Videos on Politics

Acres of skin the documentary c2005

Allen M Hornblum and  Films for the Humanities (Firm)

Documents the experiences of inmates at Holmesburg Prison who were subjects of various medical experiments. 1 videodisc (43 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2358

 

American justice 2008

Former L.A. Police Chief Daryl Gates and Robert Daley, former NYPD deputy police commissioner and author of the landmark book "Prince of the City : The True Story of a Cop Who Knew Too Much," share their thoughts in this expos©  of corruption and crime among police. 1 videodisc (46 min.)

MEDIA 10-5224

 

At the death house door 2009

Steve James, Peter Gilbert, Independent Film Channel, Tribune Company, Kartemquin Films, and Facets Multimedia (Chicago, Ill.)

An intimate look at the death penalty in the state of Texas through the eyes of Pastor Carroll Pickett, who served 15 years as the death house chaplain to the infamous 'Walls' prison unit in Huntsville. During Pickett's remarkable career he presided over 95 executions, including the world's first lethal injection. After each execution, Pickett recorded an audiotape account of his trip to the death chamber. 1 videodisc (98 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2405

 

Broken on all sides race, mass incarceration & new visions for criminal justice in the U.S 2012

"More African Americans are under 'correctional' (prison) control today than were enslaved in 1850. Why? The movie explores mass incarceration across the U.S. and the intersection of race, poverty, and the criminal justice and penal systems. It centers around Michelle Alexander's theory in her groundbreaking book, 'The New Jim Crow:' through the rise of the drug war and tough on crime policies, because discretion within the system allows for targeting people of color at disproportionately high rates, mass incarceration is the new caste system in America. The movie dissects the War on Drugs and 'tough on crime' movement, illustrates how the emerging Occupy movement offers hope for change, and explores possible reforms and solutions to ending mass incarceration and this new racial caste system. "--Container. 1 videodisc (68 min.)

MEDIA 10-4798

 

Bus 174 2004

José Padilha, Marcos Prado, Zazen Produções, and Hart Sharp Video (Firm)

A powerful, award-winning examination of the tragic series of events that followed a desperate bus hijacking in Rio de Janeiro in 2000 that turned deadly when a SWAT team took evasive action against the drug-addled hijacker. 1 videodisc (118 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3439

 

The Central Park five 2013

Chronicles America's complicated perceptions of race and crime through the story of the "Central Park 5" -- a group of minority teenagers wrongfully convicted and jailed for brutally raping a white woman in New York. 1 videodisc (119 min.)

MEDIA 10-4274

 

Changing from inside 2006

David Donnenfield, Jerry Kay, David Donnenfield Productions, and Pariyatti (Firm)

Examines the use of Vipassana meditation at the North Rehabilitation Facility in Seattle. 1 videodisc (44 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3015

 

Concrete steel & paint c2009

Cindy Burstein, Tony Heriza, Concrete Film (Firm), and New Day Films

"Concrete, Steel, and Paint" offers a comprehensive view of crime and its victims, punishment, and the importance of dialogue for bringing disparate, resentful groups of people together to affirm their common humanity. The film chronicles the complications that occurred when two Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, artists tried to bring together inmates of Graterford maximum-security prison and residents of Fairhill, a poor, violent neighborhood from which many of the inmates hail, to create a mural. The film emphasizes power of creativity and the ability of art to offer a channel of communication for people who desperately need it. 1 videodisc (55 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3475

 

La corona The crown c2008

Amanda Micheli, Isabel Vega, Runaway Films , Vega Films, HBO Documentary Films, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Cinema Guild

The contestants are hired killers, guerillas, and thieves. The runner-up will cry when she doesn't get the tiara, wiping here tears with a tattooed hand. The beaming winner, resplendent in an evening gown and glittering jewels, will be crowned by the previous year's queen. But she won't be invited on a press tour as a role model for young girls; instead, she'll be escorted back to her jail cell. This is a beauty pageant like no other, and it happens every year in the women's penitentiary in Bogota, Colombia. 1 videodisc (40 min.)

MEDIA 10-4164

 

Cruel and unusual transgender women in prison c2006

A documentary about transgender women convicted and incarcerated in men's prisons in the United States. Five transgender women describe their experiences, including rape, violence, solitary confinement, and denial of medical care. 1 videodisc (63 min.)

MEDIA 10-4566

 

Deadline c2004

Katy Chevigny, Kirsten Johnson, Dallas Brennan, Big Mouth Productions, Arts Engine, Inc, and Home Vision Entertainment (Firm)

What would you do if you discovered that 13 people slated for execution had been found innocent? That was exactly the dilemma that Illinois Governor George Ryan faced in his final days in office. He, alone, was left to decide whether the remaining 167 death row inmates should live or die. This details the gripping drama of the clemency hearings during the countdown to Ryan's decision. Documented as the events unfolded, this is a compelling look inside America's prisons, highlighting one man's unlikely and historic actions against the system. 1 videodisc (89 min.)

MEDIA 10-948

 

The Dhamma brothers 2008

Jenny Phillips, Andrew Kukura, Anne Marie Stein, Peter Broderick, Freedom Behind Bars Productions, Northern Light Productions, and Lionheart Foundation (Boston, Mass.)

