Product Description:
#36259 Rehabilitation - Parole: Getting Out and Staying Out (Run time 16 min.) DVD $59.95
Prison life is hard-but for most ex-convicts, life on the outside is tough, too. This video follows paroled prisoners as they re-enter civilian life and face challenges both large and small. Upon release from jail, the lives of these young men are suddenly filled with critical decisions. Some are dreaded, such as the split-second choice of whether or not to engage in violence-the wrong choice will put them back behind bars. Other dilemmas are unexpected, like having to decide what to wear every morning. The program provides an eye-opening look at the typical parolee's struggle to find work, stay away from drugs and former friends, and maintain a positive attitude about the future. (16 minutes)
#11023 Domestic Violence - Domestic Violence and Children (Run time 14 min.) DVD $69.95
Severely wounded, their mother kept crying out, "Please don't kill me! Please don't kill me!" What effects do the sights and sounds of domestic violence have on the malleable minds of children? In this program, ABC News anchor Hugh Downs seeks to answer that question through interviews with Betsy McAlister-Groves, director of the Child Witness to Violence Project at Boston Medical Center, and some of the deeply scarred children who have seen and heard far too much. (14 minutes)
#29110 Police - Protect and Serve? De-Policing in Urban Neighborhoods (Run time 24 min.) DVD $69.95
Beset with the catchphrase "racial profiling," police in many American cities have responded with their own terminology: "selective disengagement," "tactical detachment," and the code NC/NC-"no contact, no complaints." In this program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel reports on how police are moving from active to passive law enforcement in the wake of controversy, resulting in a spike of violent crimes. His discussion panel includes Keith Fangman, president of the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police; Reverend Damon Lynch III, president of Cincinnati's Black United Front; and Larry Gossett, the only African-American member of Seattle's King County Metropolitan Council. (23 minutes)
#29109 Rehabilitation - Street Life: One Man's Struggle (Run time 23 min.) DVD $69.95
A ruthless criminal who sold drugs and killed without remorse, former gang member Johnny Montalvo is now confined to a wheelchair and is trying to be a single parent as well as a living lesson to kids who might be tempted by crime. In this program, ABC News correspondent Chris Bury presents an in-depth look at this man who works at being a role model by default-an example of how not to live and its consequences. This portrait, filmed for over a year as Montalvo wavered between a new life as urban missionary and father and the old life of a brutal thug, brings home the harsh reality of the streets. (23 minutes)
#11258 Capital Punishment - Rethinking the Death Penalty (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
Some mistakes are fixable. Wrongful conviction and subsequent execution is not. In this program, ABC News correspondent John Donvan traces the history of the death penalty in the U.S. since 1935 while capturing the views of George W. Bush and Illinois governor George Ryan. Then, Gerald Kogan, former chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court, and Dudley Sharp, director of Justice for All, join anchor Chris Wallace to discuss the use of DNA evidence to overturn death penalty convictions and to debate whether America's criminal justice system is functioning or failing. (22 minutes)
#30693 Capital Punishment - Crime and Punishment: How Intelligent Do You Have to Be to Be Put to Death? (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
The Supreme Court's landmark decision that it is unconstitutional to execute people who are mentally retarded reverses decades of jurisprudence. In this program, ABC News correspondent John Donvan visits the ongoing legal battle that prompted the initial 1980 ruling, the case of Texas convict John Paul Penry. Argument rages not over Penry's guilt but what determines mental retardation. Commenting on the case are Joe Price, prosecutor in all of Penry's trials, and Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis. In the studio, Joshua Marquis, an Oregon district attorney, and Joanmarie Davoli, a defense attorney for eleven years who represented mentally impaired defendants in murder cases, debate one of today's most challenging issues. (22 minutes)
#5032 Crime - What Price the Drug War? (Run time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
This program with Bill Moyers examines the cost to all Americans of our national drug epidemic and discusses alternatives to the present national drug policy. The program also looks at drug policy from a local and international perspective, and addresses the problems addicts face in obtaining treatment. Among those interviewed are John Walters, Office of National Drug Control Policy; Randolph Stone, a law professor and former public defender; and an official from New York City's Office of Drug Abuse Policy. (60 minutes)
#5491 Crime - Reducing Violent Crime (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Every year, 20 million violent crimes are committed in America. This program looks at some of the ways in which people are trying to stop the cycle of crime and violence: working with inmates and ex-offenders; citizens and police working together to get prostitutes, drug dealers, and gang activities off the streets. Citizens on Patrol works in tandem with the Fort Worth, TX, police department; Gainesville, FL, has an innovative program to help retrain prisoners and reduce recidivism; and New Orleans has a community building program for inmates. In addition to examples of how communities are intervening to reduce crime, the program also shows some ways in which crime can be prevented and people can avoid becoming victims. (23 minutes)
#5954 Crime - Fighting Back: Successful Solutions to Crime (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
This program examines successful solutions to the crime problem from around the country. In New Orleans and San Diego, the courts and citizens are working together to solve drug problems through a program of therapy and treatment. In Chicago, the success stories of two women fighting to save children from being caught up in crime are profiled, and a district attorney takes kids inside the justice system in Los Angeles. The program also examines an innovative aerobics class that teaches senior citizens how to protect themselves. (23 minutes)
#6401 Crime - Crime: Time to Take Charge (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
This program examines different efforts around the country aimed at preventing crime, from what individuals can do to prevent crimes such as insurance scams to more unusual efforts. In Florida, the program examines how women are fighting back against domestic violence with specially-trained volunteers and police cooperation, and plastic surgeons are donating their time to repair disfigured faces. In Cleveland, the program explores how symbols from West Africa are replacing graffiti, bringing culture and pride to an inner-city neighborhood. The program also visits central California, where an unusual program is bringing gang violence off the streets and into the boxing ring. (23 minutes)
#6402 Crime - Crime: Fighting Mad, Fighting Back (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
This program explores new ways in which law enforcement agencies and members of the public are approaching crime prevention. The program explores several new law enforcement technologies including a "magic wand" for gathering evidence and the use of Defense Dept. technology to help locate criminals at night. The program also visits several college campuses to see how students are joining forces to prevent rape and other campus crimes. The program also looks at how some current and former prison inmates are looking to take responsibility for their actions and break the cycle of violence. (22 minutes)
#6403 Crime - Criminal Conversations (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
This program interviews criminals to learn how and why they commit crimes. In a segment on burglary and auto theft, criminals describe how they break into homes and cars, what keeps them out, what they look for, and where they find it. In a segment on fraud, fast-talking flim-flam men and women describe the most popular schemes and how they gain the trust of their victims. In a segment on rape, rapists reveal what they look for in a victim, and how to spot and discourage sexual predators. Rape survivors also explain the benefits of fighting back. Finally, the program looks at kidnapping and how to teach children to be safe without instilling fear, how to spot dangerous situations, and effective self-defense techniques. (23 minutes)
#6404 Crime - Crime Fighting into the 21st Century (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
This program explores some of the technology that's transforming law enforcement, from a bug that can determine time of death and is admissible in court, to computer technology that can re-create a face from a body so decomposed it no longer has one. Other tools examined include night vision and stun guns, as well as personal technologies that individuals can now use to help prevent crimes. Finally, the program explores a new kind of crime, introducing Sgt. Jim McMahon of San Jose, CA, and his efforts to deter child pornography and other crimes on the Internet. (23 minutes)
#30078 Crime - An Angry Man? The Trial of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
In the 1960s, H. Rap Brown was a household name, a vocal civil rights activist who scared white America with a fiery rhetoric of violence. Now Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, the former Black Panther since converted to Islam, is back in the national spotlight, accused of killing a deputy sheriff in Atlanta. This program examines the murder case in the context of who Al-Amin was and who he has been since changing his name and beliefs while in prison in the 1970s. Along with current news coverage and footage of Al-Amin from his days as H. Rap Brown, ABC News correspondent Ted Koppel discusses the case with Andrew Young, the former Congressman, Atlanta Mayor, and top aide to Martin Luther King, Jr. (23 minutes)
#32840 Crime - Warnings from a Small Town (Run time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
There's something new about hatred and racism-its approach. This program exposes the new face of hate through detailed case studies that show how neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups have targeted America's youth via mass media, particularly the Internet, so readily available in schools and homes. The grim example of Lancaster, California, demonstrates how "edge" communities-small towns outside of cities-can become recruiting grounds for gangs such as the Nazi Low Riders and the scenes of brutal crimes. Interviews with convicted NLR members at Pelican Bay prison drive home another outcome of hate crime. A Discovery Channel Production. (50 minutes)
#35486 Crime - From the Badlands to Redemption (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Ten years ago, Merrill Jackson stole Cadillacs and helped his fellow heroin addicts shoot up-behavior that earned him the nicknames "Seville" and "The Doctor." This ABC News program explores the extraordinary transformation that took place in Jackson's life after he met Joann Muller, an activist Christian minister and mother of five from the suburbs of Philadelphia. Through one-on-one interviews and extensive footage from Jackson's drug-dealing days, the fearless street preacher explains how her community-oriented mission took shape, while the man formerly known as The Doctor contemplates the painful life he left behind. (23 minutes)
#31138 Criminal Investigation - Manhunt: Does Going After the Kingpins Make a Difference? (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
Like the war on terrorism, the war on drugs has been focused on taking out those at the top. Recently, Benjamin Arellano, leader of the Mexican drug cartel said to supply 40 percent of America's cocaine, was imprisoned and his brother killed. But has anything really changed? In this program, ABC News correspondents Chris Bury and Deborah Amos investigate an illicit empire which helps feed America's $65-billion-a-year habit, trying to see whether taking down kingpins matters. Discussing the issues with Bury are Jack Hook, the DEA's special agent in charge of the Arellano task force, and Jonathan Winer, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for law enforcement in the Clinton Administration. (22 minutes)
