Returning Citizens

“Returning Citizens” takes place in Southeast Washington, DC - a poor, predominantly African American community where virtually every individual has had some contact with the criminal justice system. Following a tapestry of characters struggling to put their lives back together after returning from incarceration, the film explores the cause and effects of crime, poverty and violence and allows those who have been affected the most to have a voice and say in the solution. From housing and employment, to family reunification, we learn that rehabilitation is not always as easy as simply picking ones self up by the boot straps. We hear about the upbringings of the subjects and what led them to crime in the first place, and through those who were able to successfully turn their lives around, we learn what works and what doesn’t. Elders in the community take it upon themselves to reach out to the youth and those who are freshly re-entering, offering them the support and help that they wish they had been offered themselves. Using an observational style, “Returning Citizens” offers a deeply personal story of hope and redemption. The film demonstrates that change is possible when the right opportunities are presented.