They show Cowan a chair in a cell and Antonio says, King George sat here, and Juan laughs and makes a fart joke. Documentary 2017 1 hr 21 min iTunes. They Call Us Monsters. All three boys have children. This offers a clear path for states around the country to see what this type of reform can look like. Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez, and Jarad Nava. When California advocates began pushing to scale back punishments for offenders like those in his film, Lear said, it seemed hopeless. As They Call Us Monsters hopes to broaden the conversation on juvenile offenders, here are five eye-opening facts we learned from watching Lears documentary. Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Wendy C. Woolcock, the Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA"), announced today that JUAN ANTONIO HERNNDEZ ALVARADO, a/k/a "Tony Hernndez" ("HERNNDEZ") was sentenced to life in prison for cocaine-importation, weapons, and . (https://jjie.org/2017/02/08/meet-the-monsters-documentary-looks-at-california-juvenile-debate/). The proposed bill. Doing the numbers it appears that a child age 0-9 is 15x more likely to be killed by an aggressive dog breed than a firearm (excluding homicides). Meet the Monsters: Documentary Looks at California Juvenile Debate. Jarad:No because for one police officers manipulate juveniles through coercion to admit to information that they may actually be innocent of. You have to turn your life around to get parole. They Call Us Monsters. Maybe it takes 10 years. Its not an excuse by any means. I havent done drugs in three years [as] opposed to getting high every day. INDEPENDENT LENS: THEY CALL US MONSTERS 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). 1 Hour 21 Minutes. We see excerpts from the result. In other words, hes a boy. They have to pay for what they did, Lear said. Juan said he was in love with a girl when he was 10, but was too scared to tell her. Theyre held in a special wing of the lockup reserved for teens who will be standing trial as adults. It follows three residents at Barry J. Nidorf. Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all between 14 and 16, face decades in prison. To their victims, they're monsters. By what name was They Call Us Monsters (2016) officially released in Canada in English? Receive a report. Supporters of that measure cited. Unrated Starring Allegra Acosta, Nate Corddry, Gabriel Cowan. Antonio Hernandez is the second kid we learn about in the film. 35 Likes, TikTok video from Antonio Hernnde4490 (@antoniohernandez0220). The boys empowerment from the creative process of screenwriting sparked hope in both them and me. If they weren't waiting for a trial for a crime they committed, they appear to be typical American teenagers. original sound - . Available on iTunes Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders. However we have to give them the opportunity to change the monster in them by teaching them that there is good in every bad situation. Antonio has since re-offended. Maybe that journey toward remorse and responsibility is different for everyone. Watching this documentary would lead one to realize that the society plays an important role in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. After passing SB 260, California also passed SB 261 in 2015, a law that raised the age of SB 260 to 22-years old, affecting an additional 16,000 inmates. This work has led him to performances at TED and the UN. Juan tells Cowan and his classmates how he was going to give the real Abby a poem but he never got the chance. "They Call Us Monsters," directed by Ben Lear (Norman Lear's son), might seem like a straightforward advocacy documentary. Its protagonist, an amalgam of Jarad, Antonio and Juan, is played by a small and fresh-faced boy, a perfect casting choice that conveys the boys actual youth, that is, if it hadnt been cut short by gang violence, poverty, and an unjust system. Anyone can read what you share. Gilpin County Colorado Most Wanted. Antonio admits he feels no remorse for his actions, and his promising new start sours soon after his release. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. Sign up for our newsletter and receive the coolest updates! I saw the boys experience a wide breadth of emotions, and the emotional walls they built up start coming down. This reality recalls a moment from the beginning of the film when the boys are taking Cowan on a tour of the facilities at Sylmar, clean but stark if decorated with names of NFL teams. "Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jara Nava are the youthful offenders at the heart ofa new documentary that follows their lives in a Los Angeles juvenile detention . From the film, I learned many juveniles convicted of serious crimes are tried as adults and kept in a separate compound. While the film includes some touching moments, like Juans brief visits with his toddler son and a goodbye call to the girl he never expects to see again, it doesnt flinch from its subjects culpability. gender, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or other legally-protected characteristic in its programs and Juan: I dont want to say the law is unfair, but rather the people passing certain laws are quick to make decisions like throwing you in prison and throwing away the key without even giving you a chance (sometimes). The teenage girl Jarad shot is paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Crime. Meet Juan, Jarad, and Antonio, all in their teens, all facing decades in prison. Maybe it takes 15 years. come up for parole in 20-25 years, instead of the 80 or 90 years he would have had with a 160-year sentence. The Center publishes multiple projects including Youth Today, JJIE, Fresh Take Georgia and Bokeh Focus. