The Strike

The 2025 Represent Justice Open Call Impact Campaign recipient, The Strike, is an award-winning documentary that follows men isolated for decades in solitary confinement who must organize thousands of incarcerated people to protest this practice and seek their freedom.

Amidst the redwood trees on the California-Oregon border sits one of the most infamous prisons in US history. Pelican Bay is a labyrinthine construction of solid cement blocks – a supermax prison – opened in 1989 and designed specifically for mass-scale solitary confinement. For decades, it held men alone in tiny cells indefinitely. Then one day in 2013, 30,000 prisoners went on hunger strike.

Told through the stories of the men who bore the brunt of this practice, The Strike goes beyond making a case against solitary confinement; it illuminates the power of organizing and prisoner-led resistance.

ABOUT THE ISSUE

A priority for Represent Justice is to highlight alternatives to incarceration that don’t rely on prisons or jails, but instead treat root causes with individual and community investments. Solitary confinement is one of the cruelest forms of incarceration, with devastating consequences. Ending the practice is essential for protecting the rights and well-being of people who are detained or incarcerated.

The Strike reveals how tens of thousands of incarcerated people went on a hunger strike to demand change. We are honored to collaborate with the film team on screenings and events across the country to share this story widely. Their historic, collective action asks us all to join their movement to end solitary confinement.

The Represent Justice Film & Series program offers in-kind impact campaigns to independent films, like this one, helmed by system-impacted individuals.

122,000

People in the U.S. currently held in solitary confinement.

Source:  Solitary Watch & Unlock The Box Campaign

Watch Options

On Monday, February 3, 2025 The Strike will be broadcast on PBS (Independent Lens) -- as well as streamed on the PBS' YouTube channel. Check your local TV listings for broadcast times in your area.

Take Action

  • Host A Watch Party

    Host a 'Watch Party' for The Strike on Feb. 3, stream it on PBS, and join a community movement—fill out the form to get started and share your story!

    Fill Out The Form

  • Learn About Unlock The Box

    Discover how the Unlock the Box campaign is leading the fight to end solitary confinement in the United States. Learn more about their mission, strategies, and how you can get involved.

    Learn More

Screenings

[screenings:TheStrike]

The Strike in the Press