Support Our Death Row Documentary
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Our story began with a man named James Broadnax, who was sentenced to death in 2009 for a double homicide in Dallas, TX. At the time of his arrest, he showed little remorse and even contempt for the lives he took. Seven years later, James is still living on death row but his outlook on life has transformed. He has discovered a love of poetry and become a deeply thoughtful person. This story of reform prompted us to look deeper into the inner lives and thoughts of inmates on death row and we found that James is far from alone.
There are currently 2,942 inmates on death row across the United States. The average time between a death sentence and an execution date is over 10 years. Prisoners at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, TX, spend the last years of their lives in solitary confinement with close to no contact with the outside world and other inmates. The minds of these inmates have warped and changed under the extreme conditions.
The focus of this documentary will be on the creative passions that many of these inmates have cultivated while on death row. The art that comes out of death row reflects the external and internal experience of living within these uniquely despairing confinements. Additionally, we will be examining the role that these creative outlets play in the spiritual preservation, rehabilitation, and unification of these inmates, each of which help inmates combat the unending psychological tug of war that a death sentence entails.
We planned to visit the Polunsky Unit twice this year. We completed one visit in November, and we are hoping to go again in March. We hope to gain a better understanding of the individuals residing on death row, and the institution of capital punishment in the United States.
Before we can tell the stories of these incarcerated individuals, we need the financial support to get us there. Your donation to this project will be going towards transportation costs to and from Texas, housing costs, and equipment rental fees. Any contribution, big or small, will bring us closer to realizing this important project.
There are currently 2,942 inmates on death row across the United States. The average time between a death sentence and an execution date is over 10 years. Prisoners at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, TX, spend the last years of their lives in solitary confinement with close to no contact with the outside world and other inmates. The minds of these inmates have warped and changed under the extreme conditions.
The focus of this documentary will be on the creative passions that many of these inmates have cultivated while on death row. The art that comes out of death row reflects the external and internal experience of living within these uniquely despairing confinements. Additionally, we will be examining the role that these creative outlets play in the spiritual preservation, rehabilitation, and unification of these inmates, each of which help inmates combat the unending psychological tug of war that a death sentence entails.
We planned to visit the Polunsky Unit twice this year. We completed one visit in November, and we are hoping to go again in March. We hope to gain a better understanding of the individuals residing on death row, and the institution of capital punishment in the United States.
Before we can tell the stories of these incarcerated individuals, we need the financial support to get us there. Your donation to this project will be going towards transportation costs to and from Texas, housing costs, and equipment rental fees. Any contribution, big or small, will bring us closer to realizing this important project.
Organizer and beneficiary
Max Pescherine
Organizer
New York, NY
Moira Fett
Beneficiary