An overcrowded maximum-security prison is dramatically changed by the influence of an ancient meditation program. A dramatic tale of human potential and transformation that closely follows and documents the stories of the prison inmates. 1 videodisc (76 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2942

 

Doing time, doing Vipassana c1997

Paul Samson, Ayelet Menahemi, Eilona Ariel , Karuna Films, Vipa syana Vi sodhana Vinyasa (Igatpuri, India), and Pariyatti (Firm)

Discusses the impact of a Vipassana meditation program on the inmates of Tihar Prison in New Delhi, India's largest prison. The program was begun by Kiran Bedi, former Inspector General of Prisons in New Delhi. 1 videodisc (52 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3430

 

Dreams deferred the Sakia Gunn film project c2008

Charles Bennett Brack, Eamonn Simone Films, and Newsreel (Firm)

A documentary on  the events surrounding the death of Sakia Gunn, a 15-year old African American lesbian who was fatally stabbed in gay hate crime in Newark, New Jersey. The film includes the court hearing, arguments presented by both sides regarding the victim and the accused, and the sentencing. 1 videodisc (54 min.)

MEDIA DANA 10-1760 434

 

Eastern State living behind the walls 2008

Tony Alosi, Karen Reed, Cody Westheimer, and Dark Hollow Films

Profiles Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which was the first prison in the world to use solitary confinement as a means to rehabilitate prisoners.  Program details the history of the prison which opened its doors in 1829 and operated for 142 years, closing in 1972.  Includes interviews with some of the last people to live and work at Eastern State Penitentiary as well as experts in the criminal justice and sociology fields. 1 videodisc (77 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3604

 

Fundamental fairness one man's journey to judgement 2004

Roberta Lautenschlager, Patricia Scallet, Nicholas Muccini, and Forward in Time (Firm)

A man is convicted of murdering a wealthy elderly interior decorator with an injection of cleaning fluid. Did he do it? An examination of the legal system shows how it doesn't always work correctly. 1 videodisc (28 min.)

MEDIA 10-886

 

Gideon's army Follows a group of public defenders as they work in the South trying to defend their clients who have been charged with a variety of crimes. The attorneys speak about the stress and difficulties working with so many clients, with such limited funds and time to devote to all of them. 1 videodisc (96 minutes)

MEDIA 10-4894

 

Girl hood 2004

Rory Kennedy, Liz Garbus, Wellspring Media , Moxie Firecracker Films, Inc, and Learning Channel (Firm)

Director Liz Garbus presents the coming-of-age stories of two girls trying to make a life for themselves both inside and outside of Baltimore's juvenile justice system. 1 videodisc (82 min.)

MEDIA 10-650

 

Girl trouble c2004

Lexi Leban, Lidia Szajko, Critical Images Inc, KQED-TV (Television station : San Francisco, Calif.), Independent Television Service, and New Day Films

"In the past decade, the San Francisco youth crime rate declined, the number of GIRLS in the Juvenile Justice System more than doubled.  This film follows four years in the lives of three teenage girls caught up in San Francisco's Juvenile Justice System."--title screens.  This documentary tells the compelling stories of Stephanie, Shangra, and Sheila, opening a window onto the juvenile justice system, exposing its failure to break the cycle of poverty, crime, and incarceration that consumes vulnerable young women.  Two programs are hightlighted: The Walden House SisterKin Project and The Center for Young Women's Development's Sisters Rising internship program, for pushing the boundaries when it comes to helping girls in the system, addressing issues like sexual abuse, self-esteem, and community as part of the healing process for young women. 1 videodisc (57, 74 min.)

MEDIA 10-1862

 

Girls on the wall [the true story of a lockdown c2009

A group of incarcerated teenage girls get a shot at redemption in a most unlikely form: a musical based on their lives. As they write and stage their play, the girls must re-live their crimes, reclaim their humanity, and take a first step toward breaking free of the prison system . 1 videodisc (62 min.)

MEDIA 10-3898

 

Hill vs. Thomas c2000

Lesley Stahl, Terrence L Martin, Susan Werbe, Mary Raffalli, CBS News, and Films for the Humanities (Firm)

Archival footage covering the events surrounding the Judiciary Committee and Senate hearings regarding Anita Hill's sexual harassment accusations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, with four CBS News correspondents providing their firsthand insights into the case. 1 videodisc (45 min.)

MEDIA 10-297

 

Hot coffee c2011

Susan Saladoff, Carly Hugo, Alan Oxman, HBO Documentary Films, If Not Now Productions, Group Entertainment (Firm), Docurama (Firm), and New Video Group

Analyzes and discusses so called "frivolous law suits" and the impact of tort reform on the United States judicial system. Discusses several cases and relates each to tort reform in the U.S.: Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants (public relations campaign to instigate tort reform); Colin Gourley's malpractice lawsuit and caps on damages; the prosecution of Mississippi Justice Oliver Diaz and judicial elections; Jamie Leigh Jones v. Halliburton Co. and mandatory arbitration. Exposes how corporations spent millions on a propaganda campaign to distort Americans' view of lawsuits, forever changing the civil justice system. From the infamous case of the woman who sued McDonalds over spilled coffee to the saga of the Mississippi Supreme Court Justice deemed 'not corporate enough' by business interests, this program tears apart the conventional wisdom about 'frivolous lawsuits.'. 1 videodisc (86 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3437

 

How media profits from crime 2001

Larry Shapiro, Keith Morrison, and Insight Media (Firm)

This program explores the relationship between media and crime, examining why media coverage of criminal activities is continually on the rise, while the crime rates in the United States and Canada have been falling for nearly a decade. It looks at the history of crime coverage and describes how it translates to profits for the media. 1 videodisc (29 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2432

 

In Gandhi's footsteps Kiran Bedi's humanitarian revolution 2006

Øystein Rakkenes, MPower Pictures, and Filmakers Library, inc

Profile of India's first female police officer and reformer, Kiran Bedi. Throughout her career, Bedi has played a vital role in law enforcement reform by promoting non-violence and supporting a police force that is more proactive in tackling India's crime problems by reaching out to at-risk communities. 1 videodisc (50 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2845

 

Incident at Oglala the Leonard Peltier story c2004

Leonard Peltier, Robert Redford, Michael Apted, Artisan Home Entertainment (Firm) , Miramax Films, and Spanish Fork Motion Picture Company

Examines the 1975 incident where armed FBI agents illegally entered the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, resulting in the deaths of a Native American and two FBI agents. Explores the controversy and potential abuse of justice surrounding the case of Leonard Peltier, who was the sole person in the incident convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. 1 videodisc (90 min.)

MEDIA 10-2228

 

Justice Japan style c2005

Ian Altschwager, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and Filmakers Library, inc

Examines the perceived flaws of the Japanese criminal justice system, from the lack of jury trials and questionable interrogation tactics to prisoner abuse. The film also recounts the story of Sakae Menda who was detained on death row for thirty-four years after confessing to a crime he did not commit. 1 videodisc (25 min.)

MEDIA 10-1867

 

Juvenile justice c2005

Barbara Margolis, Joan I Greco, Mark Ganguzza, Columbia University, Institute for Child and Family Policy, and Films for the Humanities (Firm)

How does America's juvenile justice system work? In what ways has it failed? And what would it take to improve it so that it routinely operates in the best interests of offenders, their victims, and society as a whole? These are not simple questions, as this Fred Friendly Seminar points out--and they become all the more complex when moderator Charles Ogletree, of Harvard Law School, casts 13 experts as figures in a hypothetical scenario involving two families, four teens, and a sequence of violent crimes culminating in a murder. By incrementally raising the stakes, Ogletree moderates a passionate discussion that addresses different conceptions of justice, the balance between rehabilitation of a minor and the safety of the public, the need to strengthen the home environment, availability of social services, and matters of race and socioeconomic status. 1 videodisc (58 min.)

MEDIA 10-1638

 

Malalai 2006?

Polly Hyman and Filmakers Library, inc

In the dangerous, male-oriented world of Kandahar, home to drug smugglers and terrorists, a policewoman, Malalai Kakar is blazing the way for women. 1 videodisc (42 min.)

MEDIA 10-1771

 

Me facing life Cyntoia's story 2010

This story takes a hard look at some of the complex social issues concerning a 16-year-old girl who is serving a life sentence for murder. Cyntoia Brown found herself in a series of bad situations that led to her killing a man. The filmmaker spent nearly six years exploring her life and familial relationships in order to answer a very basic question ... why? This documentary pushes aside assumptions about what we think about violence and takes a glance into a startling social mirror that reveals a strong connection between violence in her maternal line and a predestined childhood filled with bad decisions. 1 videodisc (52 min.)

MEDIA 10-4165

 

Mothers of Bedford 2011

Women are the fastest-growing U.S. prison population today. Eighty percent are mothers of school-age children. Jenifer McShane's absorbing documentary gives human dimensions to these rarely reported statistics, taking us inside Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison north of New York City. Shot over four years, Mothers of Bedford follows five women - of diverse backgrounds and incarcerated for different reasons- in dual struggles to be engaged in their children's lives and become their better selves. It shows how long-term sentences affect mother-child relationships and how Bedford's innovative Children's Center helps women maintain and improve bonds with children and adult relatives awaiting their return. Whether it be parenting's normal frustrations to celebrating a special day, from both inside and out of the prison walls, this moving film provides unprecedented access to a little known, rarely shown, community of women. 1 videodisc (96 min.)

