Parents' Guide to

The Sentence

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Poignant docu about mandatory minimum imprisonment.

Movie PG 2018 85 minutes
The Sentence Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

THE SENTENCE is a documentary about the consequences of mandatory-minimum sentencing. Director Rudy Valdez's older sister, Cindy Shank, was a wife and mother of three small children when she was charged and convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine for not reporting a late boyfriend's criminal activity to the police years before. Thanks to federal minimum mandatory sentencing guidelines, she was sent to a federal work camp for 15 years. Valdez's cameras follow their extended family, which includes their parents, Cindy's husband Adam, and their three daughters, as they cope with living their lives without her, and with trying to secure her release.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

The poignant documentary offers a very personal glimpse into the lives of a family who pays a high price for the mandatory long-term incarceration of a loved one for a non-violent offense. The film, which won the Audience Favorite Award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, was shot over approximately ten years. It began as a compilation of home movies meant to record Cindy Shank's daughters' lives while she was serving her sentence. But what it captures is the toll it takes on her loved ones, and how her children are sentenced to grow up without her until her pardon in 2016.

The Sentence contains some very emotional moments. However, despite some brief interview footage with lawyers and others involved with Cindy Shank's case, it offers few details about their almost-decade long legal battle. It doesn't spend a significant amount of time addressing the overall strain mandatory minimum sentencing is having on the U.S. penal system, and the impact it particularly has on women. What it does do, however, is underscore the fact that these laws have very real and damaging consequences that are both unfair and unnecessary, from an intimate point of view.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about mandatory minimum sentencing. What was the intention behind putting these kinds of laws put into place? What are the resulting problems?

  • How would you feel if you lost a member of your family for a certain amount of time? How do you think families deal with the strain of a mother or father in prison?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: October 12, 2018
  • On DVD or streaming: October 22, 2019
  • Cast: Cindy Shankm, Adam Shank, Autumn Shank
  • Director: Rudy Valdez
  • Inclusion Information: Latinx directors
  • Studio: Park Pictures
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Run time: 85 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG
  • MPAA explanation: Some material may not suited for children.
  • Last updated: January 30, 2023

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate