Social Impact Campagain 

In the United States, there are 2.3 million inmates in prison; 56% of which are African-Americans and Latinos. African-Americans are six times more likely to end up in prison than whites and twice as likely as Latinos. The media and Human Rights defenders often denounce the dysfunctions and abuses of the United States’s system of mass incarcerations.

​

In California, a law recently passed (California Senate Bill 260), opens parole to all people sentenced before their 18th birthday, and parole hearings are more easily granted. Former Governor Jerry Brown also intervened to reduce the sentences of certain prisoners, which was the case for 30% of the men participating in Words Uncaged programs. To facilitate liberation, more and more efforts are focused on rehabilitation projects carried out within prisons, which allow prisoners to reflect on their course, to deconstruct the mentality that led them to commit their crimes, and to rebuild a new relation to themselves and to the world. In this regard, Lancaster Prison’s A-YARD is a tried and tested model.

Research shows that prisoners who attend educational programs while incarcerated are less likely to return to prison following their release as it helps them develop craftsmanship, collect academic credits and social skills that will allow them to reintegrate into society. Effective Education Programs are those that give prisoners techniques and strategies that help them deal with their emotions. Artistic and self expression programs tend to lead to less violence by inmates and a more positive prison environment. It allows inmates the therapeutic introspection and self acceptance that they often need. Many inmates choose to participate in these programs as they see clear opportunities to improve their capabilities for employment after their release.

​

This film is serving as a tool to steer at-risk youth away from committing a crime they will regret for the rest of their lives.

 

Our mission is simple: Use DANCING IN A-YARD as a communicative tool for social impact by screening it in Schools, Universities, Prisons, Community Centers and Art Institutions. These screening will encompass live dance performances by former inmate and choreographed by Dimitri Chamblas, an exhibition of writings and art work by incarcerated men and a Q&A. These curated events will captivate a diverse audience and encourage them to call for action.

​

You can support our social impact campaign by donating via our fiscal sponsorship: