Injustice: the prison documentary

astonishing piece of work… The choice of cast gives a panorama of points of view focusing on factual and real situation of prison today. By including historical context and clever use of quotations (it) also shows that prisons have never really worked in the way people feel they do – Faith Spear, former Prison Monitor

Injustice began with the 2016-17 prison riots, the worst prison riots in decades. Across the nation, prisons erupted. Injustice was cast in the flames of the riots to shine light on the so-called prison crisis. The documentary shows that it’s not that prisons are in crisis, prisons are the crisis.  

Injustice tells the story of prison and the criminal justice system from the perspective of prisoners, delving into the history of prisons and prisoners to show how we got to the present situation – a situation that makes things worse rather than better.

Injustice shows what happens on the inside of prisons, from the inside. We also hear from families of prisoners to understand their broader impact. We witness first hand the difference between what prisons are supposed to do and what they do in reality.

Prisoners

We find that the majority of prisoners are from broken homes, poor backgrounds with little education or prospects. Injustice shows the impact of more than 60% of prisoners suffering mental health problems. We ask how disadvantaging people deepens social problems rather than providing solutions.

The film forces us to ask the question: Are prisons just a response to a failed social system?

Criminalisation

Criminologists and sociologists give the context, narrating the context of criminalisation, with prisoners telling the stories of how they ended up in the criminal justice system. A governor joins us to recall the lessons he learned, that it really could happen to anyone.

Not just another documentary

This is not just another UK prison documentary telling the story from outside. The film challenges mainstream media narratives about prison and prisoners that dehumanise them to help people make sense of a senseless situation.

The film shows that prisoners are human beings, not animals. We didn’t ask the authorities for permission to make the documentary. Instead we asked the prisoners.

Visit the Injustice documentary website