#33038 Criminal Investigation - Incriminating Evidence: Forensic Specialists in Action (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95
Two intruders are surprised by a homeowner while committing a B&E-and when they stab him during the getaway, the heavy charge of aggravated burglary is what awaits them if they are identified. This program follows a team of forensic specialists from the crime scene to the laboratory and Scotland Yard as they locate, collect, and examine the evidence that places the perpetrators at the scene of the crime-and puts them behind bars. High-tech analysis of fingerprints, tool marks, footprints, pollen, fibers, and DNA is featured. (25 minutes)
#6736 Domestic Violence - Ending Domestic Violence: Healing the Family (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
A victims' rights advocate tells the story of her carefree childhood and adolescence in Palo Alto, and her subsequent 18-month marriage in which she was beaten and nearly killed by an abusive husband. Today, she fulfills her personal vision of helping others. In this program, she counsels a mother of three, who is also involved in an abusive relationship. Scenes include court hearings, and emotional talks between the two women in which the advocate offers insights into the dynamics of spousal abuse. (28 minutes)
#32763 Domestic Violence - Your Truth Is Your Truth: Women Speak Out on Abusive Peer Relationships (Run time 32 min.) DVD $89.95
Like a knife, peer abuse cuts across the boundaries of age, race, culture, social class, and sexual orientation. Through intimate interviews with women who have survived severe mistreatment by romantic partners of both sexes, this program identifies the many forms peer abuse can take, the warning signs of an abusive relationship, and how to break the cycle of victimization. Creating a personal support system and rebuilding self-esteem are also discussed. Disempowering myths and stereotypes are exposed and skewered. (32 minutes)
#5953 Kids & Crime - Kids and Crime: Keeping Kids Out of Trouble (Run time 21 min.) DVD $89.95
This program examines successful efforts from around the country to help kids stay out of trouble. In Texas, the program profiles a former gang member who talks to kids about violence, and in Florida, we see teens running their own juvenile court. Schools are also fighting back: in Arizona, they are keeping kids off the streets by keeping them in school longer, and in Texas, expelled students are getting a second chance. The program also examines how communities are confronting gang violence, exploring police efforts in Texas and a woman in California who opens her garage to kids to keep them off the street. Finally, the program explores how kids in Washington, D.C., and Connecticut are learning to resolve conflicts nonviolently. (21 minutes)
#9261 Kids & Crime - Street Life: Inside America's Gangs (Run time 43 min.) DVD $89.95
Police estimate that there are 31,000 gangs currently operating in the U.S., with more than 800,000 members-many of whom are women. In this program, ABC News correspondent Cynthia McFadden interviews female members of two Los Angeles gangs-the Drifters and Tepa 13-while correspondent John Quinones talks with King Tone, the radical leader of New York City's notorious Latin Kings. In addition, extensive unscripted video footage shot by members of these three gangs provides a glimpse as raw as it is rare of life inside the net that is snaring young people all across the country. Some content may be objectionable. (43 minutes)
#10173 Kids & Crime - Hard Time: Teens in Maximum Security Prisons (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
Every Wednesday another busload of new inmates arrives at the Western Youth Institution in Morganton, North Carolina, a maximum security prison for juvenile offenders. What trade-offs do the convicts have to make, just to stay alive in this hostile environment? And what will they be like if they eventually make it back into society? In this program, ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer reports on prison life through the experiences of four new teenage inmates-one only 13 years old. A follow-up two years later reveals the impact of their incarceration on their minds and bodies, best summed up by the words of one of the four: "This is not the place to be." (24 minutes)
#33342 Kids & Crime - Changing Lives, Saving Lives: Criminals and Gang Members Anonymous (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Richard Mejico is a hardcore gang member doing time for murder. So is his cellmate: his son, Steven. This ABC News report explains how Criminals and Gang Members Anonymous, the 12-step program founded by Richard, is helping people addicted to criminal violence to break the cycle of revenge and find peace. Interviews with other convicts who are taking the C.G.A. message to heart and Martha-Richard's wife and Steven's mother-are also included. (23 minutes)
#10174 Police - The Life of a Black Cop (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
What price must be paid by law enforcement officers who break ranks with their coworkers to object to incidents of police brutality and racial profiling? For officers of color who take a stand against racism, their rewards often amount to harassment and punishment. In this program, ABC News correspondent David Turecamo reports on the case of police officer DeLacy Davis, who spoke out against police brutality. Undeterred by the flack he has attracted to himself, Officer Davis and others who feel as he does continue to rally to each other's support to promote fair treatment under the law-for everyone. (22 minutes)
#10167 Prisons - Life Behind Bars (Run time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
Are prisons supposed to rehabilitate convicts, punish them, or simply keep them off the streets? The answer depends on who is being asked. This program explores the current state of prisons in America and examines their conflicting mandates. The Directors of the National Prison Project of the ACLU and the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, the Governor of South Dakota, an Arizona sheriff, adult and juvenile inmates, and others consider issues such as the societal impact of mandatory sentencing and the prison-building boom. (29 minutes)
#10168 Prisons - Kids Behind Bars (Run time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
Too young to drive, but old enough to kill. What happens to children convicted of felonies? How and where are they incarcerated? Can they be helped? And does their punishment really fit their crimes? In this program, judges, legal counsel, law enforcement officers, academic experts from Emory and Rutgers Universities, the Director of the Institute for Minority Health Research, and others examine the trend in the U.S. toward trying children as adults and discuss efforts being made to understand their violent behavior. (29 minutes)
#12043 Prisons - Prison Rape: Part of the Punishment? (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
Kerry Max Cook was raped for 13 years while in prison; that DNA testing eventually proved he was innocent is almost incidental. In this program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel reports on prison rape, a rampant phenomenon in American correctional facilities and a violation of civil rights that much of the public sloughs off as part of criminal justice. Interviews with Mr. Cook and other former prisoners reveal how, with the threat of AIDS, a prison sentence can mean a death sentence. Mr. Koppel discusses the issue with a panel of guests including Donna Brorby, lead counsel in a class action suit filed by Texas inmates, and former prison officials Ted Conover and Michael McLaughlin, both of whom have written books about their experiences. (22 minutes)
#32762 Prisons - How Do You Spell Murder? Illiteracy and Crime (Run time 40 min.) DVD $89.95
Nationwide, 70 percent of state and federal prisoners are illiterate. This means that many offenders convicted of murder cannot even spell it. Filmed on location at New Jersey State Prison, this powerful documentary spotlights a flourishing inmate-run literacy program called L.I.F.E., Learning Is For Everyone. It also asks to what degree illiteracy and undiagnosed learning disabilities contribute to a drift toward delinquency and crime. Interviews with L.I.F.E. participants and footage of one-on-one classes, a tutor-training seminar, and the Prose and Cons Poetry Workshop illustrate the program's positive impact. An HBO Production. (40 minutes)
#31437 Rehabilitation - Making a Comeback? The Fight Against Recidivism (Run time 21 min.) DVD $89.95
Marshall Allen is just one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who leave state or federal prisons and return to their home communities each year. He is typical of the majority of convicts in the U.S. in that he served time on a drug charge-in his case, possession of crack cocaine. He is also not unusual in the failure of his first attempt to make it on the outside. But a second term behind bars has hardened his resolve to succeed. This ABC News program illustrates the hurdles and hardships facing paroled felons through the story of one man, a nonviolent offender who, like so many others, is trying to salvage what remains of his life. (21 minutes)
#7334 The Criminal Mind - The Case of the Hillside Strangler (Run time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
Is it possible for an apparently gentle young man to suddenly become a vicious serial killer? This documentary, based on a 1970s California case, explores the question through the killer's own mind, or minds. A team of prominent psychiatrists concur that Kenneth Bianchi did not kill twelve young women, but that one of his multiple personalities, Steve, did. Rare video footage of Bianchi under hypnosis shows "Steve's" emergence, and in an eerie confession, he admits to the murders. Interviews with police investigators on the case reveal that they remain unconvinced that Bianchi suffers from multiple personality disorder, and they object to his insanity plea. A BBC Production. (60 minutes)
#7335 The Criminal Mind - The Mask of Madness (Run time 65 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program, Kenneth Bianchi's multiple personality defense begins to unravel, as psychologist Martin Orne and police investigators begin piecing together a disturbing real-life profile of the defendant and his codefendant, Angelo Buono. It is discovered that both men ran a prostitution ring using young women. Suspicious, Orne tricks Bianchi into creating a new personality, which proves he is lying and does not suffer from multiple personality disorder. Results of a Rorschach test are also damning. But when a search of Bianchi's home nets a cache of psychology books and a letter proving that Bianchi posed as a psychologist, he drops his insanity plea, testifies against Buono, and the two are convicted of the murders. A BBC Production. (65 minutes)
#6041 Domestic Violence - Male Violence: A Room Full of Men (Run time 49 min.) DVD $99.95
This program examines male violence towards women by following three men with a history of abuse who have joined a program to help them stop their abusive behavior. The issues of authority and control by men over women, both physically and mentally, are explored by the men and by domestic counselors as a major cause of male violence towards women. Popular misconceptions such as the woman's role in "provoking" the violence are dispelled. Two women from different socioeconomic backgrounds describe their experiences in abusive relationships. (49 minutes)
#6548 Capital Punishment - Judgment at Midnight (Run time 46 min.) DVD $129.95
This program enters a world rarely seen: the world of an inmate waiting to die and of a prison preparing to execute him. The program, reported by ABC News correspondent Cynthia McFadden, takes viewers from the cellblock, to the execution chamber, to preparation of the lethal injection, and into the mind of inmate Antonio James as he prepares to pay the ultimate price for his crimes. The program offers a real-life portrait, putting a human face on the controversial issue of capital punishment, as it chronicles both the angry voices of the victims' families and the touching moments in which the condemned man sees his family for the last time. The program also explores the unusual relationship between the inmate and the warden, who struggles with personal feelings that conflict with his responsibility for carrying out the execution. (46 minutes)
