A man put a group of prison inmates in a room with nothing but a camera. The result is stunning.
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There are those who believe people are people–that the ones who do good in the world should be celebrated and put on the cover of magazines, while the ones who do wrong deserve nothing more than to be thought of as murderers, thieves and criminals. With that belief often comes the notion that those who have gone down the wrong path are incapable of change—and don’t deserve a second chance to wipe the slate clean.
While many might dig their own grave holding strong to that belief, that’s not how a select group of prisoners at SingSing Correctional Facility want to be seen or remembered.
They have willingly taken part in a project called The Voices from Within Project, in which they give video testimonials about the crimes they’ve committed. The goal of the project–led by TedTalkx speaker Dan Slepian—is to raise awareness and provide a real, raw look into the life that awaits teenage boys or men who choose to go down the same dark, destructive path of killing that this group of a dozen inmates have.
The response of the short film has sparked the idea of a documentary to be released at a later date.
This project is tangible proof that second chances in are rare, but they don’ t have to be wasted. It’s time we all start taking heed in those words.
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