MEDIA 10-4824

 

Open season c2011

Mark Tang, Lu Lippold, and Passionfruit Films

A Hmong immigrant is convicted of killing six white hunters in a violent confrontation during deer hunting season in northwestern Wisconsin. Was it a racial incident? Was it the random act of madman? Part courtroom drama, part intimate portrait, this hour-long documentary looks at the root causes and the reverberating impacts of this tragedy, seeking to bring understanding to the racial, cultural, and economic tensions in America's heartland. Winner at the 2011 San Francisco Asian Film Festival for Achievement in Citizen Journalism, the jury said, "A nuanced approach to an urgent contemporary issue - that of refugee and migrant struggles to find a home and justice in 21st-century America." Synopsis provided by filmmakers. 1 videodisc (57 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3238

 

Paradise lost the child murders at Robin Hood Hills 2005

Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky, Home Box Office (Firm), Hand-To-Mouth Productions, Docurama (Firm), and New Video Group

Damien Echols is a teen who dresses in all black and listens to heavy metal. He and his two friends are accused of the murder of three little boys, and are instantly condemned by a retribution-hungry public. Now they try to defend themselves against a dubious lack of proof. 1 videodisc (152 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3463

 

Quiet rage the Stanford prison study  1992

Philip G Zimbardo, Ken Musen, Stanford Instructional Television Network, and Stanford University

Discusses a prison simulation experiment conducted in 1971 with students at Stanford University and considers the causes and effects that make prisons such an emotional issue. 1 videocassette (ca. 50 min.)

DANA      MEDIA 439            10-1742             2-6006

 

Revolution '67 2007

Jerome Bongiorno, Marylou Bongiorno, Independent Television Service, P.O.V. (Firm) , American Documentary, Inc, WSKG Public Broadcasting, and Bongiorno Productions, Inc

"Focuses on the explosive urban rebellion which erupted in Newark, New Jersey, in July 1967; a tragedy caused by similar problems that sparked race riots across America.  The film takes viewers on a daily chronicle of events, including the calling in of the State Police and National Guard, their occupation of the city and use of unnecessary firepower.  Final toll: 26 dead"--Container. 1 videodisc (173 min.)

DANA. MEDIA 363      10-1093

 

The Rosenberg-Sobell case revisited 2010

An examination of the Rosenbergs, who were executed at Sing Sing Prison in 1953 after being convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the United States. This was the first comprehensive documentary produced about the case, produced when most of the principles were still alive. Includes interviews with jurors, FBI agents, lawyers and family members. For the 25th anniversary of their executions, the film Unquiet death of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg was updated by PBS with a new introduction and epilogue by Alvin H. Goldstein, and broadcast with the title, The Rosenberg-Sobell case revisited. 1 videodisc (83 min.)

MEDIA 10-4943

 

Scared straight! Scared straight! 20 years later 2003

Arnold Shapiro, Peter Falk, Danny Glover, William Moffitt, Jim Arnold, Robert Niemack, Sharon Rennert, John Thomas, Marie Maxwell, Arnold Shapiro Productions, Paramount Stations Group, Inc, Docurama (Firm), and New Video Group

Scared straight! profiles a unique juvenile crime-prevention program at New Jersey's Rahway maximum-security prison, recounting the day seventeen teenage lawbreakers spent inside the prison with the some of New Jersey's most dangerous criminals. In an attempt to scare the kids out of their criminal ways, prisoners took turns describing prison life, emphasizing it's worst features. Scared straight! 20 years later traces the subsequent lives of the teens and convicts featured in the original documentary. 1 videodisc (ca. 90 min.)

MEDIA 10-438

 

Sentenced home c2006

David Grabias, Nicole Newnham, Sentenced Home Productions, Independent Television Service, and Center for Asian American Media

The video portrays 3 immigrant men, Many Uch, Loeun Lun, Kim Ho Ma, who arrived in the United States as refugees from Cambodia in the '80s. After fleeing the Khmer Rouge and settling in Seattle as children, each was drawn into gang life, and ultimately jail. According to U.S. law they should have been deported, but Cambodia did not accept deportees at the time of their sentences.  After September 2001, the U.S. pressured Cambodia into changing its policy.  As a result, thousands of individuals were separated from their families and returned to a land that many barely knew.  Many deportees faced the prospect of paying a double penalty: having already served their original prison sentences and moved on with their lives, they now faced deportation. 1 videodisc (76 min.)

MEDIA 10-1177

 

Straight outta Hunters Point 2003

Joshua Callaghan, Kevin Epps, and Mastamind productions

Documentary look at life in the Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco, this is "an emotionaly intense reality check that focuses on the daily drama of gang-related rap wars plaguing a community fighting for social and economic survival."--Container. 1 videodisc (74 min.)

MEDIA 10-589

 

The thin blue line 2005

Errol Morris, Mark Lipson, Philip Glass, Randall Adams, David Harris, Stefan Czapsky, Robert Chappell, Paul Barnes, American Playhouse Theatrical Films, Channel Four (Great Britain), MGM Home Entertainment Inc, and IFC Films

In 1976, Randall Adams was wrongly sentenced to death for the murder of a Dallas policeman. Errol Morris' documentary exposed the truth of the case and is credited with overturning Adams' conviction. 1 videodisc (102 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2333       2622    1514

 

This black soil a story of resistance and rebirth c2004

Teresa Konechne, Bullfrog Films, Working Hands Productions, and Virginia Commonwealth University

Chronicles the successful struggle of Bayview, Virginia, a small and severely improverished rural African-American community to overcome the state of Virginia's plans for building a prison in their backyard, and under the leadership of visionary women, building a new community from the grounds up. 1 videodisc (58 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3460

 

Titicut follies 2007?

