on a time out”? At Oregon’s Coffee Creek Women’s Prison, the Family Preservation Project (FPP) helps inmates hone their parenting skills as it facilitates regular family visits. While imprisonment is hard on both prisoners and their families, Mothering Inside demonstrates that not all is lost when the prison helps sustain the parent-child relationship. Shooting in a verité style, filmmaker Brian Lindstrom strives for unobtrusiveness as he records what he observes, uncovering the story along the way. Before our eyes, Lindstrom’s work morphs into a piece of advocacy. In the midst of filming, the Oregon Department of Corrections announced it would stop funding the FPP, and the viewer shares the heartbreak of the mothers suddenly faced with the prospect of losing their children all over again. (An end card notes that the program was rescued from the budget knife, but perhaps only temporarily.)

Director: Brian Lindstrom, Amira Dughri
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 29 min
Country: United States of America
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Brian Lindstrom, Amira Dughri
More Films in Genre: Documentary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mothering Inside about?
What happens when a mother of small children is “put on a time out”? At Oregon’s Coffee Creek Women’s Prison, the Family Preservation Project (FPP) helps inmates hone their parenting skills as it facilitates regular family visits. While imprisonment is hard on both prisoners and their families, Mothering Inside demonstrates that not all is lost when the prison helps sustain the parent-child relationship. Shooting in a verité style, filmmaker Brian Lindstrom strives for unobtrusiveness as he records what he observes, uncovering the story along the way. Before our eyes, Lindstrom’s work morphs into a piece of advocacy. In the midst of filming, the Oregon Department of Corrections announced it would stop funding the FPP, and the viewer shares the heartbreak of the mothers suddenly faced with the prospect of losing their children all over again. (An end card notes that the program was rescued from the budget knife, but perhaps only temporarily.)
Who directed Mothering Inside?
Mothering Inside was directed by Brian Lindstrom, Amira Dughri.
How long is Mothering Inside?
Mothering Inside has a runtime of 29m (29 minutes).
What genre is Mothering Inside?
Mothering Inside is a Documentary film.
Where was Mothering Inside produced?
Mothering Inside was produced in United States of America.