Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Special Features
- Interviews with the filmmakers
- Deleted scenes and bonus footage
- Pearl Jam performance with two exonerees
- Updates on the lives on the film's exonerees
- Footage from the Sundance premiere, MTV, Larry King Live, and the theatrical premiere
- Media/press footage
- Website and contact information
- Trailer
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
For an innocent man exonerated by newly found DNA evidence, release from prison is only the beginning. Shattered lives aren't so quickly pieced back together with a wave of a judge's gavel. After Innocence, a moving and unforgettable documentary, follows the lives of several "exonerees" freed after years--sometimes decades--of wrongful imprisonment for rape or sexual assault. Some of the men have used the opportunity to truly start over--get degrees, forge a new career, rebuild family ties. Others remain broken and bewildered by a judicial system that let them down. And, as one of the exonerees notes, there's nothing in place to assist people wrongly convicted, while there are a host of benefits available to convicts who are out on parole. There are many touching moments in the film, especially showing how the exonerees have banded together in a loose support group; while nothing will ever be the same for any of these men, their recognition for what each other has been though is sometimes enough for them to feel that they can face another day. --A.T. Hurley
Product Description
After Innocence tells the dramatic and compelling story of the exonerated - innocent men wrongfully imprisoned for decades and then released after DNA evidence proved their innocence. Focusing on the gripping stories of seven men, including a police officer, an army sergeant and a young father that were sent to prison for decades – in some cases death row – for crimes they did not commit, After Innocence explores the emotional journeys these men face when thrust back into society with little or no support from the system that put them behind bars. While the public views exonerations as success stories - wrongs that have been righted - After Innocence shows that the human toll of wrongful imprisonment can last far longer than the sentences served, raising basic questions about human rights and society’s moral obligation to the exonerated by placing a spotlight on the flaws in our criminal justice system that lead to wrongful conviction of the innocent.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
After Innocence, the Machinery that Manufactures Wrongful Convictions Still Operates
February 10, 2007
Format:DVD
I saw this movie in a theater, when it debuted in Los Angeles. I estimate there were between 100 and 150 people in the audience. It would hardly be fair to say the event was a movie debut, without pointing out that the movie debut also appeared to be an event actively showcasing the cause of the wrongly convicted. The movie, in my opinion, was excellent and showed the lives of a number of men who had been wrongly convicted of crimes, most involving charges of rape. The men talked about:
# their lives before their convictions,
# what circumstances led to their convictions,
# what their lives were like in jail,
# their struggle to be freed by DNA evidence,
# what their lives were like after exoneration.
Many of the exonerated were struggling to receive compensation for their unjust treatment, and most were struggling to pick up the pieces of their lives after being devastated by the inhumanity of America's legal system. The callousness of the system appeared frequently, while apologies for errors were few and far between. It was difficult to sit through the movie without feeling anger toward the cruelty and injustice America's legal system brought into the lives of these men. It was apparent from the reactions of others in the audience I was not alone in my feelings.
The movie was edited so that it also included the struggles of Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld and others in the Innocence Project as they worked to free the wrongly convicted. At one point in the movie a volunteer showed bundle after bundle of letters (from prisoners), in filing cabinets that staff had not even had the resources to open yet. It was an appalling site, considering the perilous existence of some DNA evidence in "official" storage.
After the movie, the writer/director Jessica Sanders conducted a Q & A with the audience. Along with her, were about half a dozen of the wrongly convicted men, some of whom were in the movie. An attorney who had assisted in the project was also on stage. In response to an audience question, the attorney stated that it was his guess that between 1% and 5% of the current prison population was wrongly convicted. He went on to say, "That doesn't sound like much, but given that our present prison population is 2,000,000, that works out to between 20,000 and 100,000 human beings." Although it was never mentioned in the Q & A, or the movie, 93% of those incarcerated are male.
On the way out of the theater, we passed by tables that sold baseball caps, t-shirts, books, and CD's. The book that was on sale was entitled "Surviving Justice," and is also available through Amazon.com.
I paused momentarily at one of the tables, while my friend asked questions. In several subsequent discussions with audience members, and people at tables, I mentioned that I was a member of the National Coalition of Free Men Los Angeles, and said, "We encounter a lot of men who are 'falsely accused.' You know, the preliminary step leading to wrongful convictions."
In the lobby, my friend asked one of the attorneys in the group what culpability the government had for those wrongly convicted. He was told, "Unless it can be shown that the government was malicious, there is none." Perhaps the government hasn't learned yet that the American public is very angry about all the "witch hunting" of innocent men going on, but there is a growing effort underway to "educate" them of that fact.
I highly recommend the movie After Innocence for one and all. The stories of wrongly convicted men, who have regained their freedom, is a heroic effort worth knowing. The stories of wrongly convicted men, struggling to regain the shattered pieces of their lives, is an American tragedy worthy of every citizen's help and support to make right.
# their lives before their convictions,
# what circumstances led to their convictions,
# what their lives were like in jail,
# their struggle to be freed by DNA evidence,
# what their lives were like after exoneration.
Many of the exonerated were struggling to receive compensation for their unjust treatment, and most were struggling to pick up the pieces of their lives after being devastated by the inhumanity of America's legal system. The callousness of the system appeared frequently, while apologies for errors were few and far between. It was difficult to sit through the movie without feeling anger toward the cruelty and injustice America's legal system brought into the lives of these men. It was apparent from the reactions of others in the audience I was not alone in my feelings.
