Girl Scouting Beyond Bars

Powerful Programs for Girls

Media Contact:
Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR
302-456-7170
avandenhurk@cbgsc.org

Newark, DE, March 21, 2006:  The Emmy Award-Winning PBS Series Independent Lens to Host Broadcast Premiere of 'Troop 1500' on Friday, March 24, 11:00 pm on WHYY Channel 12.

Film by Ellen Spiro and Karen Bernstein Takes an Inside Look at Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, an Innovative Program that Strives to Preserve and Strengthen the Bond Between Girls and Their Incarcerated Moms.

Their mothers may be convicted thieves, murderers and drug dealers, but the girls of Austin, Texas Girl Scout Troop 1500 want to be doctors, social workers and marine biologists. At the Hilltop Prison in Gatesville, Texas, Troop 1500 unites daughters with mothers who are behind bars, serving time for serious crimes, offering them a chance to rebuild their broken bonds. Facing steep sentences from the courts and tough questions from their daughters, the mothers struggle to mend their fractured relationships with their daughters. The girls, who have been trained in camera and interviewing as part of their troop experience, are the heart of the film as they not only allow the camera to enter their own lives but also use the cameras to interview their mothers, asking some tough questions.

Filmmakers Ellen Spiro (whose previous ITVS-funded films include "Greetings From Out Here" and "Roam Sweet Home") and Karen Bernstein volunteered with Troop 1500 for two years before making the film and gained unprecedented access from Girl Scouts of the USA, the Gatesville Prison facility, the wardens and the families themselves. The result is an eye-opening look at the struggles faced by the more than 1.5 million American children who have a parent behind bars. "Troop 1500," which is distributed by Women Make Movies, will air nationally on the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens, hosted by Edie Falco, on Tuesday, March 21, at 10 p.m.

Ninety percent of female inmates are single parents and their daughters are six times more likely to land in the juvenile justice system. "Troop 1500" poignantly reveals how Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, an inspired yet controversial effort by the venerable Girl Scout organization, is working to help these at-risk young girls deal with their unique circumstances and break the cycle of crime within families. It's emblematic of the Girl Scout organization's continuing effort to meet, serve and empower girls in all circumstances.

The film follows four young troop members — Caitlin, Naomi, Mikaela and Jessica — whose mothers are serving time. Once past the metal prison bars, the girls of Troop 1500 fall into the arms of the mothers seldom seen — Kenya, Ida, Susan, and Melissa — crying and laughing while pulling out report cards and pictures, and passing along hellos from grandparents and absent brothers. At the conclusion of each monthly meeting in the prison library, the girls and moms form a circle and recite the Girl Scout Promise in unison, “On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout law,” and then they sing "Day Is Done."

For Julia Cuba, the young social worker who is the energetic leader of Troop 1500, the challenge of mentoring her troop is also a joy. Says Julia, “It is extremely rewarding to be able to help these girls create positive memories with their moms, and remember that this was a snapshot of their lives where the girls and their moms really loved each other and trusted each other. And it was safe. Our program enables mothers and daughters to reinforce the love and trust they have for each other amidst the most trying of circumstances.” Adds filmmaker Ellen Spiro, “It's both heart wrenching and heart warming to watch how these girls deal with the many challenges they face on a daily basis. Their mothers have committed crimes and are incarcerated, but they are still daughters who very much crave strong bonds.”

"Troop 1500" goes beyond the girls’ prison experience to show what there daily lives are like, balancing family, school work and extracurricular activities under the care of dads, friends and grandparents. And, although the girls fervently wish for the day when their moms are free, their problems don’t always end upon their mother’s release. As leader Julia says, “These girls have to be very strong because, as hard as it is for them when their mothers are in jail, it’s almost even harder when their moms are out of jai and readjusting to ‘normal’ life. It can be a scary time but Troop 1500 is there to support them in both phases of their lives.”

Please note that Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Council has a Girl Scouting Beyond Bars program and works with juvenile detention centers.

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