Beyond Conviction

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Documentary

Convicted criminals and those impacted by their crimes meet face to face in hopes of reaching closure and gaining a common understanding in this documentary.

The state of Pennsylvania has established a mediation program in which criminals convicted of violent crimes can agree to an interview with a member of their victim's family; ideally, the mediation can help the family members come to terms with their grief and the criminals have an opportunity to better understand the lasting consequences of their actions.

Filmmaker Rachel Libert was allowed to bring in a camera crew to record three such mediation sessions, and the resulting footage formed the basis of Beyond Conviction.

In Beyond Conviction, Shawn L. Burton meets Leatrice Floyd, whose son died while incarcerated in the same cell as Burton; Burton is believed to have murdered Floyd's son as part of a gang beef, a suspicion he is hesitant to confirm on camera.

Later, Angela Alford speaks with Angelo Barrett, her father, who killed Angela's mother when Angela was only four years old. Angelo finally tells his daughter how much he regrets his actions and how he wishes she could move on with her life.

And Lyndy Kelley confronts a man who brutally raped her, sending her into a deep depression that lasted for years -- making this all the worse is the fact the man in question is her brother Timothy. Beyond Conviction received its premiere at the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival.