REVIEWS
MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA Awards In Her Shoes Media Award
I’m thrilled 
that In Her Shoes has won the Media Award from Mental Health America! This recognition brings vital attention to the mental health needs of incarcerated women and opens doors for real change in the criminal justice system. Speaking at the conference was electric—the audience’s enthusiasm was truly inspiring! I’m so grateful for this platform to help amplify these important stories.
We Won – In Her Shoes Receives Mental Health America National Media Award
We are thrilled to announce that IN HER SHOES has won the prestigious Mental Health America National Media Award! This recognition will help bring our film into more lives, raising awareness among mental health professionals about the unique needs of incarcerated women. Together, we’re driving social change!
Eye Opening
“….eye opening to watch women share their stories and see the positivity that they radiated despite their circumstances…. important for awareness, in a world of selfish-ness and isolation, being aware of your neighbors would all serve us better.”- Kara Belt, TWU, Health and Wellbeing Initiative
TWU Experience: Film Sensitizes Students
“… brings us into a world that most of us have never experienced, and leads to a new understanding of the women, their lives, and vision for the future.”
MARY ANNE ALHADEFF. Director
Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership. TWU
Beth Dolan, Award-winning filmmaker
Such a moving film…’There but for the grace of God go I’ resonated. These Women’s their stories —just so humanized, real, articulate, bright…. Loved the animation and music, which created such a sense lift to the story — the very thing the art project was about and what some of the ladies expressed they got out of the process. In validation and encouragement, joy and self worth is awakened.
Texas Women’s University Celebrates Women’s History Month
I’m thrilled to have brought IN HER SHOES to TWU! MARY ANNE ALHADEFF, Executive Director, Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership, TWU
Best Attended Event in UTD’s Gender Studies History
“IN HER SHOES was the best attended event the Gender Studies program has hosted in our twenty-plus year history. The film brought together people from across our campus—criminology, history, gender studies, psychology, film studies—to think together about gender, race, and crime and the power of storytelling to change our lives and our institutions. It was an inspiring event.”
Erin A. Smith, Professor of American Studies. University of Texas at Dallas
What We Learn From Women’s Voices
“In Her Shoes is an astonishing archive of incarcerated women voices, giving us the rare opportunity to learn from the creative, brilliant, insightful women we meet on the screen. This film raises a fundamental question: why are women subjected to the devastating and inherent violence of incarceration? And what do they need and deserve instead to flourish with their children and their communities?” Anne Gray Fischer, author of “The Streets Belong to Us”, “Sex, Race, and Police Power from Segregation to Gentrification.”
Importance of Incarcerated Women’s Stories
“I applaud you on the work that has been done – the stories of incarcerated women often get lost.” Sultana A. Shabazz, Ph.D., Dean of Corrections Education, Tacoma Community College
“A powerful film that reminds the viewer that female inmates, regardless of their crime, are simply people like the rest of us with struggles, regrets, hopes and dreams. I highly recommend the film as a terrific tool for educating – law enforcement, corrections professionals, social workers, teachers. Uplifting for incarcerated women.”
– Christina Melton Crain, Esq.
Founder and President/CEO – Unlocking DOORS
“A moving , authentic and realistic depiction of women in prison. Reveals the complexities of their lives – their struggles, their hopes and their dreams.”
– Mary Ellen Mastrorilli, Boston University
“ …provides a window into lives often unseen and invites viewers to consider the conditions that shape the experiences of women in prison. The powerful stories of women should move us to demand a world that invests in care not cages.” –Caren Holmes, Reentry Program Columiba University
“…reveals the humanity of these ladies without judgment. I highly recommend this movie to all.” –Sherida Devine, MNM, MSW Prison Education Program, College of Southern Nevada
“… promotes awareness about the plight of and growing number of incarcerated women in Texas. The documentary is proof that one person can change the lives of many….. brought hope and healing into the lives of these women.”
Pam Parkman Thomure, Executive Director, Empowering Women Out Of Prison
“It made me see incarcerated women in a new way. I heard their voices and saw them as Women -mothers, daughters and wives.” – Ann Pascal, at the Unlocking Door Reentry Symposium
“I have been working in the prison system for over 20 years and after viewing this film I cried. I realized I never saw these women as the people they are. This film humanizes people in jail.” – Officer Reyes, Dallas County Jail
“This film reveals and celebrates incarcerated women’s intimate, personal journeys through shoes, and the unleashing of their “art spirit.” These women experienced the inner freedom gained through the discipline and rewards of art–in their case, through drawing their shoes of the past, present, and imagined future–leading to an understanding of self. The act of drawing shoes and telling their heartfelt life stories brings alive their womanhood, dreams, and humanity. This film should be seen by all those active in reforming the criminal (un)justice system, prison arts programs, political leaders, and the general public.”
– Dr. Lawrence Brewster, Emeritus Professor, University of San Francisco
“Amazing. Inspirational. Truth in a new form. Soul to Sole Shoes provide a new connection to bring forth the stories of past and healing. As I sit in my purple Uggs, I think of shoes of my past that no longer serve who I am. I am in awe of your work and what you have created.” – Chaplain Bonnie Leopold
“IN HER SHOES offers a deeply moving insight into
the lives, hopes, and plans of a diverse group of incarcerated women, as told through their shoes. While the jail-issued shoes they wear now are ugly and ill-fitting, the shoes they draw allow these women to tell their stories, highlighting their struggles and aspirations. This film would be an outstanding addition to college classrooms in sociology, anthropology, psychology, criminology, and gender studies.” – Beth Rushing
President, Appalachian College Association Nevada
“A powerful documentary that shows the humanity of the forgotten women inside prison Reveals how women’s trauma can take them down a wrong path, but doesn’t dictate who they’re going to be . We all walk in a pair of shoes that change in style . People change too.”
– Lynn Sullivan, a Voice for the Incarcerated
“I loved IN HER SHOES! The stories the women tell are honest, excruciating, and ultimately hopeful. As it turns out, shoes can be a great vehicle for exploring past traumas.” – Peter Merts, photographer in California prison arts programs
“IN HER SHOES shines a light on the humanity of women who have been incarcerated and uplifts their voices to ring in the ears of the general public. By watching this film, we see firsthand the human potential that has been disregarded but will one day rejoin and enhance our communities.”
– Meg Tavares, Petey Greene