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Cindy Shank, mother of three, is serving a 15-year sentence in federal prison for her tangential involvement with a Michigan drug ring years earlier. This intimate portrait of mandatory minimum drug sentencing’s devastating consequences, captured by Cindy’s brother, follows her and her family over the course of ten years.
This is the story of Cindy Shank, a woman who was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug-related crimes her ex-boyfriend committed before being murdered. Long after she moved on with her life, got married and had three daughters; she was arrested for knowledge of the crimes but failing to report them. Cindy was given a 15-year sentence and during this time her brother Rudy Valdez decided to document the journey.
There are so many despairing moments in the movie, but I think one of the hardest was to watch the footage of her little girls growing up over the years, missing their mother as well as the intimate phone calls from prison that will bring you to tears. I really enjoyed the fact that this was not a film that hid all the ups and downs within the family. They showed the husband struggling to keep the family together and as time went on, finally deciding to call it quits. Another struggle was Cindy getting moved from prison to prison. She is so far at one point the family can’t visit and it takes a toll on everyone.
The one thing I found beautiful about this story was the family dynamics. They stayed committed to seeking help for Cindy to get a reduced sentence, which was not easy but they showed so much strength and kept going forward no matter what. They filed for the Obama Clemency Initiative and Cindy was one of the select few chosen. After serving roughly 8 years in prison, she was free to go home.
I truly enjoyed this film because it opened up a much-needed conversation about the justice system. Even though I was elated that Cindy got the Obama Clemency Initiative, I was infuriated with the fact that 39,000 applied and it was awarded to only 1600. I was left thinking, how did they decide on the 1,600? What were the crimes of those in prison that will serve the maximum sentence? Why so many of those serving maximum sentences who didn’t commit any crimes were not given the same opportunity? Was the selection fair and what were the ethnicities of the people who were selected? You will most certainly look at the justice system in a whole new light but you will also leave thinking that the most important thing you have, is family.
HBO will air “The Sentence” on October 15th preceded by an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run beginning October 12th
