Comments on the InsideOut documentary from
U.S. Congressman Artur Davis, 7th Congressional District of Alabama.
“I wish to congratulate Shelley Stewart and lend my personal support for the new documentary InsideOut, which offers personal stories from inmates in the Alabama correctional system about the value of education.”
“All of us appreciate the linkage between education and successful outcomes in life, but I can think of no more poignant messengers than inmates who have already lost their best options. This documentary describes the painful transition from a child’s enthusiasm to a teenager’s despair, and it makes it plain that the pivotal point was usually the time when education stopped working in a young person’s life. This film lets prisoners tell a compelling story about the bad choices that uneducated people make, and it is a cautionary tale for our communities.”
“My hope is that InsideOut will become a regular teaching tool and that its message will discourage dropouts and will reduce the attrition rate in school districts across the country. Nothing matters more to a community’s survival than its prospects for empowering young people. I thank Shelley Stewart for his own inspiring life story and for delivering this message about the power of education in sustaining lives.” Read more about Mr. Davis here.
Lawler Foundry Corporation President supports InsideOut
Comments on the InsideOut documentary from
Stan Lawler, President of Lawler Foundry Corporation and Mattie C. Stewart Foundation board member.
“I believe with all my heart that it’s not just children and parents who need to see InsideOut. I believe that all of us in the business community should embrace this film’s message and make sure our employees and friends see it as well. It isn’t the ‘bad kids’ that drop out of school. It’s the kid next door, down the street or even in our own households who can easily wind up wasting their lives without an education. InsideOut is the most sobering message on the dropout problem that I’ve ever seen.”
“The potential of InsideOut to forever change young people’s lives for the good is endless. The heartfelt cries of people who will never be out of prison cannot fall on deaf ears. I am personally thankful that the top officer of a prestigious company would take this project on as a personal goal. What a selfless gift to society that Shelley Stewart has given to our state, our nation and our world.” Read more about Mr. Lawler here.
Dr. Joe Morton, State Superintendent of Education
Alabama State Board of Education
Comments on the InsideOut documentary
“Each day we keep our children in school and increase their formal education skills we are making an investment in all of our futures,” said Dr. Joe Morton, State Superintendent of Education. “The teaching message in InsideOut is clear: A life lost to prison is a life lost to family, to relatives, to friends ... to all of Alabama. We must do all we can to stop the loss of these lives. This documentary has application for everyone who sees it, regardless of age or social position.” Read more about Dr. Morton here.
Richard F. Allen, Commissioner, Alabama Department of Corrections
Comments on the InsideOut documentary
“We at the Alabama Department of Corrections support the InsideOut documentary’s message of education as a crime deterrent. We also appreciate the film’s portrayal of some inmates in our prison system as human beings of worth who just happened to have made unfortunate choices and are now living with the consequences. We, like those inmates depicted, trust that others will learn from these mistakes.”
“We are also grateful to Shelley Stewart for taking this cause as his own, and encourage others in the private sector to support the film and get behind efforts to reduce the flow of inmates into the system. The DOC stands firm with the Alabama Department of Education in making sure the maximum number of young people, as well as other citizens, see this film.” Read more about Mr. Allen here.
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