Freedom is a subjective concept. Just ask the stars of
“After Innocence.”
The documentary film, which screens at the James Bridges Theater
tonight courtesy of Melnitz Movies, tells the stories of seven men
who were wrongfully imprisoned for years, sometimes even decades,
before their innocence was proven. With the charges against them
discredited through DNA technology, they joined the small
collection of U.S. citizens who have experienced that most
bittersweet of legal processes ““ exoneration.
While they no longer suffer the confinement of a cell or the
indignity of labels such as “rapist” or
“murderer,” these men are thrown back into the world
with nothing, save the haunting realization that years of their
lives have been irretrievably lost. For them, prison bars are
replaced with the paralyzing memory of senselessly squandered days.
If the exonerated are free, it is only in the legal sense.
“They suffered an injustice when they were wrongly
convicted, and they suffer another injustice afterwards,”
said Jessica Sanders, the film’s director and producer.
“Once they are released, they are treated worse than guilty
people.”
“After Innocence” illustrates the often-overlooked
challenges facing men whose wrongful convictions are overturned.
Though exoneration is typically viewed as a happy ending ““
the ultimate triumph of truth and justice ““ the film
emphasizes the arduous epilogue that inevitably follows.
“The (exonerated men) opened up their lives to us,”
Sanders said. “They saw that this was larger than
themselves.”
Consequently, the audience is left not only with general
impressions about the frustrations plaguing the exonerated and the
long-standing shortcomings of the justice system, but specific
examples of the obstacles these men must overcome.
Scott Hornoff, a police officer wrongfully convicted of
first-degree murder, was successfully readjusting to life on the
outside. His primary worry regarded the toll his ordeal had enacted
on his family, particularly his elderly mother.
“What this has done to her, it breaks my heart,” he
says in the film, the pain obvious in his voice.
In a particularly memorable scene, one of the freed men, Dennis
Maher, struggles to find love through Internet dating services
after 19 years on lockdown. Using the name “DNA
Dennis,” an allusion to the science that ended his
incarceration, he pursues romance after nearly two decades out of
the game.
Lamenting the less-than-enthusiastic reaction women have upon
learning of his time in prison, he serves as a reminder that the
challenges facing the exonerated extend even to one of the most
commonplace of dilemmas ““ the struggle to find a decent date
on Saturday night.
Economic concerns loom above all others for several of the
featured freed men. Since most states have not yet passed
legislation for the compensation of the exonerated, many left
prison with no way to support themselves or their loved ones.
This is one area where Sanders hopes the film can make an
enduring impact.
“The film is part of a larger campaign to gain
compensation for those who are wrongfully incarcerated,” she
said. “We have a flawed criminal justice system, but there
are reforms that could be made. With awareness, change can
happen.”
From romance to family to finances, the exonerated men faced a
wide array of challenges after being freed. But Sanders asserted
that the most compelling aspect of “After Innocence”
lies in the optimism that links all seven men.
“The thing that connects them is that they were really
positive,” she said. “When I actually met the
(exonerated men) and saw how they were not broken, I was really
inspired. These people are survivors.”
Indeed, the documentary is, above all, an account of the
exonerated mens’ triumph over obstacles and success in
fostering some peace of mind after their long ordeal. The men are
now graduating from college, finding employment, becoming community
leaders, and generally putting their frustrating past behind
them.
And the romantically hapless DNA Dennis? Now married with a
child.
Sanders shared an anecdote from the 2005 Sundance Festival,
where “After Innocence” won the Special Jury Prize,
which she said illustrates the emotional power of the
documentary.
During a press conference following the Sundance screening,
Herman Atkins, one of the freed men, described his reaction upon
seeing “After Innocence” for the first time.
“He said he didn’t shed a tear for 13 years in
prison, but he was crying like a baby for two hours while watching
the film.”