Dear Friends, 

You still have a few more weeks to watch the documentary The Strike on PBS’ Independent Lens! This feature-length documentary tells the story of a generation of California men who endured decades of solitary confinement and, against all odds, organized to make change by participating in the largest hunger strike in U.S. history.  

Recently, The Strike was the subject of an episode of the investigative public radio show and podcast Reveal. The episode, “The Strike That Broke a Supermax Prison,” features Jack Morris and Dolores Canales, protagonists in the film and members of the NRCAT U.S. Prisons Program Advisory Council and Board of Directors, respectively. In the interview, Jack says, “I’ve seen the film 30 times. I know what it’s like to live in a concrete windowless box, and I wouldn’t want anybody to have to suffer those same trials and tribulations as I did. And so when I watch the film, it reminds me of why I fly around this country and I go to visit prisons and I talk to people on the phone about it.” The film continues to screen at festivals and special events across the country.   

Through May 4, 2025, you can watch The Strike for free on the PBS website or on PBS Passport or on the PBS Youtube channel. We encourage you not only to watch this inspiring film but organize and host a watch party for your congregation or house of worship. To support this, NRCAT still has $250 mini-grants available to support event expenses and community advertising – go to the mini-grant application here. Additionally, we have prepared a detailed viewing and discussion guide, including a special guide for faith communities, available here. NRCAT staff can help you design your watch party around the study guide and provide information on the status of solitary confinement in your state. Please contact Laura Markle Downton, NRCAT's Director of Faith and Community Engagement, for more information.  

We hope you and your faith partners, both locally and nationwide, will join us in watching and sharing The Strike. 

The NRCAT Team