The Weaver in a Haystack
By Kenneth Webb
Too many people experiencing grief, trauma, addiction, homelessness, or mental health crises are pulled deeper into the criminal legal system instead of connected to care.
POSTER PLACEHOLDER
Uncarcerated reminds us that another future is possible — one where care responds first. This film asks a critical question: What would happen if we treated mental health crises as public health issues instead of criminal justice issues?
About the Issue
Every day, people experiencing mental health crises, substance use emergencies, homelessness, and profound grief encounter systems built to control them rather than care for them. The consequences are real.
People experiencing mental health challenges are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than other civilians. [Cite]
Nearly 60% of people in U.S. jails and prisons have a substance use disorder, and approximately 44% have a history of mental illness. [Cite][Cite]
In 44 states, the largest mental health facility is not a hospital—it's a jail or prison. [Cite]
Even when mental health needs are identified, an estimated 63% of incarcerated people with mental health challenges receive no treatment while behind bars. [Cite]
Yet, across the country, communities are proving there is another way.
Uncarcerated invites audiences to imagine a future where healing comes first.
Take Action
People in crisis deserve care—not cages.
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Advocate for Care-Based Crisis Response
If you are from Florida, urge local officials to invest in community-based crisis response teams, mobile mental health services, peer support programs, housing, treatment, and alternatives to incarceration.
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Ask Lawmakers About Crisis Response in Your Community
Non-Florida residents, encourage your lawmakers to find out who responds to behavioral health emergencies where you live, what alternatives exist to police-led intervention, whether 988 services are available in your community, and how people are connected to care after a crisis.
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Follow & Support Leigh's Work
Learn more about Leigh’s work, mental health access, crisis response reform, housing, treatment, reentry support, peer-led intervention programs, alternatives to incarceration, and other useful resources.
Host A Screening
Bring Uncarcerated to your campus, organization, coalition, faith community, conference, or community event to spark conversations about mental health, public safety, and community care.
Screenings help communities challenge stigma, rethink how we respond to crisis, and build support for solutions that prioritize healing over punishment. Because a badge is not a substitute for a bed. A holster is not a substitute for a heart. And a jail cell is not a substitute for treatment.
Interested in hosting a screening, panel, or community conversation featuring Leigh Scott and local advocates?