In the spring of 2003, a Grinnell College professor and four of his students decided to go to the nearest prison in Iowa in order to teach a creative writing class. Soon, the Grinnell Prison Program was launched and now involves over 50 student volunteers who teach a variety of liberal arts courses in philosophy, history, playwriting, theater, and art. This experimental program quickly evolved into a life-changing experience for both college students and inmates who share their passion for learning.

The Grey Area is a not-for-profit documentary in the making about the lives of inmates at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville. The film focuses on the unique experience of teaching and learning Feminism inside a women’s prison. Through a series of captivating class discussions, female inmates explore the intersection of gender, race, class, and privilege in their own lives. For these women, the classroom becomes a safe space in which they are free to share their experiences with motherhood, drug addiction, sexual abuse, and life in prison.