Shaka Senghor: evaluation

Transcript context

…Other than your own book, what book or movie do you think best captures life in a US prison? What book or movie? Hmm, that’s a really tough one. I think it’s really complex. I don’t think we’ve had any real good movies in a long time about the American judicial system, in general. I think there was a show, The Night Of, on HBO that was really interesting, and I think it highlighted some things. Surprisingly, I would say Orange Is the New Black was really more accurate than people would believe. I think When They See Us, specifically the fourth part of that, was really intriguing in terms of showing people how the system is so flawed. From a documentary standpoint, what Ava DuVernay did with 13th was just brilliant because it connected all the dots between the 13th Amendment and what’s currently happening in terms of mass incarceration. There was the Kalief Browder movie, which was really about this young man who was accused of a crime he didn’t commit, and he went through two years of solitary confinement. When he got out, he was unable to unpack all the things that happened to him and eventually committed suicide. I think that was just such a tragic story and a narrative that we should all keep our eyes on because it’s happening to so many people. But I definitely think we’re poised for something that’s more about the human journey, and what happens to humans on the inside, and what even leads to people being in prison. I’m hoping to be able to add to that narrative in some way soon. A much older book, Jack Henry Abbott, In the Belly of the Beast. Do you know it?…

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