Prison inmates use their skills to share their story as part of the Utah State Prison Media Team

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – A group of inmates inside the Utah State Prison are using their skills to share their story. The goal is to take responsibility, bring peace and prepare for a future back in the community. Not only are they making it happen, but this Media Team was also awarded for the work they have done so far.

The Media Team inside the Utah State Prison won three silver awards at the 46th annual Telly Awards. They wrote, shot and edited the entire piece. Their short is just the beginning of a bigger documentary.

One member of the Media Team explained the happiness of getting the recognition, “We never thought that a bunch of guys in white would do anything that would be recognized.”

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But it was. This short video is one step for the initiative and bigger goal: share the positive changes happening within correctional facilities.

Another member of the Media Team said, “At the end of the day poor decisions are made, so what is our step and our responsibility to try and resolve some of the hurt and turn that into healing. That is the responsibility and that is why it is so important our voice is the voice telling this story.”

They call their work and the upcoming documentary the Bridge to Freedom.

One member of the team explained, “We created the bridge, and the bridge has two pillars. One is education and the other is employment. Out of that employment pillar came the idea of social enterprise. We would come up with joint ventures with the people in here and the people outside.”

They members of this Media Team all reside in the SOLID program. SOLID stands for Successful Offenders Learning Individual Development. This is a housing unit of men in the prison, who have chosen to live to a higher standard which will aide in their change and growth.

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A Media Team Member said, “The general impression we get is people in here should just be locked up and throw away the key, forget about it. But what the normal person on the street doesn’t realize is that 90% of everyone in here is going to be their neighbor at some point.”

This is why the Media Team feels they are important and needed; they are using their skills to shine a light on the potential of restorative programming within the justice system. A story only they can really tell.

Another Media Team Member explained, “It is very hard for the average person to know what people are going through in a situation like this. The ability to tell that story from the perspective of living it is something really powerful.”

The opportunity to do this work and tell this story comes from permission and cooperation from the Prison Executive Team and the Semnani Family Foundation. The foundation provided all of the equipment.

The plan is to have the documentary showing the “Bridge to Freedom” completely this fall. To watch the award winning short, click HERE.

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