America's Brutal Prisons
(48 minutes) USA
Director: Nick London
Reporter: Deborah Davies

Description:
The recent Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal shocked the American public. But they might be even more stunned to discover that strikingly similar violence occurs inside prisons throughout the United States, where prisoners are routinely abused, even tortured, by prison guards. Torture: Americaís Brutal Prisons visits correctional institutions in Texas, Florida and California, uncovering penal systems with deeply ingrained cultures of punishment, rather than rehabilitation. The film features actual videos recorded by prison surveillance cameras and correction officers that reveal incidents in which inmates are brutalized, often for minor infractions, with stun guns, tasers, dangerous restraining devices, attack dogs, chemical sprays, and beatings by guards. These disturbing scenes are supplemented by interviews with former prisoners, a warden, a prison doctor, inmatesí relatives, attorneys, and footage from a California Senate inquiry and a murder trial of four guards. Although many prisons denied permission to film inside their facilities, a rare glimpse behind the walls is offered by interviews with former correctional officers who have broken the ìgreen wallî code of silence and become whistleblowers. They testify about the regular practice of cover-ups of corruption and violence, as well as the brutality and vindictiveness of fellow guards.

Biography:
Deborah Davies is an experienced reporter and producer. She co-produced the Arab Diaries series of documentaries, which offer a fresh, insightful picture of contemporary life across the Arab world, including life in countries we know little about. They tell intimate stories of individuals confronting the hardships and conflicts related to the most basic milestones. Each film thematically centers on one of the universal phases of lifeó birth, youth, love and marriage, work, and home.

Contact Information:
First Run/Icarus Films
32 Court Street, #2107
Brooklyn, NY 11201
lori@frif.com
www.frif.com

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