Parity Pipeline

Genre

Synopsis

LAW & MOTHER follows two women whose lives reveal how the legal system responds to mothers in psychiatric crises. The story centers around Paula Sims, who spent more than thirty years in prison after the deaths of her two infant daughters during periods of untreated postpartum psychosis. Her case became a national spectacle in the late nineteen eighties, long before postpartum psychosis was recognized as a medical emergency. From prison, Paula co-authored the Illinois law that would eventually make her release possible.

Now home, Paula must face the life she lost, the grief she carries, and a public narrative that cast her as a monster. In re entry, she steps into a new role. Drawing from her own experience, she now supports other women navigating the same systems that once failed her.

Alongside Paula, the film follows Stephanie Bonds, a mother currently seeking relief under the same law Paula helped to create. Stephanie’s case reflects many of the pressures and stigmas Paula endured. She was charged and sentenced without meaningful understanding of her mental state after childbirth. Her story becomes a living test of whether this legislation can truly shift outcomes for mothers in crisis.

Together, their stories connect postpartum struggle, stigma, and advocacy across generations. Paula’s past reveals how women were portrayed as irredeemable and stripped of context. Stephanie’s present shows how those patterns persist, even as awareness grows. The film follows both women as they confront their histories, advocate for themselves, and try to shape futures once denied to them.

The film is driven by vérité scenes, reflective interviews, and archival material from the eighties and nineties. This footage reveals how Paula’s case was framed for public consumption and how media narratives shaped public belief and legal outcomes. Several elements remain unresolved, including Stephanie’s case and the evolving interpretation of the law, shaping the film as it continues.