Justice on Trial Film Festival Shows at LMU

The Justice on Trial Film Festival, an 11-year tradition of showcasing short films that focus on justice-related themes, is hosted annually at Loyola Marymount University. On April 6-7, 2024 12 films are scheduled to be shown in University Hall that deal with prison conditions in Wisconsin, recently incarcerated women reintegrating back into society, the impact of Washington, D.C.'s "second look" laws on three men, the unequal consequences of "failure to protect" laws, and other deeply pressing issues.

"By demonstrating that all people - regardless of their background -are worthy of dignity, repect, and affirmation, the Justice on Trial Film Festival is very much aligned with the basic tenets of Catholic Social Teaching and the university's commitment to anti-racism," said Nathan Sessoms, clinical assistant professor in sociology and urban and environmental studies, and a festival co-organizer. "The event provides a unique opportunity for the LMU community to expand awareness, engage in reflection, and consider our individual roles in combating the policies and practices, as well as the stereotypes and generalizations that have negatively impacted individuals, families, and Black and Latinx communities, in particular, for a very long time."

The Justice On Trial film festival grew out of a conversation between award-winning author Michelle Alexander  and Susan Burton, founder and president of A New Way of Life Reentry Project. The first festival was held at LMU and other venues, such as Long Beach State and Mount St. Mary's, have been utilized.

"Those caught up in the judicial system know only too well the pain and injustice - the solitary confinement, the stop-and-frisk humiliations, the selective prosecutions with bad plea bargains, and the unreasonably long sentences - that they suffer," the Justice on Trial website says. "They are painfully familiar with the school-to-prison pipeline that puts so many young people, particularly those of color, at risk. But their voices are often unheard beyond their own communities." The film festival seeks to give a voice to those people.

"Not only does the film festival offer opportunities to see films about incarceration, but also meet and interact with individuals and groups who are impacted by the (in)justice system," said Deanna Cooke, clinical assistant professor in psychology, director of Engaged Learning, and a co-organizer of the festival. "This collaboration with A New Way of Life Reentry embodies LMU's strategic goals of connecting our faculty and students with local communities so that we can share our varied experiences and work together to respond to today's challenges."

A New Way of Life Reentry Project promotes healing, power, and opportunity for formerly incarcerated people by taking a multifaceted approach to mitigating the effects of, and ultimately eliminating, mass incarceration. The nonprofit provides housing, legal, advocacy and leadership, and family reunification services. Burton herself went to prison six times for drug-related offenses before seeking help at a Santa Monica treatment facility. In 1998, she founded A New Way of Life, and has written about her journey in a book, "Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women." In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom granted Burton a pardon.

Registration for the Justice on Trial Film Festival is now open. Click here to reserve a ticket.