On June 18th, 2012, Director/Producer Noga Ashkenazi visited the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, Iowa, and held a private screening of The Grey Area documentary for the female inmates who are featured in the film, and who are still incarcerated. Watching the film with the women who attended the Feminism class in 2009 and who shared their personal stories on camera was an emotional, cathartic experience that summed up 3 years of anticipation. For Ashkenazi, watching the women’s positive reactions to the film was an incredible, satisfying experience that made the last 3 years of hard work worthwhile.

After almost 3 years in the making, we are happy to announce that The Grey Area documentary is finally complete! The film was made to inspire social change and to raise awareness to women’s issues in the Criminal Justice System. The filmmakers are currently submitting it to film festivals around the world, and co-organizing community/university screenings with non-profit organizations that support our cause. Ultimately, we hope to secure TV distribution in order to reach a large number of viewers. Please stay tuned to updates and screening-info on our website: www.thegreyareamovie.com

Noga Ashkenazi, the film’s Director/Producer, would like to thank everyone who donated money to help make this film happen! The film could not have been made without a crew of talented individuals who believed in its messageand dedicated their time and effort to its completion. We acknowledge these people in the film’s end credits, but would like to take this opportunity to thank our incredible Editor & Co-Producer, Amelia Peterson, who did a phenomenal job on this film and without whom it could not have been made. We would also like to acknowledge Mr. Paul McCulley and his Morgan Le Fay Dreams Foundation who believed in the film’s success and helped make it all possible.

THE GREY AREA score comes to life at our recording studio in downtown Los Angeles!

Composer, Eric Santiestevan, and Score Producer, Paul Buckley at the recording studio

Guitarist, Tad Piecka, recording part of the score for The Grey Area

Noga Ashkenazi, director of The Grey Area, will be giving a presentation at her alma mater,  Grinnell College, on November 17 about the documentary and her experiences teaching a course on Feminism in a women’s prison.  Ashkenazi will be joined by a former student and inmate from the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women. The talk will be hosted by the Grinnell Liberal Arts in Prison Program as part of a symposium on the benefits of education for incarcerated individuals.  The presentation is free and open to the public, and will be held on the Grinnell College Campus at Alumni Recitation Hall, room 302, at 8pm.

Noga was also interviewed for the second article in a series in the Altoona Herald about the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women.  The article entitled Nonprofits, volunteers lead ICIW rehab, not only talks about Noga’s experiences in prison, but also looks at some of the programs available to incarcerated women in Iowa, including the Skylark Project, run by the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the Iowa Task Force for Young Women.   Also, read the first article in the series:  Rehabilitation and renovation redefine Mitchellville prison.

Today, two women who took part in our documentary are getting their first commutation hearings. Tracey Dyess and Yvette Louisell will both go in front of the Iowa Board of Parole.  When we were back in Iowa during April, we were able to meet with both Tracey and Yvette at ICIW.  Tracey Dyess has a 45-year sentence, with a 17-year mandatory and has served 6 years.  Yvette Louisell has a life without parole sentence and has served 23-years.  Both women come from similar backgrounds of abuse and trauma.  Both came to prison when they were 17.

Tracey Dyess, April 2011

The commutation process, from what we know, is a very long and difficult process. Both women will meet with the Board of Parole for anywhere from 30-minutes to 2-hours. If the Board reaches a unanimous decision, they will then submit the information to the Governor with their recommendation for commutation. Governor Bransted then has 3 months to make a decision. Even with a unanimous decision by the Board of Parole, the Governor does not have to commute a sentence.  Applicants with a life without parole sentence must wait 10-years before they can again try for commutation.

Governor Bransted has only been in office since January.  Most Governors tend to grant commutations when they are exiting office, as it can be detrimental to their career in office, especially if they are looking for re-election.  When Governor Culver left office, he commuted the sentences of two inmates.  Since Governor Bransted took office, commutation hearings have been on hold and these are the first of his term.

We hope for a positive outcome for both Tracey and Yvette.

Yvette Louisell and Noga (Director), April 2011