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. But we believe its crucial and we think you agree. Who Creates the Dragons Brave Knights must Slay? All Rights Reserved. They Call Us Monsters . 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. Juan says, I really was a monster, and the film includes surveillance video of the killing that put him behind bars. Wait for a couple of seconds to let the tool find matching parts. Emily Jordan is a YA writer living in New York City. "They Call Us Monsters" looks at societal issues such as the processing of juvenile offenders ages 14-16 in the criminal justice system as adults. I want the film to reach those legislative buildings, those communities, to start a conversation around this population and how it should be treated.. He wrote that he is grateful so many people have embrace[d] our story and join the prison reform movement. While in prison, he is going to college fulltime and making strong grades. 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. 2023 Independent Television Service (ITVS). Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez (Hernandez is released partway . Do they deserve a second chance? The Center aims to discover new ways to produce financially sustainable, high quality and ethically sound journalism via applied research, collaborations and advancing innovative projects. Have you seen They Call Us Monsters yet and if so what was your reaction to seeing yourself in the film? But the movie benefits from an added layer: A screenwriting teacher who gets to know three teenagers awaiting trial. Written By. Language. ", Jarad: I dont like snakes, theres a fear of heights, Im not scared of heights, but theres a fear. Cowan conceptualized the idea to teach screenwriting and then produce and shoot a movie from the script the kids wrote. .tiktok-ze5eiw-SpanViews{-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;padding-right:12px;color:rgba(22, 24, 35, .75);}5500 views|.tiktok-15ooo5t-H4Link{font-family:ProximaNova,Arial,Tahoma,PingFangSC,sans-serif;font-weight:400;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;display:inline;color:rgba(22, 24, 35, .75);margin-left:12px;}.tiktok-15ooo5t-H4Link a{color:rgba(22, 24, 35, .75);}, Antonio hernandez (@edgar_heernadez)s videos with sonido original - joxls | TikTok. I appreciate the support and open-mindedness.. 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. "[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.". Maybe it takes a lifetime., 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 InsideOUT Writers, a Los Angeles-based organization that teaches creative writing to kids in juvenile lockups. 38 deaths from fire arms not ruled homicide. At times Jarad, who faces 200 years for four attempted murders, demonstrates an almost dissociative denial that borders on sociopathic. 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. Last edited on 2 September 2022, at 03:33, "Meet the 'Monsters:' Documentary Looks at California Juvenile Debate", "Review: 'They Call Us Monsters,' but Do We Deserve Life Sentences? Lear's documentary follows three boys living in such a compound who signed up for a screenwriting class: Antonio Hernandez, Jarad Nava, and Juan Gamez. To others, they're monsters Juan, Jarad and Antonio, all young teens, face decades in prison. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. But by the end of the 10 weeks, Cowan says, they were all friends. Read more, EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE POLICY Change is possible but forgiveness is needed.. Antonio Hernandez, and Jarad Nava. I was filled with conflicting emotions throughout. Other stories Id like to tell I look around at the people around me and I see great stories of personal achievementsor overcoming struggles. The film follows three juvenile offenders: Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava who signed up for a screenwriting class. Three young violent offenders learn screenwriting in one of LA's high-security detention centers. Im The short film, LOS, was written by Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez. Without affect, the girl asks if hes in a detention center. Our independent journalism on the juvenile justice system takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. The entire area of the brain that pertains to culpability and consequence and long-term thinking and impulsivity everything that comes together in the commission of a crime is not developed, the films director, Ben Lear, told JJIE. As any parent, teacher or person who has worked with teens will tell you, teenagers are impulsive. Juan:We are allow[ed] to watch TV, we can have our own [set] in the cell. Arrested at 16, Jarad faces 200 years-to-life for four attempted murders; Juan, also arrested at 16, faces 90-to-life for first-degree murder; Antonio was arrested at 14 and faces 90-to-life for two attempted murders.