(2010) Filmed in Wyoming by director/writer/producer Marc Jason Homer, a resident of Laramie (whom I know personally), this controversial documentary is a disjointed commentary on the state's dysfunctional juvenile criminal-justice system.

In some respects it's still the old, wild West. Often no distinction is made in the criminal courts between where youths are sent for committing misdemeanors versus serious crimes or in placing minors behind bars with violent adults. More kids are incarcerated in Wyoming than in any state other than South Dakota; a disproportionate number of them are from poor minorities in a state with an overwhelmingly Caucasian population.

Too often the crimes they've been found guilty of (or unjustly accused of) committing are minor, such as smoking a cigarette on a school campus, throwing eggs at a private residence, or skateboarding on a sidewalk in front of a business. Worse, a criminal record marks them for life.

Former US Senator Al Simpson reflects on the dangerous, "stupid acts" he and his rebellious pals engaged in back in the late 1940s without getting sent to jail after they'd been caught. University of Wyoming history professor Phil Roberts, in using the example of "Big Nose" George Parrot, an outlaw who after being lynched by a mob in Rawlins was skinned and made into a pair of shoes, says that Wyoming's judges historically have resisted interference from federal and even state officials. Prosecutors and judges prefer to have the independence of holding a hammer over kids in the courtroom.

With the state's failure to adopt uniform standards after having opted out of federal guidelines, UW law professor John M. Burman condemns the state's current manner of dealing with juveniles as a "kangaroo court system." Unaware of their rights, these teens generally plead guilty in adult courts without receiving legal counsel, asserts author R. Dwayne Betts.

Arguing that imprisonment frequently isn't a deterrent, rather housed in juvenile detention centers (at a cost of $200 a day or more) or allowing them among adult prisoners without opportunity for formal education is "a risk factor for continued criminality," Patricia J. Arthur, an attorney, strongly recommends reasonable intervention from protective services and support from caring adult mentors.

Several young men and a few girls speak of their experiences of being shackled, overmedicated, and threatened inside "correctional" facilities. Two bills sponsored by retired Judge Gary P. Hartman and others have after repeated delays and postponements passed the legislature, adopting modern, uniform standards (e.g., jail only for the most serious offenses) and improving the detention centers. Now communities will need to ensure that their courts and law-enforcement officials fully adopt these changes.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2010 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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