Storytelling for Justice: director

In recent months, justice reform has become a prominent topic in both politics and pop culture. Advocates working on behalf of those wrongfully sentenced to long prison terms, including Kim Kardashian’s notable recent participation in such efforts, have helped bring widespread public attention to cases of injustice and the broader issue of prison reform in the United States .

While celebrities can use their influence to reform the justice system, one wonders: could popular cinema have a similar impact, and perhaps even serve as a catalyst for positive change in the prison system?

The effectiveness of films in influencing public perception and policy remains an open question in psychological research. However, a recent study from researchers at Stanford University explored this topic, focusing on empathy for incarcerated individuals.

The study was conducted among more than 749 participants in the US and found that those who watched a narrative film about incarceration showed an increased ability to empathize with and understand formerly incarcerated men. This empathy translated into greater support for criminal justice reform, regardless of participants’ political views, compared to those who watched unrelated control films. The findings suggest that compelling, nuanced stories can have a meaningful impact on public perception of stigmatized groups.

The role of cinema in legal system reform

“We recruited a nationally representative sample of the US with respect to race, gender, subjective socioeconomic status, and political ideology through a panel recruitment service,” said Marianne Reddan, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College. of Medicine and the study’s lead author, in an email to The debriefing.

Jennifer Eberhardt, a social psychologist and professor at Stanford University’s Department of Psychology and one of the co-authors of the study, said that participants who watched the 2019 film Just grace, depicting a civil rights attorney’s efforts to free a wrongly accused death row inmate increases their “empathetic bond with incarcerated individuals and their support for criminal justice reform.”

Just grace is based on a bestseller by Bryan Stevenson that tells the true story of the Equal Justice Initiative and its fight against injustice. According to the research team behind the recent study, its adaptation into a feature film and the resulting impact on study participants illustrate how narrative films can help significantly shape public discourse.

The study also examined whether the participants’ political ideologies influenced the film’s effects. According to Reddan, the initial reactions participants gave before watching the film seemed to align with expected positions related to their political identity, although she added that “regardless of what ideology they held, they all supported it to the same degree enlarged” after watching the film. .

Tina Kubrak, a senior researcher at the Institute of Psychology at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, who was not directly involved in the study, cited what psychologists call the “Transportation Theory” and told The debriefing in an email that “a person’s level of immersion in a story correlates with the effectiveness of its influence on a person’s beliefs.”

Director Julien Christian Lutz, a filmmaker better known as Director . He emphasized that a strong story is key to promoting empathy.

“A good story told poorly is still a good story. A bad story told well is still bad. A story that touches the heart is the necessary tool,” said Lutz, who has worked with notable figures such as Jay Z, Beyoncé and Drake in the past.

Lutz also emphasized the balance filmmakers must find between storytelling and message, cautioning against forcing messages that aren’t organic to the story.

One of the key findings of the research is the suggestion that storytelling can change public opinion on complex issues. Lutz agrees that filmmakers play a crucial role in shaping social change through their stories.

“For centuries, theater has been a place where artists expressed their opinions about the world,” Lutz said The debriefing. “This has always been the role of the theater. The combination of entertainment and social perspective is easier than passing and enforcing.”

Impact of film and stigmatization of black men and incarceration

The portrayal of black men in films, especially in relation to incarceration, has long persisted as a mainstream narrative, dating back to the Blaxploitation era of the 1970s. Fueled by the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement, and the rise of the Black Panthers, the genre provided a platform for Black filmmakers to showcase their culture, though it also helped reinforce negative stereotypes about Black masculinity and criminality . This story continues to shape public perception today.

Joshua Rovner, a political scientist at The Sentencing Project, said in an email to The debriefing Data on racial disparities in youth incarceration show that Black youth are nearly five times more likely to end up in prison than their white peers.

Rovner, who advocates for effective and humane responses to crime that minimize incarceration and criminalization of youth and adults by promoting racial, ethnic, economic and gender justice, says such issues underscore the importance of diverse and accurate representations in films to prevent harmful to help combat stigma.

Lutz echoed Royner’s sentiments, explaining that films that appeal to young men often revolve around themes of power and loyalty, which can influence how they view themselves and their social roles.

“I feel like films with messages about physical power, respect and loyalty resonate with all young men, whether they are mafia films, war films or gangster/prison films. I feel like when young men can see themselves in those characters, whether it’s in terms of things like race, class, social group, or cultural background, a movie can have an impact,” Lutz shared. The debriefing.

“The prison films I remember are the underground films, the type I saw as a teenager,” Lutz said. “Usually it’s a story about a person who shouldn’t be living in that world, who somehow takes over. Which in itself is a reflection of the modeling of male masculinity.

“Even if you’re not tough, you can be tough and take power,” said Lutz, summarizing the main story of such films and calling it a “dangerous message to send.”

Ethical implications of reality TV and incarceration

In addition to film, television also plays a role in shaping the perception of prison culture. The controversial Netflix series Unlocked: A Prison Experimentwhich focuses on justice reform within prison culture, raised ethical questions about the portrayal of incarcerated individuals and the nature of reality television.

The series takes viewers inside the Pulaski County Detention Center in Arkansas, where a sheriff implements a radical social experiment to give incarcerated men more agency for six weeks in a program advertised as “no locks” and “no cops.” .

“We thought, ‘What can we do to create some ownership for the inmates in that unit?’ How do we make the facility safer, and what can we do to still hold them accountable but empower them at the same time?” said Sheriff Eric Higgins of the experiment. Ultimately, the program, while controversial, raises many questions about the ethical aspects of prison culture and the treatment of prisoners, as well as the ethics of filming incarcerated people.

Internationally, many countries use film to explore incarceration and justice reform. For example, the United Kingdom has established prison education programs using film to promote rehabilitation and public awareness. Similarly, in the Philippines and South Africa, films are used to spark discussions about human rights and legal reform.

Many countries outside North America use film to document the stories of incarceration and/or reform. In Britain there are films and documentaries like The last days of the prisoner and BBCs Prison: first and last 24 hours they all bring insight into what life is like behind bars and the challenges and culture within the justice system.

Prison education programs have also been established in Britain, using film as a tool not only to promote the rehabilitation and reintegration of former prisoners, but also to give the public a deeper understanding of prison culture.

In the Philippines, public screenings of films are used to raise awareness and spark more important discussions about human rights and the justice system. In narrative films like Life above all And The last faceSouth Africa also emphasizes the need for a reformed criminal justice system. Like the Philippines, South Africa also prides itself on engaging filmmakers in connecting with local communities through screenings and expanded discussions, while promoting their country’s talent and raising awareness at the same time.

Storytelling has been a cornerstone of human communication for thousands of years, and today social media and film provide powerful platforms to influence how we see ourselves and others.

“Most people understand that there has to be a balance or you lose the audience,” Lutz said The debriefing, He emphasized his view that it is a filmmaker’s responsibility to strike a balance between honesty and persuasiveness, ensuring that their stories remain relatable and impactful.

“There’s a fine line between being honest about how you feel and trying to convince someone to get in line,” Lutz said.

“A good rule of thumb is to represent the other side as if it were your side,” he added.

Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebellious curious podcast, which can be found at The Debrief’s YouTube channel on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton and at chrissynewton.com.