Sentenced to life for crimes he committed as a child, Terrence Graham took his fight for freedom all the way to the Supreme Court. After twenty-one years behind bars, he is finally getting out - but is life outside just another prison?
SYNOPSIS
Arrested at 16 for robbery and sentenced to life without parole, Terrence Graham fought his way to the Supreme Court and won a chance at freedom. In a 6-3 decision, the Court ruled in Graham v. Florida that children convicted of crimes other than murder could not be sentenced to life without the chance of parole. The decision changed sentencing of young people across the country and Terrence himself was re-sentenced. Instead of dying in prison, he served 21 years. On February 15, 2024, Terrence Graham walked out of the Duval County Jail a free man. But despite how hard he fought for freedom, Terrence does not feel free. He is on house arrest and must complete two years of strict probation with an ankle monitor. Any mistake could send him back to prison.
THE PRISON OUTSIDE is the story of Terrence’s next chapter: it’s about the freedom he won in Graham v Florida and the freedom he still does not have. It’s about a country obsessed with freedom where not everyone is deemed worthy of that right.
Borrowing extensively from the visual language of narrative film, THE PRISON OUTSIDE seeks to show what the prison system does to people and families who are impacted by the carceral state - one in every two families in America. The film puts a magnifying glass up to the little moments of freedom that Terrence and his family experience so we can all savor their joy. And it cuts through those moments with the very real fear and oppression they continue to face while he is on probation. Through Terrence’s story, this film makes the case that the chance of freedom should never be taken from a young person, showing how the rules of probation, home arrest, and ankle monitors can create a prison in the free world.
Director Statement
We, the team behind THE PRISON OUTSIDE, are filmmakers, journalists and social changemakers. We decided to make this film because of our longstanding commitment to telling stories about the criminal justice system - stories that are rarely given attention in mainstream media and stories that we believe will lead to transformative change. Our approach is a collaborative one: Terrence Graham, the main participant in this film, is also a producer and co-writer. It is essential to the values of this production that Terrence is the steward of his own story.
When Terrence was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, there was almost no hope that he would get to experience life outside of prison as an adult. His case had to go all the way to the Supreme Court in order to pave the way for his freedom. When he finally gets to leave prison at age 37, every experience he encounters represents what the fight was for – not only for him but for the countless other young people whose lives are affected by the decision in Graham v. Florida.
When Terrence was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, there was almost no hope that he would get to experience life outside of prison again. His case went all the way to the Supreme Court to pave the way for his freedom. When he finally leaves prison at 37, every experience he encounters represents what the fight was for – not only for him but for countless other young people whose lives are affected by the decision in Graham v. Florida. It is his hope, and ours, that THE PRISON OUTSIDE makes the case that the chance of freedom should never be taken away and shows how the challenges he faces, the rules of probation, home arrest, and ankle monitors create a prison in the free world.
Supporter Statement
In the week before his release, Terrence Graham wrote to us to express the importance of this documentary to him: “I feel like this is something I have to do,” he explained, calling the opportunity to collaborate as a producer “a dream come true.”
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Co-Director Meg Shutzer
Meg Shutzer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and investigative reporter whose work seeks to interrogate power structures and elevate stories from communities that have been historically underrepresented. Meg’s documentaries have screened on five continents and won numerous awards at film festivals. Their most recent investigation into a juvenile detention center in Louisiana was published on the front page of The New York Times and was a Finalist for the Livingston and Dart Awards. A companion film, 8 Days at Ware, was released on PBS in April 2023.
Meg has a BA from Harvard and a Master’s in Journalism from UC Berkeley. They are a co-founder of Family Pictures, a production company comprised of journalists and filmmakers who combine original reporting and cinematic vision to craft non-fiction stories. When they aren’t chasing down a story, you can find Meg teaching journalism classes at San Quentin State Prison or cycling classes at 17 Reasons Athletic Club in the Mission District.
Co-Director Brandon Yadegari Moreno
Brandon is a multilingual documentary cinematographer and director based in San Francisco, CA. Through an intimate filmmaking style, he strives to tell deeply reported, character-driven stories that humanize and uplift participants and their communities. Brandon’s work has appeared on HBO Max, Paramount+, FRONTLINE PBS, in The Atlantic, The Guardian, High Country News, KQED, and in film festivals across the country while being recognized by the duPont, Peabody, and Scripps Howard awards. His ongoing projects continue to be supported by IF/Then x Hulu, the Berkeley Film Foundation, the Science Communication Lab, and the Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources, among others.
Brandon holds a master’s degree from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and is a founding partner at Family Pictures, a full-service production company comprised of journalists and filmmakers who combine original reporting and cinematic vision to craft non-fiction stories.
Terrence Graham was the plaintiff in a landmark Supreme Court decision that ended life sentences for children who commit non-capital offenses. He is also a co-founder of Plead The 8th, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to championing a more restorative approach to justice.
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