#7649 Capital Punishment - A View to a Kill: Witnessing an Execution (Run time 52 min.) DVD $129.95
This is the story of Linda Kelley, president of Parents of Murdered Children, whose family in 1996 became the first to witness the execution of a man responsible for killing two of its members. Linda, her husband Jim, daughter Robin, and grandmother Angeline reveal how they faced the violent death of the couple's two other children, and how they prepared themselves to watch Leo Jenkins, the murderer, die of lethal injection. They take a tour of the death chamber, and fret about the proper dress code for an execution. Linda's statement that Jenkins' death will be easier than that of her children is juxtaposed against a prison employee's chillingly mechanical description of the execution process. Linda's emotional litany of feelings as she watches Jenkins die includes frustration with an American legal system still arguing about the value of the death penalty as a deterrent. This program raises deep questions about the psychology and ethics of retribution, and encourages public discourse on a volatile issue. (52 minutes)
#9263 Capital Punishment - Witness to Execution: Capital Punishment (Run time 44 min.) DVD $129.95
In an era when no other industrialized Western nation enforces a death penalty, America has executed an average of 39 convicts per year over the past decade. Is it a just punishment? Is it even a deterrent? In this Emmy Award-winning program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel seeks to understand the paradoxical nature of the death penalty-not in theory, but in practice, as he follows Mario Marquez from Death Row to his execution, along with Marquez' attorney and the prison chaplain. "As we left the death house on the way back to our own lives, there was absolute silence. If I had been expecting a moment of revelation, it did not come," said Mr. Koppel. (44 minutes)
#34649 Capital Punishment - Death Row Kids (Run time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
"They think we're beasts." So says a condemned murderer, succinctly expressing the view of many Americans. But this killer committed his crime when he was 17, and asks for compassion on those grounds. Filmed prior to the March 1, 2005, U.S. Supreme Court ruling barring execution for underage offenses, Death Row Kids tells the stories of confused and frightened young people awaiting the ultimate penalty. The program also alludes to medical findings that a 17-year-old's brain lacks fully developed decision-making capabilities. The result is a provocative inquiry into complex issues of personal responsibility and the likelihood of criminal rehabilitation. (27 minutes)
#10207 Crime - A History of Punishment (Run time 53 min.) DVD $129.95
The forms of punishment a society chooses, and what exactly it deems a crime, tell a great deal about that society's values. How is justice pursued and punishment meted out? This program looks at the history of punishment, beginning with early compensatory forms of justice, Hammurabi's Code, and the Law of Moses. Socrates' execution and Roman and medieval forms of justice are analyzed in a historical context, underscoring the fact that punishment was often intended as a deterrent rather than as a reformatory measure. Contemporary forms of punishment, including the death penalty, are discussed, along with the ways in which these sentences reflect what society values. (53 minutes)
#32482 Crime - Blue Collar: Slingin' Drugs in Mobtown (Run time min.) DVD $129.95
In this gritty program, filmed cinema verite-style, five small-time African-American dealers living in Baltimore openly talk about "slingin' drugs" in the uncensored language of the streets. Clips of drug use, violence, and arrests interspersed with onscreen statistics provide contexts for interviewer questions about life and death in Mobtown's drug culture. Will these young men end up in a luxury car, a police cruiser, or an ambulance? Even they don't know. Some content may be objectionable. (45 minutes)
#32859 Crime - Murder for Hire (Run time 51 min.) DVD $129.95
For some people, murder is nothing but a calculated business transaction. Using four chilling case studies, this compelling program penetrates the dark world of those who hire killers and those who kill for hire. Surveillance footage of sting operations, phone tap audio, psychiatric evaluation video, crime scene photos, dramatizations, and interviews with actual targets blow the wraps off what is arguably the most cold-blooded of crimes. Interviews with a contract killer, a crime analyst, law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, and a psychiatrist provide additional insights. Viewer discretion is advised. A Discovery Channel Production. (51 minutes)
#36138 Crime - Dying to Leave: The Dark Business of Human Trafficking (Run time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
Every year, at least two million people are packed in shipping containers, pulled through sewage tunnels, secreted in car chassis, and ferried across frigid waters. Among this human cargo, an alarming number end up as prostitutes, thieves, or sweatshop laborers. This Wide Angle documentary explores the worldwide boom in illicit migration and human trafficking, recording the stories of those who pull up their roots and risk all and putting a human face on an issue too often reduced to statistics. It examines the circumstances that drive these migrants from their homes, highlights the difficulties involved in their epic journeys, and reveals what awaits them in their new world. (57 minutes)
#36180 Crime - Abu Ghraib: A Torturer's Tale (Run time 25 min.) DVD $129.95
Javal Davis was imprisoned for assaulting inmates at Abu Ghraib, but insists he is not a torturer. His fellow MP Ken Davis was never implicated, having reported the abuse to superiors. This program presents in-depth interviews with both men, detailing their side of the story and conveying their disillusionment with Pentagon officials who wanted interrogations pushed "up a notch." Featuring nightmarish descriptions and images from inside the prison-highlighting deplorable conditions endured by inmates and guards alike-the program also includes insight into the mentality of reservist Charles Graner, currently serving a 10-year sentence for Abu Ghraib torture. Some content may be objectionable. (25 minutes)
#36342 Crime - 18 with a Bullet: El Salvador's American-Style Gangs (Run time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
In the 1990s, thousands of Salvadoran nationals living illegally in the U.S. were deported to their homeland. Some took Los Angeles gang culture with them. This Wide Angle report documents six months spent inside the transnational gang known as "18"-a Salvadoran permutation of L.A.'s notorious 18th Street gang. Following teenage "homeboys" as they patrol their turf in the streets of San Salvador, the program details the inner workings of 18-initiating would-be members through violent beatings, organizing support for friends in need, orchestrating gang activity behind prison walls, waging endless warfare against its enemies, and putting El Salvador high on the list of the most violent and crime-ridden countries in the world. The program also features anchor Daljit Dhaliwal discussing U.S. anti-gang efforts and deportation policy with Anne W. Patterson, Assistant Secretary of State for Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. (57 minutes)
#8598 Criminal Investigation - Without a Trace: Toxicology (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When a baby and a truck driver both died of extreme liver damage on the same day, terrified doctors believed they had a mysterious epidemic on their hands. In this program, epidemiologist Renea Kimbrough studies the pathology of the victims' apparent disease, revealing a toxicological explanation that leads to a criminal verdict: homicide by dimethylnitrosamine-a jet fuel additive, a known carcinogen, and, in high doses, a deadly poison. (26 minutes)
#8599 Criminal Investigation - Knot for Everyone: The Locard Exchange Principle (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When a prostitute went to the police after being assaulted by Roger Kibbe, they were confronted with significant circumstantial evidence that implicated him in a string of rape/murders. In this program, criminalist Faye Springer applies the Locard Exchange Principle by microscopically examining thousands of bits of physical evidence related to the most recent victim, Darcie Frankenpohl. The incriminating connections she made between Darcie, Kibbe, and his car proved conclusive. (26 minutes)
#8601 Criminal Investigation - Out of the Ashes (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
On December 7, 1993, Rose Larner disappeared-almost. After two years of being under suspicion for her death, her killers confessed their crime, sending the police on a scavenger hunt to retrieve minute quantities of incinerated bone from locations along a 100-mile stretch of highway and a single drop of blood from the scene of the murder. This program demonstrates the tenacity required to obtain physical evidence to confirm a confession and obtain a conviction. (26 minutes)
#8602 Criminal Investigation - Deadly Delivery: A Multi-Discipline Investigation (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
The mail-bomb deaths of judge Bob Vance and attorney Robert Robinson triggered one of the largest investigations in FBI history. This program demonstrates the combined expertise of the FBI's units specializing in explosives; hair and fiber, materials, and elemental analysis; chemistry; behavioral sciences; and fingerprinting. After studying the evidence, interviewing 6,000 people, and examining more than one million documents, the investigators identified the culprit. (26 minutes)
#8603 Criminal Investigation - Similar Circumstances: "Retroactive Amnesia" (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When both daughters of Paula and Robert Sims were found dead after allegedly being kidnapped-one in 1986 and the other in 1989-the coincidence was simply too striking. In this program, medical examiner Dr. Mary Case and other specialists use autopsy results and forensic pathology to re-create the crime and to refute Paula's alibi, conclusively linking her to her second daughter's death. (26 minutes)
#8604 Criminal Investigation - Grave Evidence: Ballistics and Blood Stains (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When Martin Dillon was killed in the Pocono Mountains by Dr. Stephen Scher's rifle, authorities accepted the story of a hunting accident. However, when Scher later married Dillon's widow, the case was reopened. In this program, forensic reconstructionist Warren Stewart Bennett and FBI experts use ballistics and blood spatter to re-create the incident, while pathologist Isadore Mihalakis confirms their findings through an autopsy, leading to a new verdict: murder. (26 minutes)
#8605 Criminal Investigation - Deadly Formula: Forensic Genetics (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When Patricia and David Stallings' baby died-apparently of ethylene glycol poisoning-Patricia was convicted of murder, despite an autopsy that revealed the child had a rare genetic disorder causing overproduction of the chemically similar propylene glycol. In this program, crucial research by Professor William Sly-attracted to the case by the TV show Unsolved Mysteries-and genetics expert Dr. Piero Rinaldo reveals evidence leading to Patricia's acquittal. (26 minutes)
#8607 Criminal Investigation - Crime Seen: Advances in DNA Testing (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
After being identified in a lineup in 1984, Edward Honaker was sent to prison for rape, although mitigating information raised doubts about his guilt. Ten years later, Centurion Ministries-an organization that reviews claims of innocence by convicts-had the case reopened, which led to Honaker's exoneration. This program spotlights recent advances in DNA analysis, such as PCR and DQ Alpha tests, and addresses the sometimes faulty nature of eyewitness identification. (26 minutes)
