Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, May 23: THE RETURN
Kelly Duane De La Vega and Katie Galloway’s intimate look at the challenges faced by recently-released prisoners had its world premiere at Tribeca last month, winning an audience award. It also screened at San Francisco, as well as several community screenings around the country in the lead-up to its national PBS broadcast.
Until a 2012 proposition passed, California had one of the most punishing Three Strikes laws in the nation. Repeat offenders found themselves subject to life in prison, often for minor crimes. With the success of Prop 36, prisoners incarcerated under the draconian law found new hope, suddenly eligible for re-sentencing and, in some cases, release. Though tackling a large subject, De La Vega and Galloway wisely constrain themselves to a handful of subjects, including newly-released lifers Bilal and Kenneth, and attorneys from Stanford’s Justice Advocacy Project, who fight for the rights of other Three Strikes prisoners. While the latter offer valuable insight into the negative effect of this harsh sentencing, particularly among people of color, the poor, and the mentally ill, the film’s primary strength is in Bilal and Kenneth’s stories. As these men readjust to life on the outside, attempt to find gainful employment, try to re-establish bonds with family, and resist addiction, the true impact of mass incarceration is palpably felt.
what (not) to doc 