Mental Health & the Criminal Justice System

3 Generations has been documenting stories about the effects of human rights abuses on mental health for over a decade. Through our films, we enable survivors of crimes against humanity to record their experiences as an act of healing. 

Our focus on the relationship of mental illness to incarceration is documented in our feature film Any Given Day(2021), produced in association with Beti Films and directed by Margaret Byrne. Any Given Day(2021) is available for rent or purchase on AppleTV & iTunes. The Encore Broadcast of Any Given Day(2021), released on America ReFramed on WORLD Channel, will continue streaming until August 3rd.

National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed each July to bring awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental illness in the United States. Racial and ethnic minorities often suffer from poor mental health outcomes due to multiple factors, including lack of access to quality mental health care services, the cultural stigma surrounding mental health care, discrimination, and a staggering overall lack of awareness about mental health. 

In Imran: A Refugee’s Journey(2019), 3G subject Imran detailed his experiences with mental health struggles, sharing, “We were so depressed. I didn't even know what my fundamental rights were somehow. I managed to remain strong. Every morning I had a purpose when I woke up.”

To learn more about our films and videos and support our other work, please visit our website, follow us on social media @3_generations, and sign up for our newsletter.

3 Generations advocates for all those who suffer. Through our films, we enable survivors of crimes against humanity to record their experiences as an act of healing. We have been documenting stories about the effects of human rights abuses on mental health for over a decade. 

As we celebrate our 15th Anniversary this year, we are focusing on amplifying the voices of intergenerational changemakers, as well as the devastating correlation between mental health and the erosion of gender equity and transgender rights.

We had the honor of interviewing acclaimed gynecologic surgeon and pelvic surgeon Dr. Marci Bowers. She is acknowledged as a pioneer in the field of Gender Affirmation Surgery and is the first woman worldwide to hold a personal transgender history while performing transgender surgery. Marci Bowers, MD speaks about the correlation between mental health and gender identity: “Just because someone has a mental health diagnosis such as depression or anxiety, it doesn't mean that their sense of gender identity should be questioned or that or that treatment of their mental health issues is going to necessarily change how they feel about their gender identity. Most people's gender identity, they figure out at a very early age and while it can be malleable in the sense that some people feel later on that they are there can be changing gender identities. In other words, not landing squarely on a polar extreme, but landing somewhere in between. It doesn't mean that it's not a solid constitutional value. It doesn't mean that they don't feel secure about who they are at that moment.”

To learn more about this film and support our other work please visit our website, follow us on social media @3_generations and sign up for our newsletter.