'Mothers of Bedford' Screened at Playhouse Friday

When Mona* was 19, she was a passenger in a car that hit another car in which the driver was killed. Mona was high on angel dust at the time of impact.

When she woke up shackled to a hospital bed in Queens, she discovered she was involved in a hit and run car accident. Offered a plea deal that would take her away for five years from her two kids—toddlers at the time—she opted for a trial, desperate to stay with them.

Mona received a prison sentence of 20 years to life.

In the best of times, motherhood can be a difficult job. But trying to raise a child from inside the maxiumum security Bedford Hills Correctional Facility may be difficult beyond the imagination of local parents.

They'lll have a chance to step inside the prison walls through the eyes of filmmaker Jennifer McShane, who followed five women at the prison for four years, documenting their struggle to have a role in their children's lives.

The film, which premiered in New York City in 2011, will be screened tonight at the Ridgefield Playhouse at 7:30 p.m., followed by a Q&A with Director Jenifer McShane and film subject Mona, hosted by  Ira Joe Fisher and Morton Dean, the EMMY Award-winning television journalists.

McShane said she hoped locals would turn out for the screening to understand how mothers—nearby, in prison—are trying to improve themselves and their relationships with their children. She also hopes to inspire viewers to get involved with the prison's Children's Center—primarily funded by the state Department of Correcions but perennially in need of donations.

"Allowing mothers to bond with their kids while in prison, and teach them how to be better parents is a win-win," said McShane, who said she believed the rehabilitative aspects of the program help end the cycle of crime. "It's good for the child to have a loving relationship with their mother. It's also good for the women to realize what she left behind and how she can re-enter society in a more sucessful way."

The filmmaker said women are the fastest growing population in U.S. prisons today. About 80 percent of them are mothers.

In Bedford, just over half of the 750 prisoners are mothers, serving sentences of five to 25 years or life for robberies, drug-related crimes or worse.

They gather in the Children's Center visiting room, with their kids who were driven from as close as New York City's outer boroughs and as far away as Buffalo—all the way to Bedford in vans purchased for the program. 

"I hope the local screening will raise awareness of the center, and the opportunities we offer kids to reinforce the mother and child bond," said Jane Silfen, a Katonah resident and director of the center for the last six years.

Founded over 40 years ago by Sister Elaine Roulet, a nun and former school principal—who started by driving children in her own van to visit their jailed mothers—the Children's Center is now run by Catholic Charities with state DOC and private funding.

Transportation is a key part of the program, which gives mothers and children time to maintain their connections during the separation, said Silfen. The center arranges for day visits, weekend and holiday programs and summer stays. In addition, there's a nursery—where mothers who gave birth in prison are allowed to live with their babies up to 12 months—a daycare center, a parenting education and advocacy center and a playroom.

She said the center is staffed by four full-timers, and relies heavily on volunteers. Inmates are also trained to help run the array of programs, to help improve their job skills.

Like Mona.

"She is an incredible artist and is so creative with kids," said McShane. "She is such a veteran and ended up running programs. She does beautiful murals and the best face painting I've ever seen."

Just before wrapping the film, McShane got a call telling her Mona, now 44, was to be released from prison. Footage of her release—and reunion with her two children, now grown—is included in "Mothers of Bedford." Mona is now employed and living on her own. She credits the Children's Center with easing her re-entry into society after 24 years in prison.

"As a filmmaker, I set out to tell a compelling story that otherwise might not get told," said McShane. But since the state slashed the center's funding by 40 percent last year, she hopes to raise awareness, funds and donations in communities where the film is screened.

Here's how to support The Children's Center:

• Drop donations of gently used toys and books at 247 Harris Road from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Mon. - Fri.
• Host a child of an incarcerated mother for four nights this summer. The children visit their moms during the day and the local family hosts the child each evening. Visits are from Sat. - Thurs. June 27-Aug. 15. Informational packets will be available at the screening.
• Make a cash donation to the center.
• Call 914-241-3100 for more information.

* Last names of the female prisoners are not included in the film.

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Bedford-Katonah Patch in April, 2012.