Educational Media Reviews Online

Released is an insightful and candid portrait of the experiences of four ex-convicts telling their own stories. Each one shares from their background, what led to them being incarcerated, life inside prison, and how they viewed being released. One can’t help but think of scenes from Shawshank Redemption (1994) as you watch this film: paroled convicts either return to prison or they commit suicide as they are not able to transition back into society. One of the former convicts stated, “Nothing in the prison atmosphere motivates you to change,” as she was speaking of her attitude and experience to change and become a better person. She further went on to say that, “Change doesn’t happen overnight…when you fail, you have to get right back up and try again.” This realization came to her after her release and acceptance into the “The Castle,” which is a facility run by ex-cons for the purpose of helping ex-cons transition back into society. Each person sharing indicated they received an education, job skills training, and professional certifications as a result of going through The Castle, but what happens to the thousands of inmates being released every day, and they don’t have access to programs like The Castle? Most will end up back in prison, to the security and predictable lifestyle of prison life. This film is recommended for students in sociology, social work, counseling, and criminal justice.