#8608 Criminal Investigation - Speck of Evidence: Electron Microscopy (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When a nine-year-old girl disappeared, a massive search turned up only her damaged pink bicycle. In this program, FBI Special Agent Jim Corby and Agent Dennis Ward use electron microscopy and pyrolysis gas chromatograph mass spectrometry to reveal a two-way transfer of paint and nickel between the girl's bike and an abductor's car bumper. This trial was the first in the U.S. to be televised from start to finish. (26 minutes)
#8609 Criminal Investigation - Broken Bond: Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When the baby daughter of Jim and Tanya Reid developed sleep apnea and then died, doctors declared the tragedy a case of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. But when the Reids' newborn son next developed sleep apnea, a suspicious health-care worker led medical experts to consider Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. In this program, pathologists reevaluate the autopsy records of the Reids' deceased daughter and build a strong case for felony child endangerment-and murder. (26 minutes)
#9145 Criminal Investigation - Invisible Intruder: Analyzing Blood Clues (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When Darlie Routier awoke during the night to find herself confronted by an intruder and two of her children dead of multiple stab wounds, she roused her husband and called the police. In this program, detectives, a medical examiner, and an FBI agent use wound and blood spatter analysis, "amido black" and luminol testing for eradicated blood stains, behavioral profiling, and computerized analysis of the 911 call Darlie made to determine that the crime was actually an "inside job" and that Darlie herself was the murderer. (26 minutes)
#9146 Criminal Investigation - The Killing Room: Gathering Evidence of Fatal Blood Loss (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
The first notice that Scott Dunn's father had of his son's disappearance came via a call from Scott's live-in girlfriend. Although a forensic investigation did indicate that foul play had occurred in Scott's bedroom, without a body or a weapon the case stalled-until Scott's father got in touch with the Vidocq Society of Forensic Scientists, which he'd learned about on an episode of 48 Hours. This program demonstrates that evidence of fatal blood loss gathered through luminol testing and blood analysis for DNA, spatter, and volume can constitute a "body" for the purpose of an indictment for murder. (26 minutes)
#9147 Criminal Investigation - Ultimate Betrayal: Pyroanalysis and Toxicology (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When the mansion of Dr. Debora Green and her separated husband burned to ashes, killing two of their three children, arson was immediately suspected. In this program, police investigators apply pyroanalysis, hair analysis, and old-fashioned questioning to link Debora to the crime-and toxicology to determine that she had been slowly poisoning her unfaithful husband with deadly castor beans as well. Faced with probable conviction, Debora confessed to all charges. (26 minutes)
#9148 Criminal Investigation - Cement the Case: Forensic Geology and Odontology (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
Winnipeg police were both shaken and baffled when the horrifically mutilated body of Shirley Andronowich was discovered near a bar she and her husband had visited, her head crushed by a cement block and her body bitten. In this program, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and forensic specialists apply the principles of geology and odontology, along with DNA testing and fingerprinting, to refute her husband's murder confession-and to convict her real killer, a dubious character who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. (26 minutes)
#9150 Criminal Investigation - 'Til Death Do Us Part: Toxicology (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
The wife of Robert Curley cumulatively poisoned her husband with thallium over the course of a year and nearly got away with murder-until an alert physician correctly identified Robert's true condition, overturning an initial diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome. In this program, doctors, police investigators, and forensic scientists apply toxicology and chemical analysis to a crime as clever as it was vicious, which led, five years later, to a plea-bargained conviction. (26 minutes)
#9151 Criminal Investigation - Ties that Bind: Rope Analysis (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
Who was the sexual offender that murdered two adolescent boys in Nebraska? The key was the "junk rope" he used to tie his victims-rope made of odd scraps and mill sweepings. In this program, the police and the FBI use rope analysis, psychological profiling, forensic odontology, and even hypnosis to narrow their search to John Joubert, bringing a 116-day manhunt to a close. But the trail did not end there; the junk rope also tied him to a previous murder in Maine. Joubert was executed for his crimes. (26 minutes)
#9152 Criminal Investigation - Haunted Vision: Geophysics and Forensic Anthropology (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When Lori Keidel-Romaneck was five, she secretly witnessed her father burying her mother, Dianne, in a backyard grave, but was too frightened to tell the police until 29 years later. In this program, a police detective; a geophysicist from Necro Search International, a nonprofit investigation group; and a forensic anthropologist use ground-penetrating radar to locate the fossilized skeleton-hidden beneath a huge slab of concrete-and a photographic overlay of Dianne's face and skull to identify the remains to within a 99.9 percent certainty. (26 minutes)
#9153 Criminal Investigation - Accident or Murder? Re-creating a Fatal Fall (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
When Janice Johnson was found lying in a pool of blood at the foot of her basement stairs, the tragedy was ruled an accident-until circumstantial evidence caused the case to be reopened, leading to the imprisonment of her husband for murder. In this program, attorney James Lockyer, of the Association in Defense of the Wrongfully Convicted, calls in pathologists who postulate that Janice really did accidentally fall down the stairs-and prove their theory by having the scenario painstakingly reenacted by a young actress wearing a transom harness. (26 minutes)
#9154 Criminal Investigation - Body of Evidence: Computerized Photo Enhancement (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
Only one day after Mark Fair and his fiancee Karla Brown moved into their new home, Karla was found brutally murdered. This program focuses on the techniques applied by an FBI criminal profiler and two forensic odontologists: Dr. Homer Campbell, a computer imaging pioneer, and Dr. Lowell Levine, of Ted Bundy trial fame. They use forensic psychology to define the killer, image enhancement technology on a crime scene photo to reveal bite marks on the victim's body, and forensic odontology to link the couple's new next-door neighbor to Karla's death. (26 minutes)
#12014 Criminal Investigation - Best Kept Secrets of the FBI (Run time 51 min.) DVD $129.95
Begun in 1908 with fewer than 40 employees, the FBI has grown to become the world's most powerful law enforcement agency. This program goes behind the scenes to examine the methods used by the FBI to prevent crimes, avert crises, and solve mysteries. The work of the bureau's explosives unit on the Unabomber, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta bombings is analyzed, as is the performance of the cybercrime division on the Love Bug virus case. Undercover operations, informants, profiling, and hostage negotiations are also covered. A Discovery Channel Production. (51 minutes)
#33757 Criminal Investigation - Proof Positive: Center of the Inferno (Run time 46 min.) DVD $129.95
Terrorists and other killers who use explosive devices typically presume that their tracks will be covered-but they are wrong. After a car blast, this program reveals how investigators deploy extraordinary science to recover scattered evidence, interpret the events at the center of the inferno, and capture the bomber. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms' Robert Poole leads the investigation. In addition, surgical pathologist and forensic anthropologist Doug Arendt demonstrates how to identify victims through their dental records. Some content may be objectionable. A Discovery Channel Production. (46 minutes)
#10984 Domestic Violence - Safe: Inside a Battered Women's Shelter (Run time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
Every 12 seconds in America, a woman is beaten by her husband or boyfriend. This program presents the experiences of three women who sought to break the cycle of violence by seeking refuge at a safe house, a place providing sanctuary for physically abused mothers and their children. Through their stories, Nancy, Jasmine, and Yenesia reveal a way of life in which the victims, hurt most by those who supposedly love them, often feel like the culprits. Safe at last, they realize that the abuse they suffered is not their fault; freed of guilt and fear, they can break the emotional ties that bind them to their abusers. (50 minutes)
#29966 Domestic Violence - Intimate Partner Violence (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
While intimate partner abuse can occur in same-sex couples, the abuser in the vast majority of cases is a man, his target a woman. This program from The Doctor Is In profiles Buffalo, New York, where the medical community, social and psychiatric services, police, and courts have formed a coalition to reduce the incidence of partner abuse and help the victims. Among those who comment are Dr. Susan McLeer, the head of Erie County Medical Center's psychiatry department; Katey Joyce, director of a shelter for battered women; and Jessica Benigni, chair of the Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (29 minutes)
#37401 Domestic Violence - Let's Talk About It: Domestic Violence (Run time 46 min.) DVD $129.95
Xiomara Fuentes, Amandeep Kaur, and Nneka-three wives beaten and humiliated by their husbands-are the subjects of Let's Talk About It, which gives a voice and a face to a spreading epidemic of spousal abuse. This program puts video cameras into the hands of these women's children who then interview their mothers about why they endured-and how they survived-such physical and emotional injury. The questions they ask, framed with a poignant blend of candor and naivete, leave no room for equivocation. A compelling and purposeful call to action produced by acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta, Let's Talk About It is a journey into the secret and dangerous world of domestic violence, no more powerfully illustrated than through the eyes of the children. (Portions in foreign languages with English subtitles, 46 minutes)
#37402 Domestic Violence - Let's Talk About It: Domestic Violence-in English with Spanish Subtitles (Run time 51 min.) DVD $129.95
Xiomara Fuentes, Amandeep Kaur, and Nneka-three wives beaten and humiliated by their husbands-are the subjects of Let's Talk About It, which gives a voice and a face to a spreading epidemic of spousal abuse. This program puts video cameras into the hands of these women's children who then interview their mothers about why they endured-and how they survived-such physical and emotional injury. The questions they ask, framed with a poignant blend of candor and naivete, leave no room for equivocation. A compelling and purposeful call to action produced by acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta, Let's Talk About It is a journey into the secret and dangerous world of domestic violence, no more powerfully illustrated than through the eyes of the children. (English with Spanish subtitles, 51 minutes)
#7658 Kids & Crime - Young Criminals, Adult Punishment (Run time 22 min.) DVD $129.95
As crimes committed by youngsters become progressively more violent, the criminal justice system must decide whether harsh sentences given out to adult criminals, including capital punishment, should also apply to violent young offenders. This ABC News Nightline examines the issue through the eyes of young criminals, their families, and attorneys, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials. Herbert Hoelter of the National Criminal Justice Commission examines the various state laws governing juvenile punishment. He suggests rehabilitation for kids who commit violent crimes but do not fall into the category of "super-predators" who may never benefit from rehabilitation. (22 minutes)
