I volunteer in a prison literacy program which runs (or tries to) in a maximum security prison on the East Coast. Over the past two years, restrictions in the prison have made it increasingly difficult for the program to run. At the same time, cuts in budgets have meant that the only education programs for prisoners are the mandatory G.E.D. classes for inmates under 21. Many, many of the inmates have no programs at all. This film is important because it shows inmates as the thinking, feeling human beings that they are and because it demonstrates how important it is for inmates to have opportunities for growth and self-expression in prison. Given societal attitudes towards prisoners (lock them up and throw away the key) , these opportunities are increasingly scarce. It would be nice if viewers of the film (who think programs like the Shakespeare program are good for society, as well as for the prisoners) would contact their elected officials to find out what kinds of educational programs are available in prisons in their state. In the prison I have worked with, these types of programs are discouraged. The administrators prefer to keep the inmates locked up pretty much all of the time, with nothing to do.