4:00 PM — 7:00 PM
5757 Wilshire Blvd
Three juveniles accused of committing violent crimes take a screenwriting class in prison to find out if the power of storytelling can change the course of their lives. When tragic choices have left lives shattered is it even possible to write a different ending?
In California, teenagers as young as 14 can be tried as adults in the criminal justice system. Typically, they are accused of serious crimes—including murder and attempted murder. And yet, these are kids, who are still developing the ability to grasp the full implications of their actions and who also have massive capacity for change. What is our responsibility as a society to help them heal? And what do we owe those they’ve harmed? The film They Call Us Monsters goes inside the lives of these kids and explores the tumultuous political and social forces that have shaped the juvenile justice system.
Join us for a screening of the film and conversation with director Ben Lear, experts from Vera working to reform the juvenile justice system, and others. At a time when criminal justice reform remains a focus across the political spectrum this promises to be a vital exchange of ideas you don’t want to miss.