#11238 Kids & Crime - Kids in Court (Run time 59 min.) DVD $129.95
Many Americans believe that only stiffer penalties will deter kids from committing crimes. But is this true? In this three-segment program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel uses interviews with rehabilitation advocates and case studies of young offenders to publicize the promising efforts of facilities such as the Holden Ranch for Boys, in California, while underscoring the urgent need for locked juvenile mental health facilities for young convicts requiring treatment for addictions and psychological disorders. (59 minutes)
#30323 Kids & Crime - Glen Mills Gang: Arrested Without Locks and Bars (Run time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
Filmed over the course of a year, this documentary goes inside Glen Mills Schools in Pennsylvania, a "boarding school" alternative to prison for about 1,000 young members of street gangs convicted of crimes. Sam Ferrainola, the school's director, has pioneered a system of rewards and privileges where the young men keep themselves under strict surveillance, reporting infractions of the rules to upperclassmen, or "Big Brothers." Ferrainola stresses that Glen Mills is not a boot camp but an educational institution in which the goal is to bring about fundamental changes in behavior without incarceration. The system seems to work: of all institutions for juvenile offenders, Glen Mills' 32 percent recidivism rate is the lowest in the country. (50 minutes)
#35351 Kids & Crime - Juvenile Correction Facilities (Run time 39 min.) DVD $129.95
No one yearns to experience the inside of a prison-but to understand the American criminal justice system and those who enter it at an early age, spending a couple of nights behind bars yields powerful results. This ABC News program is the product of unprecedented access to Arizona's juvenile correction facilities, documenting six months in the lives of inmates between 12 and 17 years old. Although the settings can be violent, the young interviewees display remarkable honesty, resilience, and hope for the future, reminding viewers that even in "juvie," opportunities for learning and self-discovery are still available. (39 minutes)
#8572 Police - Beyond the Blue: Life as a Female Police Officer (Run time 25 min.) DVD $129.95
Angela Macdougall is a wife, mother, and S.W.A.T. team sniper. This program explores what it is like to balance a career in a risky, high-visibility, male-dominated occupation with marriage and motherhood. Angie and her husband, Chris, talk about the demands of law enforcement-the need for objectivity, the fight against cynicism, the skepticism of fellow officers, the emphasis on physical fitness-and the sacrifices they have both made to accommodate her ten-and-a-half years on the police force. Despite the statistically high rate of divorce among police officers, Angie and Chris believe they have beaten the odds. (25 minutes)
#12016 Police - On the Inside: Hostage Negotiations (Run time 52 min.) DVD $129.95
The debacles at Attica State Prison in 1971 and the 1972 Munich Olympics clearly showed the need for a better way of dealing with hostage situations. This intriguing program looks at the difficult job of hostage negotiators and their proven success in the last thirty years. Detailed analysis is made of the incidents at Waco, Texas, and at Lucasville Prison in Ohio. Two of the field's foremost experts, Gary Noesner, chief of the FBI Negotiation Unit, and Captain Frank Bolz, the NYPD Negotiation Unit's founder, offer extensive commentary into their teams' training. Experts discuss "Stockholm syndrome," a positive bond hostages form with their captors, and the efforts of Giandomenico Picco as an international negotiator. A Discovery Channel Production. (52 minutes)
#6867 Prisons - Let the Doors Be Made of Iron: 19th-Century Prison Reform (Run time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
This Academy Award-nominated program uses dramatic reenactments, old lithographs, and photographs to trace the fascinating history of the world's first full-scale penitentiary-Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia. Conceived as a humane alternative to the overcrowding and debauchery of smaller jails, the prison's fortress-like design and policy of separate confinement and meaningful labor became the correctional model for prisons worldwide. Important events in the prison's history are detailed, including the arrival of its first prisoner in 1829, and a visit by its only detractor-Charles Dickens. This is an interesting historical window on an early experiment in the humane treatment and rehabilitation of criminals. (23 minutes)
#6868 Prisons - Crimes and Punishments: A History (Run time 30 min.) DVD $129.95
This controversial documentary traces the often brutal history of criminal punishment from the medieval era through today. Early lithographs show in shocking detail the excessive punishments applied in pre-modern times for minor crimes. We see how more humane attitudes toward punishment led to the construction of prisons. Featured in this program is the CCI penitentiary in South Carolina. There, prison officials discuss the difficulties involved in running a large penal institution. Prisoners and corrections officers provide insights into daily life at the prison and talk about the overall failure of current rehabilitation efforts. This is an excellent portrait of criminal punishment as it was, and where it stands today. (30 minutes)
#7031 Prisons - CCI: Case Study of a Southern Prison (Run time 30 min.) DVD $129.95
This program, filmed at the Central Correctional Institution in South Carolina, examines the failure of current U.S. correctional methods, and the expense of that failure in human terms. Interviews with inmates and staff capture emotions ranging from rage to hopelessness, as they discuss the racism and violence indigenous to prison life. The overall picture is that a growing underclass is disproportionately punished under our current criminal justice system, and has little chance for rehabilitation. (30 minutes)
#9072 Prisons - Supermax, a Prison Within a Prison (Run time 39 min.) DVD $129.95
Totally isolated from the outer world and deprived of virtually all forms of meaningful activity and social contact, inmates idle away their years in a limbo of concrete, steel, fluorescent light, and little else. In part one of this program, convicts speak out as ABC News anchor Ted Koppel explores solitary confinement in today's super-maximum security prisons, the quarters of men too violent or uncooperative for incarceration anywhere else. In part two, prison staff reveal their experiences with this harsh system as Mr. Koppel investigates the skyrocketing demand for correctional officers that has led to abbreviated training regimens and a decline in proficiency standards. (40 minutes)
#9073 Prisons - Prison Gangs and Racism Behind Bars (Run time 40 min.) DVD $129.95
Prisons have become incubators for hate, where ethnic and white supremacist enclaves vie for control through violence and coercion directed along color lines. In part one of this program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel talks with prisoners doomed to solitary confinement due to their gang affiliations. They discuss the dangers that drove them to join-and that keep them looking over their shoulders even in the so-called protective environment of a supermax prison. In part two, Mr. Koppel spends a night in solitary confinement to observe firsthand the effects of supermax on inmates-and to document the type of ex-convict that will one day be returned to society: racially intolerant, unrehabilitated, and psychologically and emotionally broken. (40 minutes)
#9175 Prisons - Parole Problems: Crime and Punishment (Run time 43 min.) DVD $129.95
In 1994, voters sent a clear message to Congress: focus on punishment through harsher and longer sentences. But since even a life sentence does not necessarily translate into a life behind bars, society is expected to assimilate paroled ex-convicts who have had little or no rehabilitation. In this program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel examines the case of James Pope III-sentenced on two counts of murder and armed robbery, but eligible for parole in the future. To understand the vital importance of work programs and recreational facilities to the mental stability of inmates, Mr. Koppel also investigates rehab efforts at Central Prison in Raleigh, a maximum security lockup. (43 minutes)
#35242 Prisons - Acres of Skin: Medical Abuse Behind Bars (Run time 43 min.) DVD $129.95
Drawing comparisons to the Tuskegee syphilis atrocities, this program describes experiments performed at Philadelphia's Holmesburg Prison over a period of decades, during which inmates were subjected to frequently dangerous medical procedures without their informed consent. The video explores connections between major pharmaceutical companies, an indigent and semi-literate prison population, and an ambitious dermatologist named Dr. Albert Kligman who organized and conducted tests involving nerve damage, unnecessary skin grafts, and drug-induced psychoses. The result is a provocative look at disturbing aspects of America's penal system. (43 minutes)
#35292 Prisons - Welcome to Warren: Inmates and Guards on Life in Prison (Run time 31 min.) DVD $129.95
Most prison documentaries focus on the inmates. This sobering program features guards and prisoners alike, giving the viewer two interpretations of life at Ohio's Warren Correctional Institution. From the smallest detail-how cellmates rig a shabby partition around their toilet-to the cynicism and frontline sociology with which the corrections officers analyze their surroundings, the video clearly elucidates the effects of prolonged monotony and confinement on the human spirit. As one officer puts it, "Eight hours a day, I'm locked up here too." For discussions of the American criminal justice system and its dehumanizing elements, this is a strong catalyst. Opening scene contains brief nudity. (31 minutes)
#30057 Rehabilitation - One Day Clean: Recovery, Reconciliation, and Redemption (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
This poignant program deftly captures the hope and heartbreak of three men struggling to put drug addiction behind them and regain the lost trust of their loved ones. Completion of a closely monitored court-ordered drug treatment plan is their ticket back to life on the outside, and they are staking their futures on it...but only two succeed. Interviews with the recovering addicts and their family members movingly illustrate the damaging repercussions of drug abuse. (28 minutes)
#34711 Rehabilitation - Manhood and Violence: Fatal Peril (Run time 58 min.) DVD $129.95
The Resolve to Stop the Violence Program places male convicts in highly structured encounter groups, helping them recognize the warped concepts of masculinity behind their violent behavior. This documentary follows nine inmates through the rigorous self-discovery process, recording their growing sense of accountability and willingness to change. With commentary from law enforcement officers, violence-prevention experts, victims' relatives, and the inmates themselves, the video also follows up on RSVP participants after their release, highlighting the ultimate benefit of the program-a dramatic reduction in recidivism among its graduates. (58 minutes)
#10501 The Criminal Mind - The Mind of a Killer: Case Study of a Murderer (Run time 47 min.) DVD $129.95
What compels a seemingly normal person to disregard a fundamental societal principle and commit murder? In this disturbing program, correspondent Steve Aveson reports on recent scientific research into the behavior of killers. An exclusive interview with serial killer Joel Rifkin, convicted of strangling 17 women, is combined with neurological testing, brain scans, and even information derived from laboratory studies of animal aggression to attempt to shed light on Rifkin's obscure motivation to kill-a motivation that is a mystery even to himself. An ABC News/Discovery Channel Production. (46 minutes)
#31443 The Criminal Mind - The Iceman and the Psychiatrist (Run time 51 min.) DVD $129.95
