Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
"Going Home: Five Mualimmak-Yvette Gonzales" is a documentary that chronicles the challenges of community reentry and the grassroots fight against solitary confinement in New York.
## The Documentary: "Going Home"
* The Premise: The film focuses on the reality that people enduring solitary confinement are often released directly into society without any mental health counseling or transitional support.
* The Story: It follows activists Five Mualimm-ak and Yvette Gonzales over the first two years of their community reintegration beginning in 2013. It captures their raw personal adjustments alongside their rising public activism.
* The Production: The project was directed and produced by filmmakers Matthew Claiborne and JengTyng Hong. It received backing from the Patsy Pulitzer Preston Research Fund and the New York Television Academy of Arts and Sciences.
* The Legacy: The early efforts captured in the film helped lay the groundwork for major legislative and systemic shifts regarding Rikers Island and solitary confinement policies in New York.
Mr. Five Mualimm-ak (born Five Omar Mualimm-ak) is a prominent American human rights activist, artist, author, and criminal justice reform advocate.
* The Incarceration: Born in Ethiopia, he later moved to the U.S. and spent nearly 12 years in the New York State prison system on charges that were eventually overturned.
* The Solitary Experience: Out of his 12 years inside, he spent over five years in solitary confinement. He was frequently penalized with extreme isolation for minor infractions, such as possessing too many pencils for his artwork or owning too many postage stamps.
* Mental Health & Advocacy: Having survived the profound trauma and psychological toll of isolation, he became a central voice detailing the harmful effects of long-term confinement. He contributed his lived experiences to the book Hell Is a Very Small Place, a collection of essays detailing life in solitary.
* The Incarceration Nation Corporation (INC): Following his release in 2012, he founded [Incarcerated Nation Corporation](linkedin.com/in/mrfivemualimmak). The organization is led by formerly incarcerated individuals to provide direct peer-to-peer reentry support, trauma care, and policy advocacy.
* Youth Advocacy: He also created the Youth Anti-Prison Project (YAPP) in the Bronx. The project bridges the gap for young adults serving long community supervision sentences by providing transitional housing, education scholarships, and mentorship.
If you are interested, I can provide more information on the HALT Solitary Confinement Act that activists in New York successfully passed, or share details on how his organization supports people during reentry.
incarceratednationnetwork.com
www.naabpp.prg for more info About Five and his work.
"Going Home: Five Mualimmak-Yvette Gonzales" is a documentary that chronicles the challenges of community reentry and the grassroots fight against solitary confinement in New York.
## The Documentary: "Going Home"
* The Premise: The film focuses on the reality that people enduring solitary confinement are often released directly into society without any mental health counseling or transitional support.
* The Story: It follows activists Five Mualimm-ak and Yvette Gonzales over the first two years of their community reintegration beginning in 2013. It captures their raw personal adjustments alongside their rising public activism.
* The Production: The project was directed and produced by filmmakers Matthew Claiborne and JengTyng Hong. It received backing from the Patsy Pulitzer Preston Research Fund and the New York Television Academy of Arts and Sciences.
* The Legacy: The early efforts captured in the film helped lay the groundwork for major legislative and systemic shifts regarding Rikers Island and solitary confinement policies in New York.
Mr. Five Mualimm-ak (born Five Omar Mualimm-ak) is a prominent American human rights activist, artist, author, and criminal justice reform advocate.
* The Incarceration: Born in Ethiopia, he later moved to the U.S. and spent nearly 12 years in the New York State prison system on charges that were eventually overturned.
* The Solitary Experience: Out of his 12 years inside, he spent over five years in solitary confinement. He was frequently penalized with extreme isolation for minor infractions, such as possessing too many pencils for his artwork or owning too many postage stamps.
* Mental Health & Advocacy: Having survived the profound trauma and psychological toll of isolation, he became a central voice detailing the harmful effects of long-term confinement. He contributed his lived experiences to the book Hell Is a Very Small Place, a collection of essays detailing life in solitary.
* The Incarceration Nation Corporation (INC): Following his release in 2012, he founded [Incarcerated Nation Corporation](linkedin.com/in/mrfivemualimmak). The organization is led by formerly incarcerated individuals to provide direct peer-to-peer reentry support, trauma care, and policy advocacy.
* Youth Advocacy: He also created the Youth Anti-Prison Project (YAPP) in the Bronx. The project bridges the gap for young adults serving long community supervision sentences by providing transitional housing, education scholarships, and mentorship.
If you are interested, I can provide more information on the HALT Solitary Confinement Act that activists in New York successfully passed, or share details on how his organization supports people during reentry.
incarceratednationnetwork.com
www.naabpp.prg for more info About Five and his work.