The movie was edited so that it also included the struggles of Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld and others in the Innocence Project as they worked to free the wrongly convicted. At one point in the movie a volunteer showed bundle after bundle of letters (from prisoners), in filing cabinets that staff had not even had the resources to open yet. It was an appalling site, considering the perilous existence of some DNA evidence in "official" storage.
After the movie, the writer/director Jessica Sanders conducted a Q & A with the audience. Along with her, were about half a dozen of the wrongly convicted men, some of whom were in the movie. An attorney who had assisted in the project was also on stage. In response to an audience question, the attorney stated that it was his guess that between 1% and 5% of the current prison population was wrongly convicted. He went on to say, "That doesn't sound like much, but given that our present prison population is 2,000,000, that works out to between 20,000 and 100,000 human beings." Although it was never mentioned in the Q & A, or the movie, 93% of those incarcerated are male.
On the way out of the theater, we passed by tables that sold baseball caps, t-shirts, books, and CD's. The book that was on sale was entitled "Surviving Justice," and is also available through Amazon.com.
I paused momentarily at one of the tables, while my friend asked questions. In several subsequent discussions with audience members, and people at tables, I mentioned that I was a member of the National Coalition of Free Men Los Angeles, and said, "We encounter a lot of men who are 'falsely accused.' You know, the preliminary step leading to wrongful convictions."
In the lobby, my friend asked one of the attorneys in the group what culpability the government had for those wrongly convicted. He was told, "Unless it can be shown that the government was malicious, there is none." Perhaps the government hasn't learned yet that the American public is very angry about all the "witch hunting" of innocent men going on, but there is a growing effort underway to "educate" them of that fact.
I highly recommend the movie After Innocence for one and all. The stories of wrongly convicted men, who have regained their freedom, is a heroic effort worth knowing. The stories of wrongly convicted men, struggling to regain the shattered pieces of their lives, is an American tragedy worthy of every citizen's help and support to make right.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
to put it simply, this film is a STUNNING jaw-dropper. it is by far one of the best films i have seen in decades, not because of great film-making techniques, but simply because of its incredibly powerful content. highly worth your time to see the how and why our (U.S.) justice system so consistently malfunctions and to see the wide swath of lives it ravages in the process.
but this is a truly hopeful film, as it shows many exonerees who, after being freed, have risen above the horrors of being imprisoned for 10, 20 years for committing no crime at all; and it shows many of those in the innocence project who make enormous sacrifices of time, effort, and money to save innocent people from the hell of unjust imprisonment and death.
but this is a truly hopeful film, as it shows many exonerees who, after being freed, have risen above the horrors of being imprisoned for 10, 20 years for committing no crime at all; and it shows many of those in the innocence project who make enormous sacrifices of time, effort, and money to save innocent people from the hell of unjust imprisonment and death.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Having lived in Brevard County, Florida, where Wilton Dedge was exonerated, and having experienced traumatic exchanges with some of the parties involved in his wrongful conviction and his delayed exoneration, I have the unfortunate ability to rate Jessica Sander's directorship from a personal standpoint. After Innocence took the high road; Ms. Sanders could have revealed there was a prior Brevard exoneree, Juan Ramos, who served five years due to the testimony of the bogus "sniffing dog" handler who testified against Dedge, and mentioned that another likely wrongful Brevard conviction (partly based on the dog) is on the Innocence Project's radar. While both these men's stories are as important as Wilton Dedge's, they could have taken the film into the realm of appearing to be a cinematic indictment of Brevard County, detracting from the stories of the exonerees from other locations. I encourage those who purchase the DVD to watch the Special Features, not only to extend the great feeling the film leaves them with, but so they'll be inspired to support the Innocence Project until every state learns the right way to say they're sorry for wrongful imprisonments. While I'm grateful that the film thoroughly educates potential jurors, one aspect I wish Ms. Sanders had been hit hard on is that voters nationwide can give elected public servants that don't care about innocence -- governors, legislators, D.A.'s -- the opportunity to find a new line of work for which they're better suited.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
thought-provoking
first saw this on cable and showed the DVD to my students. they were very moved by the content (one class even applauded) and I would recommend it
Published 17 months ago by T. J. Kearney
After Innocence
This is an amazing story of the mistreatment of many Americans throughout the Criminal Justice system. Read more
Published 17 months ago by DonnieMo
Just like that a life is changed
A well Done Documentary.
A standing ovation goes out to the staffers of The American Innocence Project and to those who were open enough to share their lives with the... Read more
A standing ovation goes out to the staffers of The American Innocence Project and to those who were open enough to share their lives with the... Read more
Published on October 14, 2009 by lean_bot
powerful, heartrending documentary
After Innocence exposes the very real, often overlooked problem of people wrongfully imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. Read more
Published on September 20, 2009 by Matthew G. Sherwin
Lopsided Documentary With Significant Information
A telling documentary about the failings of criminal investigative law in the U.S., AFTER INNOCENCE is a poignant, if somewhat stilted, telling of the lives of men who've been... Read more
Published on February 21, 2007 by B. Merritt
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
