User Reviews

Do prisoners have rights? I was really enjoying it up until the second hour. After that, everything starts to feel very heavy, it loses its direction, and it ends up circling around itself. And that’s despite the fact that, for a good part of the film, I do connect with the humanity of the prisoners. I fully understand the intention of reminding us that they are people, with stories and contexts behind them. And on some level, I can empathize with that. But at the same time, I can’t ignore the fact that they are there for a reason—whatever that reason may be. Of course, there are always circumstances and “justifications,” more or less debatable. Still, the core idea remains that actions have consequences, and that one person’s freedom ends where another’s begins. It’s also true that prisons should meet basic standards, at the very least so people aren’t left to starve or live in inhumane conditions. But we also have to be aware that most of the people inside are likely there because they have committed a crime, and that it doesn’t necessarily guarantee them what we’d call “good” conditions. The issue is that this reflection, which initially intrigued me, slowly fades because the film gets lost in its cyclical narrative threads. At a certain point, it feels like nothing really moves forward, becoming repetitive to the point of exhaustion. The message loses its strength. The theme is powerful and full of potential, but the runtime works against it. It ends up feeling like filler that takes its toll. Everything gradually deflates until it feels completely drained of intent.

When it comes to questions of crime and punishment, opinions vary widely, depending on one’s sensibilities and personal point of view, and we’re all entitled to our respective opinions. And most would probably agree that wrongdoers should indeed pay the price for their transgressions. But does that give authorities charged with the responsibility of meting out justice the right to essentially do whatever they want in handling the treatment of these perpetrators? What’s worse, is it at all acceptable to approach the management of inmates as a de facto form of often-lifelong, legally sanctioned enslavement, one characterized by inhumane treatment, deplorable living conditions, endless personal indignities, and mechanisms for producing lucrative windfalls for the state and/or a privileged few? And what about the promises of rehabilitation – do they have any realistic chance of being acted upon, or are they mere lip service? Those are among the disturbing questions raised in this alarming, revelatory HBO documentary about life in the 14 statewide facilities operated by the Alabama Department of Corrections, an agency whose name falls far short of living up to its allegedly stated intent. This superb but troubling offering from writer-directors Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman tells the stories of a number of Alabama prisoners (zealously backed by their families) who courageously undertook a project to record the appalling way of life inside their facilities using contraband cell phones (devices that, in most cases, were, ironically, clandestinely smuggled into these institutions and sold to inmates by prison guards seeking to line their own pockets). The findings of these intrepid videographers reveal an ongoing program of unspeakable beatings by overworked, rage-filled, out-of-control staff members, often relentlessly conducted under filthy, hellish circumstances and prompted by assorted personal vendettas or the fulfillment of official policy aims. This is particularly true for squelching the disclosure of the foregoing atrocities and engaging in reprehensible, unsupervised acts of retaliation, nearly all of which have gone (and continue to go) unaddressed and/or unpunished by prison authorities. Inmates who participated in this undertaking bravely placed their well-being – and even their lives – at risk by doing so, all in hopes that they could get the word out to an uninformed public, given that journalists are prohibited from visiting these facilities. They also hoped to compile evidence of the ongoing barbarity as a means to encourage the US Department of Justice to investigate and possibly take over the management of the ADOC. But, despite attempts by the federal government to get involved, the state stubbornly and arrogantly pushed back, insisting that this was an Alabama problem that called for an “Alabama solution.” But this inflexible, unproductive posture, in turn, led to a remarkably well-coordinated effort by inmates across the state to fight back, an initiative that employed creative methods of protest never before seen in prisons in Alabama or elsewhere. “The Alabama Solution” is thus one of those watershed films that unflinchingly illustrates how low humanity can sink in inflicting horrific treatment on others, even those who have a debt to pay to society and, consequently, have been imprisoned for their self-acknowledged transgressions. But coping with such unacceptable conditions has placed unbearable strains on the incarcerated, prompting Alabama to lead the nation in prison deaths, suicides and overdoses, as well as one of the country’s lowest parole approval rates. And, sadly, this release also makes it abundantly clear that Alabama is not the only state where such conditions are present, a revelation that has come to light in part through the efforts of Alabama prisoners who have been networking with fellow inmates elsewhere. Admittedly, this Oscar nominee for best documentary feature can be a difficult watch at times (sensitive viewers take note). Indeed, just when one thinks that things can’t possibly get any worse, there are invariably new disclosures that maddeningly surpass what preceded them. However, this offering makes readily apparent what everyone who lives in a purported civilized society should know – and not be willing to tolerate.

Os números impressionam, mas ainda fico com uma sensação de unilateralidade muito maléfico ao estilo documentário, basta ver o baita trabalho que a Petra faz ao dar voz a discursos direitistas. Esse balanceamento inclusive serve para aprimorar os pontos de vista, o que falta aqui. Ainda assim, uma realidade devastadora.

This documentarywas so intense and emotionally moving. I can'tdo anything but think how I could help them These inmates/artists are truly the bravest, intelligent people I've seenin a long time. GovernorIvey you be ashamed

"The Alabama Solution" is an earth **** project for and by those who have experienced inhumanity firsthand yet refuse to have their voices snuffed out by a corrupt institution.