By his mid-20s, Richard Kuklinski's extreme penchant for murder drew the attention of organized crime and he was hired as a contract killer. Today, he is serving multiple life sentences for nearly 200 homicides. In this powerful program, Dr. Park Dietz, a world-renowned psychiatrist and consultant to the FBI, interviews this remorseless killer, providing important insights into the psychological factors that can lead to such an aberrant pathology. Complementing the one-on-one sessions, police photographs and film footage document Kuklinski's troubled background and numerous victims. Viewer discretion is advised. An HBO Production. (51 minutes)
#7431 Capital Punishment - Fourteen Days in May: The Capital Punishment Debate (Run time 88 min.) DVD $149.95
In May 1987, Edward Johnson, a young African-American found guilty of murder and attempted rape, was executed at Parchman Penitentiary in Mississippi. This program, set in the days immediately preceding and following Johnson's death in the gas chamber, focuses on the legal mechanism for execution and the intense ethical debate surrounding it. Johnson is interviewed at length. Questions arising from that interview explore such issues as whether the death penalty is ever justified, whether it is disproportionately used against minorities, and whether legal avenues of appeal are sufficient, or overly-weighted in favor of criminals. A BBC Production. (88 minutes)
#12041 Capital Punishment - Death Row U.S.A. (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95
Huntsville, Texas, a friendly, bucolic university town, is also known as "The Execution Capital of the World." This sobering program takes a close look at both sides of Huntsville, as it profiles deceased inmates Bettie Lou Beets, Billy George Hughes, and Timothy Gribble. Interviews with Huntsville's mayor, prison officials, legal counsel, victims' family members, former inmates, death penalty advocates and opponents, and, only days before his execution, convict Gribble himself offer a broad perspective on the American penal system and prison industry. The program also goes inside the Death House, traveling the same route that inmates follow on their last walk. (49 minutes)
#4036 Crime - Prisoner on the Run (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95
This is the documentary record of a 43-year-old man who escaped from prison where he was serving a life sentence for manslaughter. He was 15 when he got into a fight with a 13-year-old, who ended up drowned in a ditch. Was his sentence unduly harsh? Was the revocation of his parole unjustifiable? Is he a danger to society? Is keeping him in jail justifiable? These and many other questions arise about this man who is apparently up against an immovable system-a sympathetic man who helps us see prison and the system from the prisoner's point of view. (54 minutes)
#5308 Crime - Crackdown on Crime: Taking Back Our Neighborhoods (Run time 23 min.) DVD $149.95
This program focuses on some of the solutions to the growing problem of crime: the creation of neighborhood crime watches, nuisance task forces, parent patrols, providing young adults with alternatives to crime, a salute to an innovative police department that can be a role model for other departments-and ten ways for viewers to protect themselves. (23 minutes)
#7156 Crime - Unauthorized Access: Technological Crime (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
Technological crime runs rampant throughout the many electronic arteries that connect us with the rest of the world. Crimes range from computer hacking via the Internet to telecommunications fraud. This program explores these activities from both sides of the law. Interviews with former FBI and CIA agents, and members of the international "hackers" community, provide insights into the depth of the problem, and what is being done to prevent it. (51 minutes)
#36338 Crime - Dying to Leave: A Two-Hour Special on Human Trafficking (Run time 118 min.) DVD $149.95
This two-hour Wide Angle special goes deep inside the global problem of human trafficking. Every year, at least two million people are packed in shipping containers, pulled through sewage tunnels, secreted in car chassis, and ferried across frigid waters. Among this human cargo, an alarming number end up as prostitutes, thieves, or sweatshop laborers. This documentary explores the worldwide boom in illicit migration and human trafficking, recording the stories of those who pull up their roots and risk all, and puts a human face on an issue too often reduced to statistics. It examines the circumstances that drive these migrants from their homes, highlights the difficulties involved in their epic journeys, and reveals what awaits them in their new world. In addition, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton discusses human trafficking and smuggling with anchor Jamie Rubin. (2 hours)
#39552 Crime - Biometrics (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
Technology is taking the field of biometrics to new levels of accuracy and efficiency. But is the price of such security, achieved by turning over unique bodily information to governments and private companies, too high? And is biometric data really as foolproof as its proponents say? This program travels the globe to showcase examples of high-tech biometrics in action, including electronic recognition of iris patterns, fingerprints, faces, hand vein patterns, handwriting, and gait. In addition, Alex Turk, chairman of France's national commission on data protection and civil liberties, voices his concern over people's passive acceptance of biometric technologies, and a hacker demonstrates just how easy it is to fake out a fingerprint scanner. Contains brief nudity depicting humans in motion as it relates to behavioral biometrics. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 51 minutes)
#2762 Criminal Investigation - Forensic Science: A Shred of Evidence (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95
This fascinating documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at the secret and secretive world of forensic science. Visiting Scotland Yard's laboratories-reputedly the finest such laboratories in the world-the program shows how modern technology can turn a particle of sand or a piece of thread into a clue that leads to solving a crime. (53 minutes)
#3884 Criminal Investigation - Under Interrogation (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95
In this breakthrough experiment with public media, the producers of this program were allowed to tape unhindered as suspected criminals were interrogated by British police. The goal of the videotaping was to stop allegations of miscarriage of justice (or stop the injustice). The program enters the highly-charged atmosphere of the interview room as real-life cases develop and rigorous interrogation goes forward. The proceedings pose, but cannot answer, questions regarding safeguarding the rights of the accused, and preventing police misconduct while enabling officers to carry out their mandate as effectively as possible. (49 minutes)
#7958 Criminal Investigation - Crime Tech: New Tools for Law Enforcement (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95
Law enforcement officers demonstrate state-of-the-art crime-fighting weapons that make apprehending criminals less dangerous for both policemen and offenders. Using actual footage from real crime-fighting situations, policemen discuss, then demonstrate, the use of alternative weapons such as tear gas, percussion distraction instruments, animal nets, pervasive aqueous foam, and pepper spray. Several officers explore the personal emotions and judgment that affected how they handled a potentially violent situation. Instances where violence was used by officers are analyzed. (52 minutes)
#8730 Criminal Investigation - Telltale Bodies (Run time 55 min.) DVD $149.95
By refining and expanding on the work of the founders of criminology, today's forensic scientists link crime victims to perpetrators in ways that almost defy belief. In this program, Professor Matile of France's Museum of Natural History; Professor Evenot, expert in odontology; and noted anthropologist Professor Perrot discuss the ways in which microscopy, entomology, dental records, and facial reconstruction help police solve crimes. The classic contributions of Lacassagne to ballistics, Revenstorf to forensic biology, Megnien to forensic entomology, and Guerassimov, who is shown actually doing a facial reconstruction, round out the historical background on these remarkable procedures. (55 minutes)
#8731 Criminal Investigation - The Scene of the Crime (Run time 55 min.) DVD $149.95
Before detectives set foot on a crime scene, forensic scientists must first painstakingly glean every bit of evidence. In this program, Professor Margot of the Forensic Science Institute of Lausanne describes advances in criminal science. New technology has made it possible to capture footprints with Mylar and static electricity rather than plaster; to cause fingerprints on a shell casing to reappear after the bullet has been fired and ejected; to computerize Identikit composites; and to identify firearms and ammunition by discharging weapons into pseudo-flesh and examining the results. The contributions of Reiss and Locard to crime scene analysis, along with Godart's role in the 1927 Sacco and Vanzetti investigation, provide some of the historical antecedents of modern criminology. (55 minutes)
#8732 Criminal Investigation - Science in the Courtroom (Run time 55 min.) DVD $149.95
Once a case goes to trial, evidence is put to its greatest test as it undergoes the scrutiny of cross-examination. In this program, Professors Leriche and Cassiman, genetics experts, examine the ability of lucomalakite green to obtain DNA samples from minute quantities of bodily fluids and discuss the RFLP and PCR tests used to analyze them. In addition, the value of serology-forerunner of genetic testing-is explored in relation to the classic 1950s Jaccoud case, along with the impact of DNA polymorphisms as discovered by Dr. Jeffreys in 1984. Ballistics and soil and glass analysis are also discussed, as well as the 1985 Guy-Paul Morin rape investigation and the 1992 Arizona case in which the genetic profile of a tree helped to bring about a conviction. (55 minutes)
#9176 Criminal Investigation - Inside the FBI: Surviving the Street (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
Law enforcement officers are on the front line every day. Research has shown that continual exposure to combat-like situations can produce mental and physical breakdowns-and that training in mental preparation significantly increases the chance of surviving a serious confrontation and its after-effects. This valuable program presents the FBI's Law Enforcement for Safety and Survival Program, designed to channel and control the human stress response through concentrated mental and physical preparation. (53 minutes)
#10170 Criminal Investigation - An Overview of Investigative Interviewing (Run time 62 min.) DVD $149.95
What is the right way to interrogate victims, witnesses, and suspects? And, of equal instructive value, what is the wrong way? This program investigates both, as trained British actors apply the principles of cognitive interviewing, conversation management, and nonverbal communication in a series of unscripted Q-and-A sessions related to a purse-snatching. Segments dramatizing the incident from the victim's and witness's points of view are also included. In addition, film clips of a totally separate mugging are included-ideal for use as a witness/interrogator practice exercise. (62 minutes)
#10171 Criminal Investigation - Interviewing Victims and Witnesses (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
This program offers extended interviews selected from those featured in An Overview of Investigative Interviewing, providing viewers with a more detailed look at how cognitive interviewing, conversation management, and nonverbal communication are applied to interrogating victims and witnesses in the U.K. The victim interview is presented as a well-conducted interview, while the witness interview is designed to demonstrate flaws in technique. (58 minutes)
#10172 Criminal Investigation - Interviewing Suspects (Run time 60 min.) DVD $149.95
This program provides extended interviews selected from those featured in An Overview of Investigative Interviewing, offering viewers a more detailed look at the processes involved in interrogating suspects. The first interview is considered to be well conducted, employing the techniques of cognitive interviewing, conversation management, and nonverbal communication, while the second interview contains errors in judgment. A careful analysis of each model helps students to assimilate these British methodologies for use in a real-world context. (60 minutes)
