As prison reform continues to be a hot topic of conversation, Ben Lears They Call Us Monsters hopes to give voice to those inside the Compound. To pass the time, they sign up for a screenwriting class and collaborate on a short film about their lives, including Juan's unrequited love for his childhood friend, Abigail. By 2010, about 250,000 teens were being prosecuted in adult courts every year, according to the Campaign for Youth Justice, which opposes the practice. The finished film, Los, can be viewed at http://insideoutwriters.org. "There's homies and there's enemies,"he says they told him. . Over the course of the two years that Lear (son of TV writer and producer Norman Lear) spent filming They Call Us Monsters, SB 260, the juvenile parole bill, went into effect in California. Watching this documentary would lead one to realize that the society plays an important role in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. Its a lot harder for him to find drugs. Next, Jarad sings a lyric from Hotel California that again captures the No Exit quality of the whole story: You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.. They Call Us Monsters. You can look at that and say, OK, theyre obviously sociopaths. But what I would encourage people to do is peel a layer off, go a little bit deeper and entertain the idea that maybe theyre temporarily sociopaths, Lear said. Im a believer in the parole process, Lear says. They are lively, tattooed gangbanger street-wise kids, who show no remorse for their crimes. December 21, . "They Call Us Monsters," directed by Ben Lear (Norman Lear's son), might seem like a straightforward advocacy documentary. He was booked on . These people have to do their time. Whats going on inside these households, schools, and streets? So most of the time, its easier for them to just be kids when theyre locked up.. Because the prisoners became so vulnerable, I felt connected to them and their raw humanity in a way I did not expect given their crimes. To their advocates, they're kids. This doc examines how minors are regarded in the justice system. 14 deaths from dangerous dog breeds. they're kids. ", Jarad: I dont like snakes, theres a fear of heights, Im not scared of heights, but theres a fear. He's a likable Mexican drug addict who comes from a single mom who is little more than a professional baby machine. activities. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. Since the documentary was produced in 2013, the initial parole bill, SB 230, passed, along with other bills that decrease juvenile sentencing. While in the courthouse representing himself for the hearing about her murder, he asked the judge if he could use the law . As we see them crafting a short film based on their experiences, Lear gives us access to their families and in one case to their victims stories, balancing the fresh faces we see at the Compound with the violent crimes that landed them there. In other words, hes a boy. Are there any TV or movies that would inspire you in trying to do your own film? Meet the Monsters: Documentary Looks at California Juvenile Debate. They Call Us Monsters . The protagonist of Los emanates vulnerability where the boys act tough and make jokes as a form of self-protection. Do they deserve a second chance? Antonio was being charged for 2 attempted murders and facing 90 years to life. He approached fellow InsideOUT board member and founder of The Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Scott Budnick (The Hangover) who executive produced the They Call Us Monsters as a labor of love. They Call Us Monsters takes viewers behind the walls of the Compound, the facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals. I definitely believe teens that see unforeseen trauma in there childhood should certainly be given a serious second chance, their brains are not fully developed. Supporters of that measure cited. It concerns juveniles in California, accused of violent crimes, who are facing trial as adults with the prospect of spending the rest of their lives in prison. Im guessing people probably think were still in the same mindset, and doing the same stuff. They Call Us Monsters. Read more, FUNDER TRANSPARENCY POLICY To the system, they're adults. "They Call Us Monsters," created by Ben Lear son of Norman Lear, features Pomona resident Jarad Nava and two other teens at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar and raises the question. Press Check button. goes behind the walls of the Compound, a high-security facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals. Halfway through the class, Antonio returns to juvenile court and gets released with time served. I must say God is good despite where I came from, God has me living in the now looking forward and learning from the past. Lear, the son of television producer and liberal activist Norman Lear, was drawn to the issue after he was invited to sit in on one of the scriptwriting classes run by, , a Los Angeles-based organization that teaches creative writing to kids in juvenile lockups. , when a referendum gave prosecutors the power to try teens as adults for certain serious crimes. As part of the Kennesaw State University community we are committed to creating a culture of inclusion through our journalism and operations. 