Frederick Wiseman, Bridgewater Film Company, and Zipporah Films

Filmed at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Bridgewater, scenes of the daily life and treatment of the men are interspersed with shots from the inmates' talent show. 1 videodisc (84 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3035

 

Women's prisons old problems and new solutions 2003

Leslie Côté, Antony Anderson, Anthony Sherwood, Television Renaissance, Inc , Discovery Channel Canada (Firm), and Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm)

"This program goes inside three women's prisons in the U.S. and Canada, contrasting old and new correctional philosophies. Key differences between the countries' systems are noted, such as the level of tolerance for sexual relationships between inmates. Interviews with the women poignantly highlight their struggles with drugs, suicide, motherhood, physical and sexual abuse. The warden of the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women, the District Director of the Burnaby Correctional Centre for Women in British Columbia, and other prison officials discuss giving a second chance to women who often never had a first"--Container. 1 videodisc (47 min.)

MEDIA 10-308

America, behind bars beyond the prison industrial complex : critical resistance 1999?

Luana Plunkett, Neal Morrison, Sasha Magee , and Carla Leshne

The growing reliance on prisons as the solution to systematic social problems, has created a punishment industry that bleeds taxpayers as it wields repression against the poor, immigrants and minorities.  Visions of Freedom shows highlights from the Critical Resistance Conference held in Berkeley, California in 1998. Weaving music, poetry and speakers at the conference, this video highlights the growing movement to end the lockdown. USA INCarcerated outlines the growth of the prison industrial complex, the privatization of corrections and the social trade-offs being made to support it. 1 videocassette (56 min.)

DANA 1358

 

The BBC prison study 2008

Sue Howes, Steve Taylor, Alex Haslam, Stephen Reicher, Halovine (Firm), Online Classroom Ltd, and British Broadcasting Corporation

In December 2001, Alex Haslam and Steve Reicher collaborated with the BBC to conduct an investigation of group processes within a simulated prison environment. Over a period of nine days, Haslam and Reicher collected social, clinical and organisational data from 15 participants in order to test theoretical ideas about the psychology of power and resistance, tyranny and order. 1 videodisc (ca. 25 min.)

DANA 447

 

Brother's keeper 1993, 1992

Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky

Examines the real-life murder mystery of whether Delbert Ward, an uneducated hermit with a low IQ, murdered his brother as a "mercy killing" or was the victim of police abuse. A real-life murder mystery. 1 videocassette (105 min.)

DANA 1511

 

Burden of innocence 2003

Ofra Bikel, Will Lyman, PBS Home Video, Ofra Bikel Productions, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), and WGBH Educational Foundation

In recent years, media headlines have trumpeted the release of more than 100 longtime inmates who have been exonerated by DNA testing. But what happens to these wrongly accused inmates after the media spotlight turns elsewhere and they must attempt to rejoin a world far different from the one they left behind? 1 videocassette (60 min.)

MEDIA 2-6578

 

The chair 1998

Michael Pennington and Nicholas O'Dwyer

Documentary that traces the development of the electric chair including the involvement of Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. Documents the cruelty of the first use of the electric chair to execute a convicted felon. 1 videocassette (49 min.)

MEDIA 2-3961

 

Convicts on the street one year on parole 1990

Robert Niemack

Follows a Long Beach, Calif. parole officer and his 50 charges. He makes surprise visits to the homes of those he suspects of violating their paroles. His suspicions are frequently justified--before the year is over, more than half of his group have been sent back to jail. 1 videocassette (VHS) (60 min.)

MEDIA 2-3936

 

Crime in the suites 1987

Tony Marshall, Michael Rosenblum, and Marlene Sanders

Discusses the pervasiveness of white collar crime in America and explores how people use their intelligence and position as weapons to escape with billions of dollars.  Interviews author Georgette Bennett and professor Joseph O'Donoghue, Mercy College.  Includes personal stories of a criminal and a victim. 1 videocassette (24 min.)

MEDIA 2-5121

 

A crime of insanity c2002

David Murdock, Miri Navasky, Karen O'Connor, Will Lyman,  WGBH Educational Foundation, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), Camera One Productions, and PBS Home Video

In 1994 a paranoid schizophrenic man, Ralph Tortorici, took a class of college students hostage, threatening and wounding one of them. This documentary examines the ethical dilemmas surrounding the insanity defense. 1 videocassette (ca. 60 min.)

MEDIA 2-6360

 

Deadline c2004

Katy Chevigny, Kirsten Johnson, Dallas Brennan, Big Mouth Productions, Arts Engine, Inc, and Home Vision Entertainment (Firm)

What would you do if you discovered that 13 people slated for execution had been found innocent? That was exactly the dilemma that Illinois Governor George Ryan faced in his final days in office. He, alone, was left to decide whether the remaining 167 death row inmates should live or die. This details the gripping drama of the clemency hearings during the countdown to Ryan's decision. Documented as the events unfolded, this is a compelling look inside America's prisons, highlighting one man's unlikely and historic actions against the system. 1 videodisc (89 min.)