#32628 Criminal Investigation - Murder by Mail: The Hunt for the Anthrax Killer (Run time 60 min.) DVD $149.95
When anthrax-laden letters began appearing in the mail just days after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, all eyes looked to al Qaeda. But could the culprit be at the heart of the American bioweapons and intelligence communities? Unfolding like a taut thriller, this program follows the grim course of a rampage conducted by mail and the ongoing investigation to catch the killer through analysis of the deadly pathogens and the letters themselves. Interviews include forensic experts at the FBI and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as Dr. David Franz, former commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases; Dr. Paul Keim of Northern Arizona University, the world's leading anthrax authority; and Don Foster, a professor of English at Vassar College who uses grammar analysis to solve crimes. A BBCW Production. (60 minutes)
#4499 Domestic Violence - Family Violence: Breaking the Chain (Run time 28 min.) DVD $149.95
This program looks at the effects of family violence on the abused and the abuser: at the danger that abused children will grow up to repeat the pattern of violence in their own relationships; at the problems of date violence; at the physical and emotional abuse women suffer at the hands of their husbands and lovers. While showing the benefits of therapy, it stresses the need of the abused for safety-through shelters, hot-lines, and community assistance-from those who abuse them. (28 minutes)
#4654 Domestic Violence - Domestic Violence: Behind Closed Doors (Run time 28 min.) DVD $149.95
Every 12 seconds, a woman is beaten in the U.S.-beaten by her lover, her husband, her partner in life. Year after year, the cycle of violence spins faster, spiraling down through the generations, father to son and mother to daughter. Only when communities and families say "Enough!" can the cycle be broken. This program shows how people can and have said "Enough!": women, men, and children who offer proof that domestic violence can be stopped, that healing is possible if there is someone to help. The program also shows the social and legal services that make the difference. (28 minutes)
#5344 Domestic Violence - Women Who Kill (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
Women who kill are a rare breed. Even rarer is a woman who kills the man she loves. This documentary tells the story of five women who killed their partners. They describe how they endured years of violent sexual and emotional torture before they finally snapped. The program focuses on their intensely personal experiences and on their fight for justice within the British legal system-a legal system very different from America's and yet identically sexist. The program features the case of Kiranjit Ahzuwahlia, who was jailed for murdering her husband after years of mental and physical abuse. After an intense campaign, she was finally freed, and so her case shows that the courts are prepared to recognize the experience of battered women-or at least this particular case. (51 minutes)
#5723 Domestic Violence - House of Fear: Domestic Violence (Run time 28 min.) DVD $149.95
With domestic-related murders growing nationwide, this program looks at the efforts of one city to reverse these trends. In Nashville, TN, the police have formed a special unit to focus on domestic violence. This program speaks with victims and the police, and we see firsthand the results achieved from serving warrants on abusers and getting them into the criminal justice system without involving the victims. A counseling program that aims to help abusers learn to stop the violence and the effects of domestic violence on children are also examined. (28 minutes)
#5796 Domestic Violence - Domestic Violence: 'Til Death Do Us Part (Run time 20 min.) DVD $149.95
This program examines the story of Audrey Stack, a married woman who was the classic victim of domestic violence. By exploring her relationship with her husband, the program focuses on what makes an abusive relationship and how the victim can handle the situation. Through Audrey Stack's story, the program explores how to identify an abusive relationship; the dangers involved in an abusive relationship; some of the possible causes of domestic violence; and the reasons it can be difficult for a victim to leave an abusive relationship. (20 minutes)
#7159 Domestic Violence - Violence Against Women (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95
The secrecy surrounding domestic violence is the focus of this program. Hosted by a policewoman and a television news anchor, it contains stories of hope for women who are currently in violent relationships, and provides valuable information on how to leave an abusive partner. Specific information is included on speaking out, having a plan, when to leave, where to go, the legal aspects, getting help for abusers, and how to protect and counsel children who live in violent homes. (46 minutes)
#3040 Kids & Crime - Street Gangs of Los Angeles (Run time 44 min.) DVD $149.95
Youth gangs are nothing new; youth gangs that control whole sections of the city, their brutality fueled and financed by drugs, their indifference to life a metaphor for the ease with which they murder-this is what has made Los Angeles' gangs so frightening an omen of the future of America's cities. This program looks at the thrills and dangers of life for black and Hispanic gang members, and at the occasionally successful efforts of parents in gang-run neighborhoods to keep their children safe. (44 minutes)
#34426 Kids & Crime - Juvenile Justice (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
How does America's juvenile justice system work? In what ways has it failed? And what would it take to improve it so that it routinely operates in the best interests of offenders, their victims, and society as a whole? These are not simple questions, as this Fred Friendly Seminar points out-and they become all the more complex when moderator Charles Ogletree, of Harvard Law School, casts 13 experts as figures in a hypothetical scenario involving two families, four teens, and a sequence of violent crimes culminating in a murder. By incrementally raising the stakes, Ogletree moderates a passionate discussion that addresses different conceptions of justice, the balance between rehabilitation of a minor and the safety of the public, the need to strengthen the home environment, availability of social services, and matters of race and socioeconomic status. Panelists include Cregor Datig, chief deputy district attorney for Riverside County, California; Patricia Lee, deputy public defender for San Francisco County; Lisa Hill, of the Alameda County Probation Department; Indiana Superior Court Judge James W. Payne; Congressman Dan Lundgren (R-CA), former attorney general of California; Taalia Hasan, of the West Contra Costa County Youth Services Bureau; Walter Allen III, director of the California Youth Authority; Lateefah Simon, of The Center for Young Women's Development, in San Francisco; Luis Aroche, outreach director of Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco; Laurence Steinberg, from the Department of Psychology at Temple University; Amy Holmes Hehn, senior deputy district attorney for Multnomah County, Oregon; Eddie Ayala, of the Oakland Police Department; and Robert Long, news director for KNBC-TV, Los Angeles. Produced in association with The Institute for Child and Family Policy at Columbia University. (58 minutes)
#31989 Police - The NYPD Narcotics Unit (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95
Since New York City enacted its zero-tolerance drug policy in the early 1990s, arrests for narcotics violations have increased over 40 percent. This program goes on the streets where the policy is enforced, taking a gritty look at narcotics stake-outs and arrest procedures. Cameras follow the real-life beats of Detective Danny Murphy and Sergeant Vincent Curulli in Brooklyn, Detective Larry Burke in the Bronx, and Detective Bernie Malone, a 17-year NYPD veteran now working with the DEA. Contains harsh language. (54 minutes)
#31990 Police - The NYPD Vice Division (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95
New York City spends $23 million annually on prostitution control. This program goes undercover with Detective Kevin Mannion and members of his specialized Vice Division team tasked with tracking down pedophiles and child pornographers both on the street and on the Internet. Surveillance cameras and live-action interviews provide firsthand access into police procedures as the team arrest a pimp on the streets of Manhattan and conduct a chilling Internet pedophile sting. Contains explicit language. (54 minutes)
#31991 Police - The NYPD Emergency Services Unit (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95
When someone is in trouble, they call the police; when the police are in trouble, they call ESU. This program travels with the highly trained, heavily armed officers of the NYPD's Emergency Services Unit who specialize in forced entries, raids, and situations where the violence or potential for extreme violence are more than ordinary police are prepared to handle. Cameras capture ongoing operations as the ESU storms a crack house and responds to emergency calls. (54 minutes)
#31992 Police - The NYPD Homicide Unit (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95
By its nature the work is grisly, but a successful homicide investigation can at least give survivors the consolation of justice. In an ongoing case and in a notorious one that was closed, this program shows how killers are caught by NYPD homicide experts. Veteran Detective Robert Mooney discusses his methods, including forensics and what he calls "victimology," the background checks that often lead right to the suspect. Police archive footage includes Detective Mooney interrogating an eventually convicted murderer. Contains harsh language. Viewer discretion is advised. (54 minutes)
#35070 Police - Peter Jennings Reporting-LAPD (Run time 43 min.) DVD $149.95
Southeast Los Angeles: it could be the most violent 10 square miles in America. In LAPD, Peter Jennings reports from inside that notorious police department, riding with anti-gang officers, interviewing top brass, and listening to community members. Focusing on Chief William Bratton's efforts to repeat the crime-reduction success of New York City-and to go one better by building trust in poor, predominantly minority neighborhoods-the program explores how a military-style police force with a brutal reputation struggles not just to stem violence, but to dig up its roots. A challenging and intimate look at cops trying to reinvent themselves, and their city. (43 minutes)
#3885 Prisons - Locking Up Women (Run time 48 min.) DVD $149.95
Holloway was once the most feared women's prison in Britain, where a hard-line regime kept women, from con artists to drug pushers and murderers, locked up for 23 hours out of the day. Now it's gone so soft, say some officers, that the inmates want to stay and the officers to leave. This program looks at the philosophy of the changes and at the daily routine at this female-dominated enclave; discusses the new breed of female criminal and the increase of violence in women; and examines some of the psychological underpinnings of female criminality. (48 minutes)
#3921 Prisons - A Life Sentence (Run time 26 min.) DVD $149.95
Children are murder victims, too. To have one's child murdered is the ultimate nightmare-families must deal not only with their own grief and anger but with the police and the media as well. This program examines how parents of murdered children are also victims of the crime. For them, there can be no question of mercy for the criminal, as there is no remission of pain. (26 minutes)
#6286 Prisons - Lock-Up: The Prisoners of Rikers Island (Run time 75 min.) DVD $149.95
