Prison documentary highlighting rehabilitation efforts to air today

The Grass Men, an 11-minute film by Aiko Roudette, showing how the vetiver grass mat and basket construction project is helping to rehabilitate prisoners, will be made public today.

Aiko, a documentary film maker, is the daughter of Vonnie Roudette, who started the vetiver grass programme at Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) in 2015 as a six-week training workshop, funded by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

Aiko told SEARCHLIGHT on Tuesday that footage for the short film was recorded over an eight-day period in February 2017 and edited to perfection earlier this year.

A screening of the project was done on Tuesday at HMP and gave the inmates involved in the project the opportunity to see the finished product. Those who got the opportunity to see themselves on screen were proud to be part of the production, with one man even postponing his release time by a few minutes to be able to see the film.

Aiko described her production as “beautiful,” in relation to the story it tells. She said that even the soundtrack comes from a former inmate, Joseph DaSilva, who was part of the vetiver grass programme.

“It was very important that we got the music from Joseph. He is a really talented painter and musician and did grassworks, so we wanted to use his music as part of the soundtrack,” said Aiko, who was assisted in the film’s production by videographers Colin Browne and Erin Lee. Her mother also worked on the production.

The film will be available to the public from today, Friday, March 23 at 8.30 a.m. on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Tb8JLB_GvM. It was funded by the Mustique Charitable Trusts.

Mustique Charitable Trusts administrator Lavinia Gunn attended the screening and noted that the film brought tears to her eyes.

She said the Mustique Charitable Trusts became involved in the vetiver grass programme after Vonnie sent a proposal asking for funds for a rehabilitation initiative, aimed at teaching a skill to inmates that would help with rehabilitation.

“We wanted to help stem the tide of so many young people, repeat offenders, coming back into the prison system; so, that is why it (funding vetiver grass project) was chosen, because there were so many positive impacts that would take place and indeed they certainly are,” said Gunn.

Since the programme began, 39 inmates who have participated have left prison, and to date, none have returned. Several of them are using the skill to make a living, as the product is in high demand. Money earned from the products belongs to the inmates and is also used to fund things at HMP.

Gunn stated that consideration is being given to a proposal to see how support can be given to the inmates once they leave prison.

Commenting on the project, Vonnie said she conducted the initial training and her role is that of project manager. She now works on design development and marketing.

“It’s an example of artists and prisoners collaborating to create social change. This is the new collaborative people powered initiative, where creativity empowers the marginalized and creates new possibilities. Budget for the film was minimal and was largely produced voluntarily, because after working with inmates and listening to them, l knew the power the voice of the inmates would have.”

She said despite the success, the challenges to keep the project going have been enormous, but seeing the inmates’ response and knowing the potential to change lives and attitudes provides the motivation.

“I am now going to seek funding to establish a base outside the prison to continue the work with former inmates l worked with inside. Also, we want to do a series of films about them. I am very pleased that having trained trainers in the prison, the skills are being handed down without need for external trainers.”

She said the fact the project has demonstrated sustainability means they can move into the next phase, as various people are interested in funding the next phase.

Presently, there are 26 inmates in Kingstown and at the Belle Isle Correctional Facility on the programme and Vonnie says that funding from Mustique Charitable Trusts was to strengthen the existing production in Kingstown and expand it to Belle lsle.

“It has surpassed its goals, despite challenges, including space and many other constraints that working in prison environment entails.”