Ambassador Short Films

Whispers Beyond Bars

by Marci Marie Ray

A detailed look at the reality of life in prison for pregnant women, exposing the lack of compassionate care for mothers who are incarcerated.

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2025 Ambassador Stories

  • Advocacy is Life or Death

    By Angelique Todd

     An advocate loses her job for challenging injustice, revealing how broken systems fail survivors who need help the most. Learn more.

  • Autumn

    By Autumn Mason

    A powerful look at how parental incarceration harms families through the eyes of a mother impacted by it. Learn more.

  • How Did I Get Here?

    By Coco Davis

     After prison, a mother fights to rebuild her life and reconnect with her children in a world that refuses to let her move on. Learn more

  • It's Not Okay

    By Heather Jarvis

     A powerful spoken word piece reveals the messy, nonlinear truth of reentry—and the myth of the “perfect” comeback story. Learn more.

  • The Cure Complex

    By John Medina Jr.

     This film exposes how addiction treatment systems, shaped by Big Pharma, often trap people in cycles of dependency. Learn more.

  • The Making of a Mask

    By Noble Williams

     One man traces how childhood trauma shaped his identity and confronts the masks we wear to survive in an unjust world. Learn more

  • The Trauma We Carry

    By Dena Dickerson

     A survivor of childhood trauma and incarceration transforms her pain into purpose, helping others reenter and heal. Learn more.

  • The Truth Behind The Mask

    By JeiJei Webster

     From paperwork to grocery aisles, reentry is full of hidden barriers—this film asks us to meet returning citizens with empathy. Learn more.

  • Whispers Beyond Bars

     By Marci Marie Simmons

    A detailed look at the reality of life in prison for pregnant women, exposing the lack of compassionate care for mothers who are incarcerated. Learn more.

2024 Ambassador Stories

  • Breaking Barriers

    By Kristel Cosio

    A group of system-impacted students at Cal-Berkeley highlight the transformative power of higher education and their advocacy efforts to reform the punitive systems they have navigated. Learn more.

  • Broken Systems Break People

    By Armand Coleman

    The healing journey of adults who were incarcerated as children empowers them to reconnect with their bodies, communities, and inherent worth through restorative justice practices. Learn more.

  • The Candle

    By Jessie Mabrey

    The Candle highlights the often-overlooked trauma and anxiety faced by children of incarcerated parents, revealing the profound impact of confinement on both the children and their communities. Learn more

  • Change Is Possible

    By Eddie Ellis Jr.

    A reentry advocate shares his personal journey from childhood incarceration to mentorship, urging community leaders to #ENDJLWOP and support those rebuilding their lives post-release. Learn more.

  • Chasing Redemption

    by Thaisan Nguon

    Follow along as two men travel the road towards redemption after their Life Without Parole (LWOP) sentences are commuted. Learn More

  • Disrupted: Injustice, Trauma, and Healing

    By John Pace

    A portrait of Philadelphia that explores the intersections of race, class, incarceration, and healing for system-impacted individuals and their loved ones. Learn more

  • Lost in Freedom

    By JJ’88

    This visual EP follows JJ’88 on a journey to bridge the understanding between system-impacted individuals and those deemed "free." Learn more.

  • Mama, I'm Different

    By Tabatha Trammell

    An intimate story about the effects of undiagnosed mental illness at the intersection of—and compounded by—addiction and criminalization. Learn more.

  • Power of the Pen

    By Kareemah Hanifa

    The Power of the Pen is a story about the power of manifestation and art to liberate individuals beyond confinement. Learn more.

Previous Ambassador Stories

  • Broken Systems

    By Twyana Davis

    In "Broken Systems," Twyana Davis exposes how restrictive parole terms prolong incarceration, making reintegration difficult and increasing the risk of recidivism. Learn more.

  • Chasing The Mexican Dream

    By Kent Mendoza

    As an immigrant, Kent Mendoza struggled to belong in the U.S. until he overcame the challenges of the immigration-to-prison pipeline and became his own hero. Learn more.

  • It Takes A Village

    By Nelson Morris

    A short film by Nelson Morris, reveals how his mentorship of young Black men in Chicago is shaped by his own journey from a life sentence as a teen to a path of hope. Learn more.

  • The Power of Commutations

    By Andrew Hundley

    In "The Power of Commutations," Andrew Hundley challenges us to rethink public safety, showing how commuting life sentences gives people a second chance and strengthens the community. Learn more.

  • Two Wolves

    By Shannon Ross

    Prison may be dark, but self-empowerment lights the way to liberation, offering countless examples of how to reach our potential. Learn more

  • Until We All Count

    By Page Dukes

    "Until We All Count" exposes how felony disenfranchisement in Georgia, rooted in Jim Crow, strips voting rights from Black citizens and highlights the fight to restore those rights. Learn more

  • Working in Captivity: A Woman’s Quest to End Slavery in Georgia

    By Waleisah Wilson

    In "Working in Captivity," Waleisah Wilson reveals how modern-day slavery persists in Georgia’s prisons, where forced labor under threat of punishment hinders economic growth and community safety. Learn more.

  • Little April

    By April Grayson

    Little April follows April Grayson, a Represent Justice Ambassador whose traumatic upbringing in foster care led to her involvement in the justice system, highlighting the struggles faced by youth like her and envisioning a transformative path to justice.

  • A Million Dollar Cage

    By Kent Mendoza

    A Million Dollar Cage, produced by Ambassador Kent Mendoza, follows his journey as he fights to transform L.A. County’s youth justice system and create alternatives to incarceration.

  • Finding The Light

    Donna and her team at ALPOL provide vital support to women upon their release from prison while demonstrating that community organizations are crucial in ending incarceration and promoting public safety. Learn more

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