Filmmaker’s note

I met him three weeks after he had left prison. He was back outside the gates, waiting for his stepson to be released. Until recently, they had been sharing a cell. I originally thought this would be a film about what happens when somebody leaves prison. It became much more about what they return to. He was living in a van and spoke about growing up with an alcoholic mother, learning to fend for himself and the experiences that had shaped the choices he later made.

What stayed with me was the circularity of it. One generation had walked out of prison and another was following close behind. The encounter raised a difficult question: how do you break a cycle when the circumstances and relationships surrounding you remain largely unchanged?

Understanding somebody’s past does not remove responsibility for their actions. But it is difficult to talk honestly about prison and reoffending without looking at what happened before, and what is waiting outside the gates.

Film details
Title: My stepson was in prison with me
Location: England
Year: 2026
Filmmaker: Celia Peterson
Themes: Prison, family relationships, reoffending, homelessness, childhood, intergenerational cycles
Running time: 3 minutes 36 seconds