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MAKING CONTACT - a weekly international radio program
Lockdown on Life: Stories from Women Behind Bars
January 3, 2007
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On this edition, we take you to two U.S. prisons behind the bars and into the lives of incarcerated women. We'll share the personal stories of transgendered-women forced to live among hundreds of men in a California prison. You'll also hear from imprisoned mothers and incarcerated expectant mothers who are being helped by a group of doulas.
Featuring:
Dr. Lori Kohler, prison doctor; Alex Lee, Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Justice Project; Juana, Donna, Shante, Diamond, Kim, five transgender Women at California Medical Facility whose names have been changed; Taska Harand, mom at Washington Correctional Center for Women; Christy Hall, the Birth Attendants, co-founder; Genesis, mom at Washington Correctional Center for Women; Katrina Eva, Residential Parenting Program
correctional unit supervisor; Jade Souza, works with The Birth Attendants; Julie Montie, works with The Birth Attendants; Teresa Corel, mom at Washington Correctional Center for Women;
Senior Producer/Host: Tena Rubio
Contributing Freelance Producers: Sandra Lupien and Sarah Olson
For more information:
Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Justice Project
1322 Webster St., Suite 210
Oakland, CA 94612
510-677-5500; info@tgijp.org
www.tgijp.org
Trans/Gender Variant in Prison Committee
California Prison Focus
2940 16th Street #B-5
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-252-9211; tip@riseup.net
The Birth Attendants
P.O. Box 12258
Olympia, WA 98508
info@birthattendants.org
www.birthattendants.org
Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
1540 Market St., Suite 490
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-255-7036; info@prisonerswithchildren.org
www.prisonerswithchildren.org
California Coalition for Women Prisoners
1540 Market St., Suite 490
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-255-7036 ext. 4; info@womenprisoners.org
www.womenprisoners.org
Justice Now
1322 Webster Street, Suite 210
Oakland, CA 94612
510-839-7654
www.jnow.org
Free Battered Women
1540 Market St., Suite 490
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-255-7036 x320; info@freebatteredwomen.org
www.freebatteredwomen.org
Project Avary
1018 Grand Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94901
415-460-1184; info@projectavary.org
www.projectavary.org
The Osbourne Association
Administrative Office
36-31 38th Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
718-707-2600
www.osborneny.org
Review of this program on PRX (Public Radio Exchange):
Posted: 2-5-2007
Reviewer: John Hingsbergen, Program Director, WMUB Public Radio
This is a well-produced yet difficult to listen to glimpse behind the walls of prison life. This show features the stories and voices of women, mothers, mothers-to-be and transgendered women. While all of the stories are disturbing, the most moving are the stories of women separated from their newborn children. Heartbreakingly sad.
While many of us will have a hard time identifying the transgendered women, we need to know about them and their circumstances despite much of our society's efforts to ignore them.
The writing, narration and editing are well done. Most of the sound is well recorded with the exception of the poor quality from the prison tape recorder but there was nothing the producers could do about that.
I would like to have heard more "sound" than the voices alone but I assume that this was a result of prison limitations on recording. The sound of prison doors being opened and closed, prisoners in the dining area or in recreation would certainly be useful and help move the stories along if available.
This is the type of work that only non-commercial radio chooses to put on the air in a non-sensational yet moving way.
Thanks to the National Radio Project for doing this kind of work. These are stories that need to be heard.
Rating: 4/5
Adjectives: Disturbing, Engaging, Informational