Liz Garbus”s “Girlhood” is a documentary film which was released in October 2003. It concentrates on the lives of two teenage girls, Megan and Shanae, who have been incarcerated for assault in Waxter Juvenile Facility in Baltimore, Maryland (Taylor, 2011). After watching this movie, it becomes clear that being in a place like Waxter can be quite challenging. Nevertheless, the staff at this facility appears to be caring towards the girls under their custody. They have as well been portrayed as a dedicated group of people who work hard to transform the lives of the girls to the better. The above observation leads to the question, “Is the care given in juvenile facilities adequate to offer youngsters a productive life?”
Looking on the lives of both Megan and Shanae, it is evident that parental care and guidance plays a significant role in the transformation of the teenagers’ lives (Chapman, 2007). Both girls desire to be nurtured by their parents, but among the two, only Shanae seems to receive the kind of care a daughter would expect from her mother. For instance, Shanae’s parents convince her that she won’t be ready to come home until she recognizes her mistakes and demonstrates appropriate remorse as well. Conversely, Megan’s mother is a drug addict who after spending several years in prison, abandons her daughter when she most needed her care.
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Both girls have been depicted as smart young ladies who are struggling to overcome their traumatic childhood and take responsibility for their deeds. However, their personalities are quite different which explains why their lives after leaving Waxter turns out differently. Shanae’s calmness enables her to be favored by the staff, and ultimately the juvenile system works well for her. On the other hand, Megan is seen to be on her own after the system is unable to cope with her wildness. The transformation of such children in juvenile facilities, therefore, requires not only parental care but also their individual contribution which starts with first accepting their faults.
References
Chapman, J. (2007). Documentary in practice: filmmakers and production choices . Polity.
Taylor, S. (2011). Documentary Films for Teaching Psychology.
