Dana Hunsinger Benbow

dana.benbow@indystar.com

An armed bank robber turned opera singer. A jumpsuit-wearing prisoner who recites emotional poetry. A drug dealer comedian.

And Lorenzo Reid -- a convicted murderer -- whose sweet, soulful music could surely land him a record deal when he's back in society (which he almost is).

Inside Putnamville Correctional, a medium-security prison in Putnamville, there are plenty of inmates with talent.

"Society has this notion of people once they get incarcerated," said Reid, 46, speaking by phone from South Bend Community Re-Entry on Thursday. He's left Putnamville after serving 23 years and is expected to be released in January. "They have these different thoughts of people who are incarcerated. They are all criminals, and that's all they are."

But many have another side to them, he said, a softer side.

The gifts of music and words from inmates at Putnamville prompted Los Angeles' Doin' Time Entertainment to take its cameras inside to produce "Inmates With Talent," a funny and heart-warming reality movie that will be released as soon as final financing is secured. A crowd-funding campaign is set to start in September.

Co-creators Johnny Collins and Joel Jerome got permission from the Indiana Department of Correction five years ago to have raw, firsthand access to the prisoners. They brought in professional comedians, and actor/rapper Ice-T does voice-over and appears in the movie.

Inside, Collins and Jerome interacted with inmates, performed comedy shows and even hosted a talent show for the inmates to take part in.

"Think 'The Voice' meets 'Last Comic Standing,' in the environment of 'Orange is the New Black,' " said Collins, "with the added benefit of a positive societal impact."

The project, after all, is a redemption project -- an effort to help the inmates turn over a new leaf so they can become productive members of society, Collins said.

But he doesn't want anyone to be mistaken. The movie in no way makes rock stars out of the inmates. And it is not condoning their crimes. The movie mostly worked with non-violent offenders.

"Some in for other crimes, but we have a strict screening process," Collins said. "Inmates who participate have to be fully and genuinely committed to turning themselves around and being law-abiding once released."

In other words, the project is an incentive to get rehabilitated and released.

Their acts are posted online. People can vote here through Aug. 27 for their favorite inmate. (Warning: some of the language and material in the acts is explicit.)

The winner gets an entertainment contract and a cash reward, once he's released.

At Putnamville, officials didn't shy away from a film crew coming in to tape. They welcomed it. The project is privately funded and did not involve taxpayer money.

"It's not a happy place to be in prison," said Doug Garrison, communications chief with IDOC. "They brought a lot of comedy into that prison. If we can make these guys smile and laugh together, maybe they can get along together."

Reid said the taping of the show and the talent contest changed many of the guys' lives forever.

"The entire mood in the prison completely changed after that," he said. "People had things to look forward to. It gave them hope."

And it certainly gave Reid hope. About the time the film was being produced, he was fighting appeals in court. Reid has claimed he was falsely convicted of killing Richmond liquor store owner David Hodson in September 1990. He was sentenced to more than 20 years.

He's served his time, but says once released he will continue to try to clear his name. The Innocence Project based in New York has taken his case, he said.

"I don't want to come off like I was some type of angel," he said. "I sold drugs by the time I was 14. I was a youngster doing things I shouldn't' have been doing."



But his music inside those prison walls has gotten him through and changed him. Reid isn't part of the talent contest but got together a band inside Putnamville to produce a song for the movie.

Collins says even if just a small number of convicts are steered away from a return to criminal activity, the film will have a positive impact.

The project also changed the life of former Putnamville inmate Jason Green, one of the prisoners featured in the movie. He performs in the spoken word category for the talent show with the piece he wrote, "When Pigeons Lie."

Green was released from prison in 2010 and spoke by phone Thursday as he drove to pick up his girlfriend for a dinner out.

He didn't have much time to chat, but in a previously released statement said: "I'm happy to be a free man. Now I can make the most of the rest of my life. I've definitely turned over a new leaf. I feel my gift of spoken word poetry will create opportunities in writing and acting. I can't wait to perform for everyone."

Collins said Green is a perfect example of what he hopes his project will accomplish.

While serving time in prison for a felony conviction since September of 2007, Green earned an associate's degree in liberal arts from Indiana State University. He now works full time and is pursuing his goals in the entertainment industry.

Reid, too, wants to sing -- and sing a lot -- once released from South Bend.

"I want to find a house, a place to live," he said. "And keep on singing. It's my passion."

Call Star reporter Dana Hunsinger Benbow at (317) 444-6012. Follow her on Twitter:@danabenbow.







