When fighting the war on drugs became a dedicated initiative for the United States government in the 1980s, it rapidly drove incarceration rates for women to alarming heights.
By underscoring the impact of the war on drugs, Breaking Good: Women and the War on Drugs, produced and directed by Dorothy Dickie, examines the history of the escalation of women's incarceration in the United States.
Using Rhode Island - a national leader in decarceration - as a geographical focus, the film also covers today's advances in criminal justice reform, highlighting the state’s rehabilitation programs, safe consumption sites, and fentanyl test strip distribution.
Alongside the history and contemporary efforts, the heart of the documentary primarily follows the experiences of two formerly incarcerated women, Leslie Credle, founder of Justice4Housing, and Stacey Borden, founder of New Beginnings Re-Entry Services. The women not only share their backgrounds but display their devotion to providing housing and additional services to formerly incarcerated women.
Breaking Good: Women and the War on Drugs premieres Friday, June 17 at 8 p.m.
WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; Comcast 819HD and Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD; DirecTV 36, Dish Network 36. Rhode Island PBS is now available to subscribers of YouTubeTV. The full schedule is available to live stream for free within the broadcast viewing area at watch.ripbs.org/livestream. An expansive catalog of PBS series, documentaries, and specials is available to Rhode Island PBS members through Rhode Island PBS Passport.
