They Call US Monsters Where Are They Now? Nevertheless, it proved to be very insightful because I [saw] how I was coping with pain, hurt and the fact I forfeited my freedom. Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. They Call Us Monsters. 83%. He was booked on . As the boys work with Gabe on their screenplay, their complex stories are revealed. Documentary 2017 1 hr 21 min iTunes. Cowan had the idea to starta screenwriting class for juvenile offenders after he gave a talk toincarcerated youth while working on another screenplay. They Call Us Monsters - Where to Watch and Stream They Call Us Monsters Overview Cast Meet Juan, Jarad, and Antonio, all in their teens, all facing decades in prison. (alumni participate in group gatherings called Writing Circles, where young people come together to share their work and talk). Back in 2013, California was debating whether to give teenagers who committed violent crimes a second chance. Weve posted their answers below, and also included the original letters if youd like to see an authentically handwritten response. Im not that 17 or 18-year-old boy anymore. The teacher, Gabriel Cowan (also a producer of the film), leads a workshop at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles. Is They Call Us Monsters streaming? 88 Likes, TikTok video from Elena2widdit (@elena2widdit): "#theycallusthemonsters #stevenfernandez #TurboTaxAndRelax #fyp". Do you feel the law in California is generally fair when it comes to juveniles who commit violent crimes? In this movie, creator Ben Lear sheds valuable insight into the world of juveniles with life sentences. 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. - Juvenile Justice News for People Who Care About Children and the Law, Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava are the youthful offenders at the heart of . Antonio, Juan and Jarad are enrolled in a 20-week screenwriting course taught by Gabe Cowan, and through clips of their classes and the fictional scenarios they develop, "They Call Us. The kids needing to find monies for their families. Meet the Monsters: Documentary Looks at California Juvenile Debate. You have to turn your life around to get parole. 9.2K Likes, 42 Comments. The teenage girl Jarad shot is paralyzed and in a wheelchair. They Call Us Monsters goes behind the walls of the Compound, a high-security facility where Los Angeles houses its most violent juvenile criminals. Read more, Copyright 2023, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange. 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. 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. Read the Notice of Nondiscrimination here. Instead of facing my life I numbed myself to it and behaved immaturely.. Are we entirely the result of our environment? If they weren't waiting for a trial for a crime they committed, they appear to be typical American teenagers. about brain development in teenagers that found the part of the brain that regulates judgment, decision-making and impulse control doesnt fully form until a person is in their 20s. We've posted their answers below, and also included the original letters if you'd like to see an authentically handwritten. We see excerpts from the result. In Jarads case, he'll likelycome up for parole in 20-25 years, instead of the 80 or 90 years he would have had with a 160-year sentence. Cowan conceptualized the idea to teach screenwriting and then produce and shoot a movie from the script the kids wrote. 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.[4]. Watching this documentary would lead one to realize that the society plays an important role in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. [1] The teenagers participate in a screenwriting class at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, California with producer Gabriel Cowan. Documentary 2017 1 hr 21 min iTunes. Was there anything that tripped you out or that you learned about yourself after watching the movie? I have to admit that it was weird to see myself from an outside perspective. Supporters of that measure cited. I want the film to reach those legislative buildings, those communities, to start a conversation around this population and how it should be treated.. But if studies prove a juveniles brain is not fully developed why would you give him more time in prison than hes lived. The juvenile justice system was created to rehabilitate, not to be punitive but it became a punitive system where the kids are getting punished for their trauma.. The prisoners are not made out to be innocent victims of the prison system; it was made clear that they committed serious crimes and are dealing with the repercussions. Summary. Antonio was being charged for 2 attempted murders and facing 90 years to life. They Call Us Monsters is a 2016 American documentary directed and produced by Ben Lear. 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. Its not an excuse by any means. Antonio, Jarad and Juan are the subjects of the documentary "They Call Us Monsters," BMP Films The issue of juveniles tried as adults in our criminal justice system is a difficult one, and the . Encouraged by Cowan and his classmates, Juan ended up calling his 10 year-old crush inside the jail. Change is possible but forgiveness is needed.. Eventually, police were able to identify the suspect as 19-year-old Antonio Hernandez. Lear originally visited the prison wanting to enrich a screenplay he was working on but once he saw the world of the young boys in the Compound, he knew he had a worthwhile doc in his hands. I do not think so. He approached fellow InsideOUT board member and founder of. Ted Bundy, a good looking, well-educated monster, moved around the country killing at least 30 women in the 1970s, and for a time, he was the most wanted man in Colorado.. Bundy abducted and killed a 23-year old nurse who lived in Aspen. Meet Juan, Jarad, and Antonio, all in their teens, all facing decades in prison. 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. While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. Jarad and Juan are currently serving the remainder of their sentence at Ironwood state prison. One of the victims of Jarads shooting is only 17 and permanently confined to a wheelchair. At the start of the film, we watch as Juan, under surveillance, speaks on the phone with a girl. Thats why you need programs like InsideOUT and college., In the fifth writing class, Cowan introduces the topic of character motivation, telling the kids that conflict and fear are essential in driving plot. In California, the parole bill featured in Monsters ultimately passed in 2013. Cowan conceptualized the idea to teach screenwriting and then produce and shoot a movie from the script the kids wrote. Meanwhile, the boys wrote a screenplay, which their teacher, Gabriel Cowan, shot and edited into a 15-minute short, Los. The film-within-a-film structure of They Call Us Monsters replicates the repetitive nature of these very systemic contradictions that the boys face and endure, but in a way that allows for reflection as well as an understanding of the need for continued awareness and advocacy. Even the JC, listening on the other end of the line, is visibly moved. Other stories Id like to tell I look around at the people around me and I see great stories of personal achievementsor overcoming struggles. If they weren’t waiting for a trial for a crime they committed, they appear to be typical American Read more. