“Two Sides of Justice” is a collection of narratives from system survivors. The criminal justice system has altered the lives of the people you’re about to hear, sometimes for the better, but more often for the worse. Their contact with the system has permanently changed them and their life trajectories. We will hear their reflections on surviving “justice”, and their experiences urge critical reflection on the way the criminal justice system is shaping lives, families, entire communities, and our nation as a whole- esp at a time when the system holds more than 2.3 million people in prison cells, and at least 4.6 million people under correctional supervision in community.
They speak to the contradictions of justice and weaknesses in a system engineered by humans- and at the same time, they highlight robust resilience and a deep-rooted faith in a concept of justice that supersedes what was enacted in their lives. They generously and bravely share their stories in loving memory of individuals who have been lost to violence, and of those in prison for committing a violent crime. The stories of their loved ones, in these interviews, become inextricably tied into the narratives of their own lives. In the end, the stories of “Two Sides of Justice” are not just about their family members, or themselves- they are stories of the interwoven tapestry of human trial and triumph.
Executive production: Kathryn Bocanegra: 2sidesofjustice@gmail.com
Audio production & artwork: Grant Buhr: granttbuhr@gmail.com
This is a Nonprofit/NonCommercial project. Our immense gratitude to all the musicians for the music we’ve used to help add even more power and emotion to these compelling stories. Music for these pieces was used under creative commons license – creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/