Piece Comment

Review of The Prison Cure


This is a nicely done documentary about a system that treats troubled and mentally ill children and teenagers like criminals. Helen Borten's writing, narration and interviewing make this a revealing piece about a genuine problem in our society.

While very alarming and disturbing, this presentation offers some glimpses of hope in the form of parents who are trying to change the system and organizing support groups and professionals who are willing to at least acknowledge the problem.

The interviews with kids and experts are very revealing. The editing and packaging give us an easy-to-follow presentation of the issues and a glimpse into the lives of Hannah, Damian, Joel and other troubled young people.

Contributing to this excellent presentation are the use of appropriate music and natural sound.

This piece could easily be the starting-point for a local call-in or forum discussing issues of "broken" mental health care systems.