MEDIA 10-948

 

Death row the only fitting punishment 1988

Stephanie Noonan-Drachkovitch and Berl Rotfeld

The men and women who have died by legal execution remain a source of controvery that will never diminish. Over 15,000 Americans have been executed in the last three centuries. Has justice been served? This program examines the history of capital punishment in America as seen through the eyes of the condemned, the executioners, and the leading experts on the death penalty. The convicts include Gary Gilmore, John Spinkelink, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, Charles Manson, and Richard Speck. 1 videocassette (ca. 40 min.)

MEDIA 2-1537

 

Dreams deferred the Sakia Gunn film project c2008

Charles Bennett Brack, Eamonn Simone Films, and Newsreel (Firm)

A documentary on  the events surrounding the death of Sakia Gunn, a 15-year old African American lesbian who was fatally stabbed in gay hate crime in Newark, New Jersey. The film includes the court hearing, arguments presented by both sides regarding the victim and the accused, and the sentencing. 1 videodisc (54 min.)

MEDIA DANA 10-1760 434

 

The execution 1999

Mike McLeod

"Explore capital punishment through the story of Clifford Boggess, a 30-year-old who spent almost a decade on death row.  In the United States, executions have become almost routine, especially in Texas, where Boggess, a pianist, artist, class valedictorian and convicted murderer awaited the execution chamber.  And while he waited, the tormented families of his two victims impatiently awaited his death in June 1998."--Container. 1 videocassette (90 min.)

MEDIA 2-3949

 

The Farm : life inside Angola Prison  1998

Jonathan Stack, Liz Garbus, and Bill Kurtis

Documentary film which follows the lives of 6 men imprisoned in Angola, Louisiana State Penitentiary. 1 videocassette (ca. 100 min.)

DANA 874

 

Fundamental fairness one man's journey to judgement 2004

Roberta Lautenschlager, Patricia Scallet, Nicholas Muccini, and Forward in Time (Firm)

A man is convicted of murdering a wealthy elderly interior decorator with an injection of cleaning fluid. Did he do it? An examination of the legal system shows how it doesn't always work correctly. 1 videodisc (28 min.)

MEDIA 10-886

 

G-man the making of an FBI agent c2002

Kevin Finch, Tom Cochran, Nineteenth Star (Firm), Discovery Communications, Inc, Discovery Channel (Firm), Discovery Channel University, and Films for the Humanities (Firm)

This program follows a class of prospective agents through their 16 weeks of training. 1 videocassette (52 min.)

MEDIA 2-6424

 

Girl hood 2004

Rory Kennedy, Liz Garbus, Wellspring Media , Moxie Firecracker Films, Inc, and Learning Channel (Firm)

Director Liz Garbus presents the coming-of-age stories of two girls trying to make a life for themselves both inside and outside of Baltimore's juvenile justice system. 1 videodisc (82 min.)

MEDIA 10-650

 

Girl trouble c2004

Lexi Leban, Lidia Szajko, Critical Images Inc, KQED-TV (Television station : San Francisco, Calif.), Independent Television Service, and New Day Films

"In the past decade, the San Francisco youth crime rate declined, the number of GIRLS in the Juvenile Justice System more than doubled.  This film follows four years in the lives of three teenage girls caught up in San Francisco's Juvenile Justice System."--title screens.  This documentary tells the compelling stories of Stephanie, Shangra, and Sheila, opening a window onto the juvenile justice system, exposing its failure to break the cycle of poverty, crime, and incarceration that consumes vulnerable young women.  Two programs are hightlighted: The Walden House SisterKin Project and The Center for Young Women's Development's Sisters Rising internship program, for pushing the boundaries when it comes to helping girls in the system, addressing issues like sexual abuse, self-esteem, and community as part of the healing process for young women. 1 videodisc (57, 74 min.)

MEDIA 10-1862

 

Guns 1990

Craig Leake, Peter Jennings, and Tom Yellin

A news report discussing the use of firearms in crimes. 1 videocassette (47 min.)

DANA 1285

 

The heart broken in half 1990

Taggart Siegel and Lorne Dwight Conquergood

An in-depth look at the ethnic street gangs of the Albany Park neighborhood in Chicago and the socio-economic conditions that give rise to them. Includes comments by neighborhood residents, interviews with several young gang members, scenes from the funeral and burial of Negro, a gang member who was killed in the street in April, 1989, and an extensive analysis of the intricate network of symbols, logos and icons, expressed in graffiti, that serve the gangs as a complex visual code for displaying identity and challenging rivals. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

DANA 1490

 

Hill vs. Thomas c2000

Lesley Stahl, Terrence L Martin, Susan Werbe, Mary Raffalli, CBS News, and Films for the Humanities (Firm)

Archival footage covering the events surrounding the Judiciary Committee and Senate hearings regarding Anita Hill's sexual harassment accusations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, with four CBS News correspondents providing their firsthand insights into the case. 1 videodisc (45 min.)