If you are arrested in New York City and cannot make bail, you will be transported to Rikers Island, the nation's largest jail complex, through which more than 140,000 people pass each year. This program provides a rare, inside look at how prisoners live and officials try to maintain order in this mammoth holding facility for those who are awaiting trial-filled overwhelmingly with poor, uneducated minorities who have been arrested for drug-related crimes. The program profiles a variety of everyday jail activities, including such jarring scenes as a cellblock strip search by corrections officers, the story of an AIDS-infected drug user who was born in prison and will most likely die there, a trip to the holding cells for "disorganized and paranoid" prisoners, and the laments of women who will see their children born in jail. An HBO production. (75 minutes)
#8074 Prisons - Prison Tech: Keeping Order in Hell"" (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95
There are more than one million inmates behind bars in the U.S., and most will say that being in prison is like being in hell. This program examines the security that prevents escapes and keeps the volatile criminal population in check. Visit low, medium, and high security institutions, where administrators, prison guards, a psychologist, and inmates speak candidly about violence in prisons and the strict security measures, such as segregation (solitary confinement), designed to control it. At a modern prison in Canada, administrators discuss the Canadian focus on rehabilitation and demonstrate the electronic detection fields used to prevent escapes. (49 minutes)
#32770 Prisons - Rebellion (Run time 60 min.) DVD $149.95
As time creeps by, the exercise of reward and punishment and the friction of social inequality within the microsociety of prison take their toll, fraying nerves among the prisoners and generating anxiety among the guards. In this episode, two inmates form an unlikely alliance-and the guards are taken by surprise when three prisoners launch a nighttime revolt. Contains harsh, inflammatory, and explicit language. A BBCW Production. (60 minutes)
#37265 Prisons - In the Shadow of Faith: Redemption Behind Bars (Run time 57 min.) DVD $149.95
Angola Penitentiary has its own radio station, its own magazine, and-most notably-its own highly organized evangelical ministry. It is also a working farm, tended in large part by compliant, nonviolent inmates. What forces are at work in the once-notorious Louisiana institution? Have its residents embraced religion sincerely, or is Angola a focal point of sophisticated brainwashing? This program invites viewers to consider those questions. Examining daily life at the complex, it reveals an existence that, while varying from inmate to inmate, finds meaning in work, worship, and little else. Insights into prison realities and their spiritual remedies come from lifers, guards, and warden Burl Cain, the charismatic instigator of Angola's transformation. (57 minutes)
#39084 Prisons - Inside Folsom (Run time 44 min.) DVD $149.95
"You like horror movies?" responds a Folsom State Prison inmate when asked to describe life in the penitentiary. "This is a horror movie." Virtually every inmate who appears in this MSNBC documentary-and perhaps a few of Folsom's guards-seems to share his opinion. Viewers are guided through the prison's antiquated infrastructure, from the general population areas to the dungeon-like Cell Block 5, where the sun literally never shines. Conversations with lifers, corrections officers, and warden Diana Butler shed light on Folsom's violent culture and the procedures and programs developed to improve it. Despite rigid organization and work opportunities, the inmates interviewed tend to use the word "program" only in reference to unsupervised self-rehabilitation. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (43 minutes)
#39087 Prisons - Return to Rikers Island (Run time 45 min.) DVD $149.95
On an island adjacent to the Bronx sits one of America's most notorious jail systems, known for much of the past century as a place of inmate-on-inmate cruelty. But violence has decreased by 90 percent at Rikers since 1999. This MSNBC documentary examines Rikers then and now, spotlighting the measures that have reduced conflict among a population of 15,000 offenders. New York City Department of Corrections Commissioner Martin Horn and Rikers warden Frank Squillante promote the benefits of the CPSU, or central punitive segregation unit, and TSOs, or tactical search operations that can quickly and authoritatively enter cell blocks to ferret out drugs and weapons. Issues with gangs and recidivism demonstrate that Rikers' problems are far from over. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (45 minutes)
#39089 Prisons - The Criminal Mind (Run time 43 min.) DVD $149.95
"We do not cure anybody," the director of Atascadero State Hospital's Sexually Violent Predator unit frankly admits. Nevertheless, many in the criminal justice community admire Atascadero's relentless efforts to treat the criminally insane. This MSNBC documentary provides an inside look at the facility, which houses several types of offender-from MDOs, or the mentally disordered, to frighteningly disturbed SVPs-any of whom are eligible to run for a seat on the inmate governing board. Interviews with a number of residents and staff members are combined with a tour of the hospital's sophisticated departments, including a colossal pharmacy that dispenses 12,000 pills per day and an in-house, unarmed police force. At Atascadero, drugs keep the peace. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (43 minutes)
#39056 Rehabilitation - From Prison to Home (Run time 71 min.) DVD $149.95
Ex-convicts face formidable odds, and for African-Americans, conditions are usually even more difficult. This documentary traces the experiences of four black ex-inmates over the course of a year, focusing on their challenges with employment, housing, addiction, and reconnecting with family-as well as their participation in the nontraditional African American Program for parolees. Richard, a 36-year-old crack addict, has spent 12 years in and out of the system. Arthur, 45, has been arrested 13 times. Calvin, 49, has served 18 months for drug possession and burglary. And 37-year-old Randy, emerging for the first time after a 16-year murder sentence, is intent on going to college. The parole officers who work with these men are also interviewed. (71 minutes)
#30040 The Criminal Mind - Talk to Me: The Dynamics of Hostage Negotiation (Run time 47 min.) DVD $149.95
"I want doctors! I'm gonna kill doctors! I want white coats!" In 1993, gunman Damacio Torres shot up the Los Angeles County-USC Healthcare emergency room and took two hostages. Using the Torres case as a springboard, this program explains the tricky business of hostage negotiation while seeking to understand the mentality of hostage-taking. Psychologist Kris Mohandie, SWAT team supervisor Lt. Michael Albanese, and former hostage Anne Tournay, all present that day, offer keen observations on the five-hour standoff. Psychologist John Potter, of Exeter University, and Stephen Romano, of the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit, provide additional insights. (47 minutes)
#30041 The Criminal Mind - To Catch a Killer: The Use and Abuse of Criminal Profiling (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95
In 2001, the last piece of a serial rape/murder case that had tantalized London police for nearly 20 years finally fell into place. In this program, retired FBI profiler Robert Ressler, LAPD psychologist Kris Mohandie, and British law enforcement professionals discuss the history and techniques of criminal profiling within the context of the Railway Rapist crimes that terrorized greater London during the 1980s. In addition, the sensational case of Rachel Nickell, murdered in broad daylight on Wimbledon Common in 1992, illustrates how profiling improperly applied can hijack an investigation. Forensic psychologist Gisli Gudjonsson, of King's College London, provides commentary on that crime. (46 minutes)
#30042 The Criminal Mind - Mad or Bad? Psychologically Assessing Criminal Competence (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95
Sane or insane? Court verdicts and parole decisions alike often hinge on that single crucial question. This program explores the intricacies of psychiatric evaluation and parole risk assessment with forensic psychologist Jeremy Coid, clinical psychologists, a probation officer, and others. The Yorkshire Ripper serial murders, the London Nail Bomber case, the Ipswich Rapist case, the 1999 attack on a London church congregation by a naked sword-wielding man, and a parole review involving a composite serial pedophile-a case that neatly illustrates the challenge of balancing society's right for safety against a convict's right to be treated fairly-are profiled. (47 minutes)
#30470 The Criminal Mind - Men: The Killer Sex (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
A killer combination? Based on recent research, scientists think that low serotonin and high testosterone in men could be a mixture for murder. In this program, Rebecca and Russell Dobash, of Manchester University; psychiatrist Fred Berlin; psychologist James Dobbs; and neuroscientist Frederick Goodwin discuss the biochemistry of why men kill, as well as protocols such as chemical and physical castration. The cases of Jason Harper, who strangled his wife when he discovered she was having an affair, and Dion Sanders, who shot his grandparents while robbing them, are explored. Original BBC broadcast title: The Killer Sex. (50 minutes)
#30471 The Criminal Mind - Behind the Mask of Sanity: Psychopathy (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
In this program, psychopathy specialist Robert Hare; forensic psychiatrist Anthony Hempel; Tonmoy Sharma, of the Institute of Psychiatry, in London; and behavioral neuroscientist Marnie Rice analyze the differences between psychopathic killers and psychotic killers. Could neurological and physiological abnormalities in the brain, such as a smaller-than-average amygdala, account for psychopathic behavior? Cody Mitten, who murdered his divorced mother, and child killer David Krueger are profiled. "I felt like a god-it was the power of God over a human being," says Krueger. Original BBC broadcast title: The Mask of Sanity. (50 minutes)
#34712 The Criminal Mind - The Poet and the Con (Run time 59 min.) DVD $149.95
In this riveting and painfully honest documentary, poet and performance artist Eric Trules explores his multifaceted relationship with his uncle Harvey, an alcoholic mobster and confessed murderer. The program examines surprising parallels between the two men, revealing how artist and outlaw share a deep-rooted resistance to social and moral conventions-a notion of particular relevance when Trules is arrested for a felony himself. Featuring poignant scenes in which Eric and Harvey share their regrets, fears, and affection for each other, this is a provocative study of the criminal mind, family ties, and the psychology of personal recovery and redemption. (59 minutes)
#36380 The Criminal Mind - The 7/7 Bombers: A Psychological Investigation (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
On the day Britain experienced its first-ever suicide bombing, many assumed that those responsible for the carnage must have been deranged foreigners-but they were not. What motivated these four seemingly ordinary young British men? This program conducts a chilling psychological autopsy as it pieces together the mental state of the 7/7 bombers during their final journey. The work of Ariel Merari, of Tel Aviv University, and forensic psychiatrist Marc Sageman is spotlighted as they investigate issues of cultural estrangement, group dynamics and the "bunch of guys" theory, and the spontaneous formation of extremist cells. A BBCW Production. (50 minutes)
#39097 Police - Big Brother, Big Business: The Data-Mining and Surveillance Industries (Run time 79 min.) DVD $159.95
Digital technology plays an increasingly significant-and, many believe, unethical and intrusive-role in the lives of Americans. This CNBC program examines the rapidly growing data-mining and surveillance industries and brings examples of dubious and hurtful information-sharing to light. Case studies include a man whose cell phone records were acquired by his former employer, a woman whose personal information was stolen from a company she had never heard of, and a man whose rental car company tracked his every move. The documentary also looks at how law enforcement agencies and even schools are using biometric technologies, and at an AOL division that provides members' personal data to law enforcement. Not available in French-speaking Canada. Original CNBC broadcast title: Big Brother, Big Business. (78 minutes)
#10166 Prisons - