Anna Daniels
Being locked up for something you didn’t do is one of the most terrifying things imaginable, but it’s a harsh reality for untold numbers of people in this country thanks to systemic problems in our justice system. Now a new Netflix documentary series called The Innocence Files wants to put a spotlight on those injustices. The series, which is directed by people like Alex Gibney (Going Clear), Liz Garbus (Lost Girls), Roger Ross Williams (Life, Animated), and other high-profile documentarians, focuses on members of The Innocence Project as the organization works to overturn eight wrongful convictions across the country. Check out the trailer below.
The Innocence Files Trailer
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdvy14fdjj8?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416]
In addition to Gibney, Garbus, and Williams, the episodes will be directed by Jed Rothstein (The China Hustle), Andy Grieve (Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police), and Sarah Dowland (producer of American Jihad). The series consists of nine episodes that are each approximately an hour long, and the eight subjects profiled are Chester Hollman III, Kenneth Wyniemko, Alfred Dewayne Brown, Thomas Haynesworth, Franky Carrillo, Levon Brooks, Kennedy Brewer, and Keith Harward.
“Each episode reveals – step by step – how the American criminal justice system gets it wrong,” said The Innocence Project’s Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck. “These stories feature people whose freedom was stolen because of governments’ reliance on junk science, discredited and suggestive eyewitness identification procedures, and prosecutors who engage in misconduct to win at any cost. We hope these stories motivate people to take action. There are tried and tested reforms that will improve the system to make it more fair and just. Countless innocent people endure unspeakable suffering in maximum security prisons and death row for crimes they didn’t commit. These miscarriages of justice extend a circle of pain and trauma that embraces families, communities, and even victims of crime. We must do better.”
Here’s the show’s official description:
Through the lens of The Evidence, The Witness and The Prosecution, The Innocence Files shines a powerful light on the untold personal stories behind eight cases of wrongful conviction that the nonprofit organization the Innocence Project and organizations within the Innocence Network have uncovered and worked tirelessly to overturn. The Innocence Files is executive produced and directed by Academy Award® nominee Liz Garbus, Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney, Academy Award® winner Roger Ross Williams; with episodes also directed by Academy Award® nominee Jed Rothstein, Emmy Award® winner Andy Grieve and Sarah Dowland.
The Innocence Files hits Netflix on April 15, 2020.
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