MEDIA 10-297

 

How do you spell murder? illiteracy and crime c2002

Alan Raymond, Susan Raymond, Video Verité (Firm), Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm), and HBO Films

Studies show that illiteracy is a primary cause of crime and that education helps reduce recidivism. Because of this, the New Jersey State Prison has begun an inmate-run literacy program. This film presents interviews with student/tutor teams, following their progress throughout a year. 1 videocassette (40 min.)

MEDIA 2-7667

 

Introducing TJ therapeutic jurisprudence 2000

Mary Providence Magill and Fanlight Productions

Chronicles the work of a unique court in Bradenton, Florida which provides an alternative to the criminalization of the mentally ill. Discusses the ways the court has served as a therapeutic agent. 1 videocassette (27 min.)

MEDIA 2-7389

 

La isla de los ninos perdidos The island of lost children c2001

Florence Jaugey, Camila Films (Firm), and Latin American Video Archives

"A documentary about ten young inmates who participate in a video course inside Nicaragua's largest prison. The young men discuss the protocols among the inmates, the conditions inside the prison, and how they ended up there.". 1 videocassette (82 min.)

MEDIA 2-7247

 

Justice Japan style c2005

Ian Altschwager, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and Filmakers Library, inc

Examines the perceived flaws of the Japanese criminal justice system, from the lack of jury trials and questionable interrogation tactics to prisoner abuse. The film also recounts the story of Sakae Menda who was detained on death row for thirty-four years after confessing to a crime he did not commit. 1 videodisc (25 min.)

MEDIA 10-1867

 

Juvenile justice c2001

Janet Tobias, Laura Rabhan Bar-On, Michel Martin, Oregon Public Broadcasting, WGBH Educational Foundation, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), and PBS Video

"Explores whether children who commit serious crimes should be tried as juveniles or adults"--Container. 1 videocassette (90 min.)

MEDIA 2-6350

 

Juvenile justice c2005

Barbara Margolis, Joan I Greco, Mark Ganguzza, Columbia University, Institute for Child and Family Policy, and Films for the Humanities (Firm)

How does America's juvenile justice system work? In what ways has it failed? And what would it take to improve it so that it routinely operates in the best interests of offenders, their victims, and society as a whole? These are not simple questions, as this Fred Friendly Seminar points out--and they become all the more complex when moderator Charles Ogletree, of Harvard Law School, casts 13 experts as figures in a hypothetical scenario involving two families, four teens, and a sequence of violent crimes culminating in a murder. By incrementally raising the stakes, Ogletree moderates a passionate discussion that addresses different conceptions of justice, the balance between rehabilitation of a minor and the safety of the public, the need to strengthen the home environment, availability of social services, and matters of race and socioeconomic status. 1 videodisc (58 min.)

MEDIA 10-1638

 

Life or death a battle over capital punishment 1996

Gail Eisen, John Mosedale, and Mike Wallace

Reviews the past 30 years of capital punishment in America. Includes interviews with advocates on both sides of the issue. 1 videocassette (50 min.)

MEDIA 2-5256

 

Malalai 2006?

Polly Hyman and Filmakers Library, inc

In the dangerous, male-oriented world of Kandahar, home to drug smugglers and terrorists, a policewoman, Malalai Kakar is blazing the way for women. 1 videodisc (42 min.)

MEDIA 10-1771

 

Maximum security university a documentary of death and cover-up at America's most violent prison 1999

Robert Navarro and Corey Weinstein

Utilizes surveillance videos of the SHU (maximum security) exercise yard at Corcoran State Prison, California. Shows the shootings of four inmates, Andres Romero, Henry Noriega, William Randoll, and William Martinez, as guards try to break up fights. The tapes are compared with the shooting review board reports, revealing inconsistencies in the official accounts. Criticizes the integrated yard policy whereby members of rival gangs are released into the yard together, almost ensuring that violence will occur. 1 videocassete (45 min.)

DANA 1360

 

Minorities and the police 1988

Discusses clashes between minorities and the police in New Jersey.  Features interviews with residents and police officers.  Also includes a discussion with panelists Mayor Harry Curley of Vineland, N.J., James Harris, Dean of Students at Montclair State College, Howard Arnette of Seton Hall Law School, and Sandra Lilley, Caucus reporter. 1 videocassette (30 min)

DANA 140

 

Murder on a Sunday morning 2003

Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Denis Poncet, Maha Productions, Pathe Doc, New Video Group, and Docurama (Firm)

When Brenton Butler, a15-year-old black male is arrested for the murder of Mary Ann Stephens, everyone involved in the case--from investigators to journalists--is ready to condemn him, except for his lawyer, Patrick McGuiness. A true tale of murder and injustice. 1 videocassette (111 min.)

MEDIA 2-7384

 

On trial the William Kennedy Smith case 1992

Marilyn Fletcher

A condensation of ABC's coverage of one of the most well-known court cases of the times--the rape trial of William Kennedy Smith, a member of one of America's most prominent families.  Includes Diane Sawyer's interview with the woman who brought the charges, Patricia Bowman. 1 videocassette (ca. 50 min.)

MEDIA 2-1880

 

Operation cooperation 2000?

Kristina Rose

A discussion of various cooperative endeavors between law enforcement agencies and private security organizations. 1 videocassette (13 min.)

