After Innocence is a real-life documentary released in 2005 that was directed by Jessica Sanders and written by Jessica Sanders and Marc Simon in association with The American Film Foundation. Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, founders of the Innocent Project, are featured in the documentary, and have helped free over 150 people through DNA testing. The documentary focuses on seven men, convicted of various crimes they did not commit, sentenced to decades in prison, before being exonerated after the release of DNA evidence that proved their innocence. The documentary tells how each men was convicted, their trial process, and life after being released. After Innocence is a dramatic, emotionally devastating, but inspiring documentary that shows the struggles of these seven men attempting to adjust back into society after they lost so many years of their lives.
The general purpose of this documentary was to broadcast the flaws in the criminal justice system and show the real-life hardships that these seven men face after being freed. These men felt frustrated, hopeless, and angry with the criminal justice system as they lost some of the best years of their life that changed their lives forever. After Innocence portrays the real life situations presented in the criminal justice system with things such as police misconduct, mistaken identity, and weak legal representation. The Innocence Project works to prevent wrongful convictions such as the ones shown on After Innocence, especially those placed on Death Row.
Although the criminal justice system will never be perfect, working towards a more reformed system will reduce the amount of people that are serving while innocent. The documentary raises questions on human rights, freedom in America, and how difficult a prisoners life is after being freed and exonerated.
Most of the men were accused of rape, murder, or burglary in After Innocence. Although all seven of these men were proven innocent through DNA testing, that didn’t help when trying to find jobs, buy a home, or see their children. The government didn’t help get these men back on their feet, offering one man only $5.34. When applying for jobs or school, these men couldn’t have their record cleared, which affected these men on a personal, physical, and emotional level knowing they would always their past almost haunting them. After all these men have been through, everything that could help them move forward was actually holding them even farther back.
After Innocence also focused on the victim’s family and how the criminal justice system affected their families. Through the support, perseverance, and financial help, many of the men were able to rely on their families after being exonerated. As this was an upsetting and unfortunate documentary, it showed how the faith, family, and hope were the most important things to these men. This documentary is inspiring to the audience as it shows the audience to never give up and always stay positive like the men in the film did.
One of the exonerees, Wilton Dedge, served 22 years in prison of his life sentence. Even after his DNA evidence proved his innocence, he had to serve two additional years because the prosecution tried to hide it in court. Eventually, Wilton was freed, but this specific case really opened my eyes to the judicial system we follow. How could one prove his innocence and somebody try to prevent his evidence from being seen in court? The documentary was real, powerful, and motivating to stop what is being done to people like Wilton (After Innocence).
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