Matt Nadel is the rare filmmaker who dreams of being put out of business. Nadel is a “clemency filmmaker.” Lawyers hire professionals like him to produce biographies showcasing the transformation of incarcerated people who have applied for clemency — aiming to pluck the heartstrings of the state governors who get to decide. Yes, clemency filmmaking is an industry, a fact that Nadel himself views as a sad indictment of American justice. “It feels like I’m trying to hack a broken system,” he says. In this Opinion Video, Nadel reveals the techniques he has used in 30 films. His approach is formulaic, even manipulative. But clemency applications, he says, are often boiled down to a rap sheet, and not holistically evaluated. His films push back against that systemic deficiency. Clemency was created for people who have taken a deep moral responsibility for their crimes, and who have displayed profound life transformation over decades. Beyond that, it’s worth noting that recidivism is low for those granted clemency, and releasing them saves taxpayers money. But since the tough-on-crime era of the 1980s, many governors view the issue of clemency as a potential political liability rather than an opportunity to grant second chances, and successful applications have declined dramatically, even in blue states like New Jersey and New York. Improving the process, rather than leaving the humanization of prisoners to a cottage industry of filmmakers like Nadel, is an important step toward reforming our costly, often draconian criminal justice system. Here’s what we’re focusing on today:
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