POV Season 16 Episode 12 What I Want My Words to Do to You

What I Want My Words to Do to You, the twelfth episode of the sixteenth season of the documentary series POV, is a fascinating look into the power of language and writing as a tool for rehabilitation and healing among incarcerated women.

The episode takes place in the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a maximum-security women's prison in upstate New York, where a group of women gather once a week for a writing workshop led by playwright and activist Eve Ensler. Ensler, best known for her groundbreaking play The Vagina Monologues, has been leading the workshop for over a decade, using writing exercises and group discussions to help the women explore their past traumas, desires, and fears.

Through interviews and footage of the workshop sessions, viewers get to know several of the women who participate in the workshop, including a former drug addict, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, and a woman serving a life sentence for murder. These women share their stories and experiences with remarkable candor and vulnerability, delving into painful memories that they have often never spoken about before.

What is most striking about the episode is the way it shows how writing can be a transformative process for these women. Through their writing, they are able to confront their past traumas and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others. They also find a sense of community and connection with each other, forming deep bonds that transcend the walls of the prison.

The episode also explores the larger societal issues that the women in Bedford Hills face, particularly the ways in which the criminal justice system has failed them. Many of the women are victims of abuse and have been caught up in a cycle of poverty, addiction, and violence that has left them with few options for survival. Some of the women also discuss the racial disparities in the criminal justice system, noting that black and brown women are disproportionately affected by mass incarceration.

Despite these challenges, the women in the workshop find hope and strength through their writing. They read their work to each other, offering feedback and support, and even perform their writing for an audience of fellow inmates and prison staff. The episode culminates in a powerful showcase of their work, in which the women write and perform monologues based on their own life stories.

What I Want My Words to Do to You is a deeply moving and thought-provoking episode that offers a rare glimpse into the lives of incarcerated women and the transformative power of writing and storytelling. Through the women's stories, viewers gain a greater appreciation for the complexity and humanity behind the label "criminal," and are reminded of the importance of empathy, compassion, and second chances.