After Innocence (2005)

Just perfect...

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

After Innocence is an eye opening look into the imperfections of the United States justice system. Without going any further I would like to remind everyone of how superior that same system is in compared to other countries in the world. I realize that means nothing to the men in this film that have been unjustly convicted of horrible crimes. It is very emotional to listen to these men tell there story and to see how their time in prison has changed them. The fact that the prosecuting lawyers or the state or someone is not responsible for some kind of reimbursement for these men after they are released is absolutely ridicules. As one man said, they had taken away the key years of his life, the years he either gains a college education or establishes a career. I do think it is extremely honorable of the prosecuting attorneys, judges and in some case prison wardens who have given heartfelt apologies to these men and I admire those men for that because I feel it can give them hope in society and it's people again. But an apology can't feed you or get you out of living under your parents roof at the age of 40. With all that said I do feel that some of theses men have turned this horrible experience into a crutch, a crutch that they lean on and use as a consistent excuse for not being able to get their life back in line even years after. People have and will always go through tribulations in there life and men are defined by what they do after that not by how much they live in the past. I understand that a lot of people may be mad at me for saying such a thing but I'm just expressing my opinion and if you didn't like that you won't like this. In a couple of these cases I honestly don't know if I buy into the innocence, as my friend pointed out, that is the point of this film, that people judge based on how the person looks or acts and not on the facts of there case. I agree with that completely and I try as hard as I can to be fair and objective, but I do feel that of all the men who have been acquitted of crimes the odds say that at least a few of them are guilty. Then with all the media attention and people in your face constantly talking about your innocence I believe that a guilty man would start to really believe his innocence. I'm not going to go into who I think and why because I don't think documentaries always represents men completely fair and I don't have all the facts, just opinions. Overall though I believe most the men are completely innocent of their crimes and I totally buy into the theory that victims can't always be accurate in their descriptions of their assailants and can be traumatized by the situation or just down right lie. So with all that a very interesting documentary that will hopefully open the eyes of people in a position to change the problems of our justice system.

To those of you who commented on After Innocence, thank you. "I hope that this letter finds you and finds you well." Those words are contained in a letter written by Tim Robbins' character, Andy Dufresne, to his friend, Morgan 'Red' Freeman, in the motion picture 'The Shawshank Redemption,' and how I either began or closed many of the thousands of letters I wrote while wrongfully imprisoned in RI's prisons for six years four months and 18 days of a life sentence for a murder I did not commit. Being innocent made the time excruciatingly frustrating; being a city police detective made the dehumanizing education especially humiliating. Upon my release, the people involved in the single and focused investigation that led to my wrongful imprisonment have attempted to spin a false claim that I continually lied to investigators, and brought the ordeal down upon myself. I think they are mad at me for being innocent and for making them look bad. During the last three years, I have attempted to reconnect with my sons, take care of my ailing Mom, have remarried and have a new baby girl; I have guest lectured at high schools, universities and conferences nationwide as well as other avenues for prison and judicial reform advocacy; participated in several national profiles, and documentaries, including the award-winning 'After Innocence' film; I'm finishing up a Master's of criminal justice at Boston University, researching PhD programs of universities; won reinstatement to the Warwick police department nearly two years ago, still waiting for the 'expedited' hearing in front of the RI Supreme Court since Warwick's mayor is appealing the order by RI's Superior Court chief justice, recently filed a 1983 Federal civil suit; occasionally have substituted at RI high schools, looking for other employment opportunities...my Mom wonders what I do all day. Marc Simon, Jessica Sanders, Brian Johnson and the rest of the AI team were (and are) thoughtful, considerate and aware. They are also heroes in the birth of this new civil rights movement. As my wife Tina aptly calls us: America's newest subculture. Scott Hornoff

I just saw After Innocence at the Get Real Film Festival in Minneapolis. I too was aware of the Innocence Project - but now I am So Much more informed in regard to this important issue. I hope this film is seen widely as there are important issues needing attention...the after innocence issues. For instance, it's important that an innocent person who is exonerated receive compensation for their time. As it is they receive nothing upon release. How much is 5-10-20 years of a life worth? How does a family recoup money spent to fight for the truth? How does one rejoin society after years of imprisonment? An exonerated person also needs to have their record expunged. Altho they have their exoneration certificate, their record of jail time is still there. An exonerated person may receive no assistance with employment, no assistance with reintroduction into society upon release. I believe this is unlike the guilty, who after serving their time, receive medical coverage, monetary benefits and assistance with employment.It was so nice and so moving to meet Wilton Dedge in person after the film. For me to fully appreciate the impact of serving 20 plus years for a crime not committed is impossible. But as Wilton commented after the film, it is very important to be aware of this issue and involved -- as this could happen to anyone.

Again and again the revelations in Jessica Sanders' documentary brought audible gasps from the Hawaii International Film Festival audience. Here, in stark images and gut wrenching narrative, were the stories of men imprisoned, sometimes for 20 years and more, because of erroneous victim identification, sloppy or corrupt police work and over-zealous prosecutors. Here, in footage as raw as reality, is proof positive that much of the American judicial system is more righteous than just, and almost incapable of even saying to a guy, "I'm sorry," before dumping him on the streets, penniless."After Innocence" shows us the maddening frustration of convicts who fight to re-open their cases on the basis of DNA evidence, and then what becomes of them if and when that evidence exonerates them. It is a deeply disturbing picture. It also shows you the dedicated work of not-for-profit organizations such as The Innocence Project that are overwhelmed in their attempts to help. It is clear that there are literally thousands of wrongfully imprisoned people in America, most of them with little hope of ever being vindicated.Sanders' film focuses on seven men, including a police officer, an army sergeant and a young father, all released, plus a man in Florida still behind bars over three years after irrefutable DNA evidence cleared him of rape. Some of them had been in solitary confinement on death row, frequently for decades, for crimes they did not commit. Eight years after being exonerated, the now-graying dad has been unable to get his conviction expunged from official records, making it almost impossible for him to find meaningful, full-time employment. Despite being absolved of any involvement in the crimes for which he was imprisoned, he is still treated as an ex-con."DNA is God's signature," says one man, imprisoned for well over 20 years. "And God doesn't lie." Unfortunately, our governmental systems don't always tell the truth.Jessica Sanders was nominated for an Academy Award for her 2002 short documentary, "Sing." It was released in theaters and aired nationally on Public Television. "After Innocence" will also have a theatrical release and is scheduled to air on Showtime early in 2006. Eventually it will be released on DVD. It has the power to ignite a firestorm of protest over our failed judicial system and to be a catalyst for important change. Ms. Sanders, who sees herself as a filmmaker, not a journalist, is currently working on the screenplay for a dramatic film. When "After Innocence" was screened at the Sundance Film Festival she indicated she wants to continue to use film "as a way to give people a voice that don't necessarily have that means." She doesn't have a new documentary project in the works right now, but one can hope that she will continue to demonstrate her enormous talent in this field.