MEDIA 2-5453

 

Organized crime 1987

Discusses how organized crime started, who runs it, how it operates, and what the government is doing to stop it.  Shows a less sensationalized view of crime and the impact on New Jersey.  The program traces the origin of organized crime and the first "gangster," Longy Zwillman.  The evolution of organized crime has been a major force in shaping the economical, social, and political climate in New Jersey.  Guests on this segment include:  Mark Stuart, author of Gangster #2 ; Peter Bridge, author of The Mafia Talks ; law enforcement official Justin Dintino ; and New Jersey Attorney General Cary Edwards. 1 videocassette (30 min.)

DANA 159

 

The plea c2004

Ofra Bikel, Will Lyman, Ofra Bikel Productions, WGBH Educational Foundation, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), and PBS Video

Examines the prevalence of plea bargaining in the American justice system. 1 videocassette (90 min.)

MEDIA 2-7000

 

Quiet rage the Stanford prison study  1992

Philip G Zimbardo, Ken Musen, Stanford Instructional Television Network, and Stanford University

Discusses a prison simulation experiment conducted in 1971 with students at Stanford University and considers the causes and effects that make prisons such an emotional issue. 1 videocassette (ca. 50 min.)

DANA      MEDIA 439            10-1742             2-6006

 

Red Hook justice c2004

Meema Spadola, Eliza Byard, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Sugar Pictures (Firm), and First Run/Icarus Films

In 2000, Red Hook, Brooklyn, opened its doors to an experimental court. Offencers are sentenced to job training, drug counseling and community service. If they fail, they face a longer jail sentence. 1 videocassette (54 min.)

MEDIA 2-6901

 

Revolution '67 2007

Jerome Bongiorno, Marylou Bongiorno, Independent Television Service, P.O.V. (Firm) , American Documentary, Inc, WSKG Public Broadcasting, and Bongiorno Productions, Inc

"Focuses on the explosive urban rebellion which erupted in Newark, New Jersey, in July 1967; a tragedy caused by similar problems that sparked race riots across America.  The film takes viewers on a daily chronicle of events, including the calling in of the State Police and National Guard, their occupation of the city and use of unnecessary firepower.  Final toll: 26 dead"--Container. 1 videodisc (173 min.)

DANA. MEDIA 363      10-1093

 

The "Rodney King" case what the jury saw in California v. Powell 1992

Dominic Palumbo, Peter Aronson, Fred P Graham, and Kristen Jeanette-Meyers

Condensed version of trial of four L.A. police officers on trial for beating Rodney King. 1 videocassette (116 min.)

MEDIA 2-1878

 

Scared straight! Scared straight! 20 years later 2003

Arnold Shapiro, Peter Falk, Danny Glover, William Moffitt, Jim Arnold, Robert Niemack, Sharon Rennert, John Thomas, Marie Maxwell, Arnold Shapiro Productions, Paramount Stations Group, Inc, Docurama (Firm), and New Video Group

Scared straight! profiles a unique juvenile crime-prevention program at New Jersey's Rahway maximum-security prison, recounting the day seventeen teenage lawbreakers spent inside the prison with the some of New Jersey's most dangerous criminals. In an attempt to scare the kids out of their criminal ways, prisoners took turns describing prison life, emphasizing it's worst features. Scared straight! 20 years later traces the subsequent lives of the teens and convicts featured in the original documentary. 1 videodisc (ca. 90 min.)

MEDIA 10-438

 

A sentence of their own c2001

Edgar A Barens

Chronicles the annual pilgrimage made by a mother and her two children to a New Hampshire state prison, revealing the damaging impact incarceration has on families. 1 videocassette (53 min.)

MEDIA 2-7809

 

Sentenced home c2006

David Grabias, Nicole Newnham, Sentenced Home Productions, Independent Television Service, and Center for Asian American Media

The video portrays 3 immigrant men, Many Uch, Loeun Lun, Kim Ho Ma, who arrived in the United States as refugees from Cambodia in the '80s. After fleeing the Khmer Rouge and settling in Seattle as children, each was drawn into gang life, and ultimately jail. According to U.S. law they should have been deported, but Cambodia did not accept deportees at the time of their sentences.  After September 2001, the U.S. pressured Cambodia into changing its policy.  As a result, thousands of individuals were separated from their families and returned to a land that many barely knew.  Many deportees faced the prospect of paying a double penalty: having already served their original prison sentences and moved on with their lives, they now faced deportation. 1 videodisc (76 min.)

MEDIA 10-1177

 

Straight outta Hunters Point 2003

Joshua Callaghan, Kevin Epps, and Mastamind productions

Documentary look at life in the Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco, this is "an emotionaly intense reality check that focuses on the daily drama of gang-related rap wars plaguing a community fighting for social and economic survival."--Container. 1 videodisc (74 min.)

MEDIA 10-589

 

Street gangs of Los Angeles c1992

Hans Albert, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, and Films for the Humanities (Firm)

Documentary film of life in the streets of Los Angeles. 1 videocassette (ca. 44 min.)

MEDIA 2-7296

 

Street life inside America's gangs c1999