On Beyond Fences

DIRS: “Lara” Jacqueline Hartzenbusch, Tom Donohoe, Jack Kudas, Wes Smith, Silvia Sonntag
PROD: “Lara” Jacqueline Hartzenbusch
EXEC PRODS: “Lara” Jacqueline Hartzenbusch, Jack Kudas, Wes Smith

Imagine a residential community where you spend your days growing vegetables and herbs, making pesto, pickles, and preserves, practicing mindfulness and yoga, writing, playing with puppies, and working on your personal growth in a supportive, nurturing environment. Now imagine doing all that behind a razor-wire fence. Welcome to Maine State Prison in Warren, Maine, where efforts to reform the historically brutal institution– the inspiration for Stephen King’s story, “Shawshank Redemption” — have dramatically transformed the prison culture, the way “residents” do their time and, ultimately, how they return to their communities.