The award winning documentary Juvies, directed by Leslie Neal and executive produced and narrated by Mark Wahlberg with poetry input by Mos Def, will be screened at Vinegar Hill Theatre on Saturday, January 28th at 8pm.
This must-see documentary will inspire you to call your congressman and senators to make change in policy. Awareness is the starting point.
High school student Duc was arrested for driving a car from which a gun was shot. Although no one was injured, Duc was not a member of a gang, had no priors and was 16 years old, he received a sentence of 35 years to life.
Fourteen-year-old Anait, an Armenian immigrant, had been given a car by her parents. She drove two boys to a high school and dropped them off. The boys got into a fight with another boy and subsequently killed a third boy who attempted to break up the fight. Because she was the driver of the “getaway” car, Anait was charged as an accessory to first-degree murder. Originally facing 200 years.
Being tough on crime is one thing. But trying children as adults, and dispensing brutal sentences that are shockingly out of proportion to the offense, is quite another. Most Americans would say this can’t happen here, yet for thousands of young people, this is the reality of the present day juvenile justice system, which has turned its back on its initial mission to protect young people and now sends over 200,000 kids through the adult system each year as of 2004.
From award-winning documentary filmmaker Leslie Neale (Road to Return) comes this riveting look at a world most of us will never see: the world of juvenile offenders who are serving incredible prison sentences for crimes they either did not commit or were only marginally involved in.
For two years, Neale taught a video production class at Los Angeles Central Juvenile Hall to 12 juveniles who were all being tried as adults. Juvies is the product of that class, which was a learning experience for both students and teacher—and becomes a learning experience for all of us, as we witness the heartbreaking stories of children abandoned by families and a system that has disintegrated into a kind of vending machine justice.
Just when you thought our country focused on protecting and nourishing our children, you are in for a rude awakening. Tickets are only $10. Get yours now online at: https://juviesscreening.eventbrite.com Doors of the Vinegar Hill Theatre opens at 7:30p and the screening starts at 8p. The theatre is located downtown in the heart of the city. 220 West Market Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902 Get your tickets now. Seats are limited. For more info email: [email protected] Funds raised from this screening will support the non-profit documentary, America’s Darkest Future: The Cost of an Inaccessible Early Education.
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