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Video Review: Beyond Conviction
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Beyond Conviction tells the stories of three Pennsylvania prisoners who met with their victims or victim survivors to answer questions and take responsibility for their actions.
Produced by Rachel Libert. Tied to the Track Films. 97 minutes. 2006.
Using interviews with participating parties and video clips of actual mediation sessions, Beyond Conviction offers a glimpse into the fears, emotions, and healing that can take place during mediation in cases of serious crimes. Limited commentary about restorative justice from Howard Zehr and Lorraine Stutzman-Amstutz frame the footage of meetings between victims and offenders.
The stories told are of a brother meeting the sister he had raped, a prison inmate meeting the mother of another inmate he helped murder, and a man meeting with the daughter of the girlfriend he murdered 17 years earlier. Each begins with commentary from either the offender or the victim describing their feelings or questions about the offence and their emotions about meeting the other.
In preparation meetings, the mediators explain the process and ask questions about the expectations of the participants.
Prior to the mediation sessions, each participant discusses their fears and nervousness. The encounters are tense and extremely emotional. Anger and pain are expressed; questions are asked and answered. In every case, the offenders understand their need to take responsibility for their actions and seek to make amends in some way.
The documentary ends with follow-up interviews. Each participant reflects on how the meetings have affected them. For most, there is a sense of release and moving forward with their lives.
Beyond Conviction provides a powerful account of mediation meetings between victims and offenders. It is available from Tied to the Track Films (www.beyondconviction.com)and has been broadcast on MSNBC.
Lynette Parker
March 2007
Using interviews with participating parties and video clips of actual mediation sessions, Beyond Conviction offers a glimpse into the fears, emotions, and healing that can take place during mediation in cases of serious crimes. Limited commentary about restorative justice from Howard Zehr and Lorraine Stutzman-Amstutz frame the footage of meetings between victims and offenders.
The stories told are of a brother meeting the sister he had raped, a prison inmate meeting the mother of another inmate he helped murder, and a man meeting with the daughter of the girlfriend he murdered 17 years earlier. Each begins with commentary from either the offender or the victim describing their feelings or questions about the offence and their emotions about meeting the other.
In preparation meetings, the mediators explain the process and ask questions about the expectations of the participants.
Prior to the mediation sessions, each participant discusses their fears and nervousness. The encounters are tense and extremely emotional. Anger and pain are expressed; questions are asked and answered. In every case, the offenders understand their need to take responsibility for their actions and seek to make amends in some way.
The documentary ends with follow-up interviews. Each participant reflects on how the meetings have affected them. For most, there is a sense of release and moving forward with their lives.
Beyond Conviction provides a powerful account of mediation meetings between victims and offenders. It is available from Tied to the Track Films (www.beyondconviction.com)and has been broadcast on MSNBC.
Lynette Parker
March 2007
Last modified 2007-03-19 12:26