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. The film documents one of his first visits, when he asksthe group to list their fears. ", But then, Jarad counters, No, Im not scared of the dark., Seems like youre avoiding the question, Cowan replies. 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). This article about a biographical documentary film is a stub. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez, and Jarad Nava. In the past few years, however, officials in many states and in Washington, D.C., have been rethinking the clampdown. They Call Us Monsters A Documentary Film Review 'The Call Us Monsters' is a documentary film in which the filmmakers are granted access to the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar California. 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. ok my sons were murdered, but the killers are children, so they deserve to be treated differently? The short film, LOS, was written by Juan Gamez, Jarad Nava and Antonio Hernandez. The problem could be stopped before it reaches this how does a teen get a gun is never questioned. Back in 2013, California was debating whether to give teenagers who committed violent crimes a second chance. (SB 260 calls this diminished culpability.), Obviously, there are no easy answers. If everyone who reads our reporting helps to pay for it, our future would be much more secure. A producer took me to juvenile hall. Starring Jarad Nava . Love does not conquer all nor is Lear suggesting this. 87 Likes, TikTok video from EL NIO DE FUEGO (@antoniohernandezoficial): "Ya disponible en todas las plataformas digitales junto @MONCHO CHAVEA @original_eliass". They seem like typical American teenagers if they . This offers a clear path for states around the country to see what this type of reform can look like. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. Seems like maybe youre afraid of the question.. The protagonist of Los emanates vulnerability where the boys act tough and make jokes as a form of self-protection. Sitting in his white undershirt, he tries to reconcile the number of years Jarad still has left on his sentence: 162. Directors Ben Lear Starring Jarad Nava, Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez Genres Documentary Subtitles English [CC] But because you do not know who they will turn out to be when they are 25, 26 or 27, I feel as a society that we do have the obligation to provide them an opportunity to earn a second chance, based on that fact.. They found him along the 4000 block of Green Tree Drive Wednesday and took him into custody. They have to pay for what they did, Lear said. [Antonio was advised by his lawyer to decline a follow-up interview.] 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. Antonio, 14, is the most studious. Theyre held in a special wing of the lockup reserved for teens who will be standing trial as adults. As we see them crafting a short film based on their experiences, Lear gives us access to their families and in one case to their victims stories, balancing the fresh faces we see at the Compound with the violent crimes that landed them there. The film was written in an InsideOUT Writers class taught by Gabriel Cowan which is featured in the documentary THEY CALL US MONSTERS directed by Ben Lear. Grappling with tough questions about what it means to convict a young teenager to a lifetime in prison without diminishing or excusing the violent crimes which these kids are accused of, They. While the gravity of their crimes is great, these young men are still simply teenagers. Im two semesters away from obtaining an AA in Business & Technology. (https://jjie.org/2017/02/08/meet-the-monsters-documentary-looks-at-california-juvenile-debate/). Mothers staying home to care for their children. In other words, hes a boy. Jarads victim describes waking up paralyzed, and the film shows her trying to navigate her apartment in a wheelchair. Buy $12.99. PBS Independent Lens airs the film on Monday, May 22. , was created to rehabilitate, not to be punitive but it became a punitive system where the kids are getting punished for their trauma., Cowan, who also happens to be one of the films producers, is the first person to teach a screenwriting class with, InsideOUT Writers, a non-profit organization. You cant punish trauma out of a child, you have to love it out of them, he says. 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. People who are trying through art help these kids deal with the trauma that they have gone through.. The documentary might gain from longer-term or return treatment, particularly now that a California bill offering early parole hearings, under consideration for much of the films running time (and shown passing in 2013), has taken effect. Juan, Jarad and Antonio at "The Compound," a high-security Los Angeles facility for juvenile offenders. Antonio Hernandez (@antoniohernandez5046)s videos with sonido original - Antonio Hernandez | TikTok. Press Check button. What is going on in these cities that so many young teens are being charged for gang-related murders? Grappling with tough questions about what it means to convict a young teenager to a lifetime in prison without diminishing or excusing the violent crimes which these kids are accused of, They Call Us Monsters is a loud plea for our need to rethink how we understand the American justice system. "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. Because the prisoners became so vulnerable, I felt connected to them and their raw humanity in a way I did not expect given their crimes. I have worked in the juvenile system for 20 years. I do not agree. . Legislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders. with lengthy sentences, regardless of the fact that, as adolescents, they have no ability to see beyond the orbit of their own experience. But we did hear back from Juan Gamez and Jarad Nava, both of whom are currently serving life sentences. Is there anything else youd want to tell the movies audience about yourself that they may not know? Juan Gamez, Antonio Hernandez and Jarad Nava are the three juvenile offenders who got featured in the documentary. 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