1.7K Likes, 32 Comments. (https://jjie.org/2017/02/08/meet-the-monsters-documentary-looks-at-california-juvenile-debate/). The prisoners are not made out to be innocent victims of the prison system; it was made clear that they committed serious crimes and are dealing with the repercussions. TikTok video from Editorial Applehead (@appleheadteam): "Antonio Hernndez, director de "Capitn Trueno y El Santo Grial", recibe el Premio Applehead Sah-Di-A 2023 y nos enva un saludo.". Antonio Hernandez (@antoniohernandez5046)s videos with sonido original - Antonio Hernandez | TikTok. "[It's] the loss of innocence of this kid, who in this one day, nearly loses his virginity, smokes pot for the first time, gets kicked out of his house, sees a drive-by shooting, and all while trying to tell this girl that he loves her.". Their convictions range from charges of attempted murder to first degree murder, and slowly each boys character and the story of how he ended up in the compound is revealed. Documentary 2017 1 hr 21 min iTunes. He commented that after the experience of making the film he no longer thinks that there is a type of person who can pull the trigger and one who cannot. One week they would open up and trust me, and another week they would be joking around and sort of making me the villain., Cowan gave the teensliberty to choose what they wanted their film to be about. Tru 01:00 6 Calling All The Monsters Jessica Jean 00:30 2168 A Monster Calls Read Hersh 01:00 10 A Monster Calls Clarity 01:00 0 You Call Us Monsters Benjamin Wallfisch 00:30 0 Thriii 01:00 2409 They Call Me Tiago (Her Name Is Margo) To pass the time, they sign up for a screenwriting class and collaborate on a short film about their lives, including Juan's unrequited love for his childhood friend, Abigail. The documentary features three juvenile offenders: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez, and Jarad Nava. Wait for a couple of seconds to let the tool find matching parts. Lear, who released Lillian as an album, partnered with Plastic Pollution Coalition and 4Gyres to raise awareness for plastic pollution. Juan, who joined a gang before his 13th birthday as a way to gain respect, and who has been charged with fatally shooting a man three times at point blank range and says, "I really was a monster. At times Jarad, who faces 200 years for four attempted murders, demonstrates an almost dissociative denial that borders on sociopathic. University of Redlands Emergency Alert System, Alert Received: . Learhad been visiting "The Compound," a high-security facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals. They Call Us Monsters goes behind the walls of the Compound, a high-security facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals. They're held in a special wing of the lockup reserved for teens who will be standing trial as adults. When Hernandez talks to the filmmakers at home, there are toddlers strewn all . And, I understand theyre just trying to keep the peace in the communities, which is real good, but I do feel that our youth has so much more potential and should be deal[t] with differently.. Im not that 17 or 18-year-old boy anymore. Halfway through the class, Antonio returns to juvenile court and gets released with time served. Antonio, a methamphetamine addict, recounts seeing a man shot to death in front of him when he was 8, but insists hes not traumatized: I guess you do kind of get used to it. And when he was 12, Jarad found his stepfather trying to stab himself to death an unsuccessful attempt that nonetheless resulted in the breakup of his family. The documentary "They Call Us Monsters" explored the life of three juvenile offenders, i.e. I was filled with conflicting emotions throughout. Grappling with tough questions about what it means to convict a young teenager to a lifetime in prison without diminishing or excusing the violent crimes which these kids are accused of, They Call Us Monsters is a loud plea for our need to rethink how we understand the American justice system. You have to love it out of them, Cowan says. Year. Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava are the youthful offenders at the heart of They Call Us Monsters, a new documentary that follows their lives in a Los Angeles juvenile detention center. This work has led him to performances at TED and the UN. The Center publishes multiple projects including Youth Today, JJIE, Fresh Take Georgia and Bokeh Focus. He receives a letter from Jarad. But thethree boys decided to do something mutually biographical. They Call Us Monsters aired on PBS in the spring. Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez (Hernandez is released partway . Supporters of that measure cited new science about brain development in teenagers that found the part of the brain that regulates judgment, decision-making and impulse control doesnt fully form until a person is in their 20s. In fact, since the human brain isnt fully developed until the age of 25, teens are less likely to understand risk and consequences, less able to resist peer pressure, which is relevant in deciding the level of sentence to impose for a crime one commits at, say, 15. Mothers staying home to care for their children. Download a copy of Juan Gamezs complete handwritten letter. Even the JC, listening on the other end of the line, is visibly moved.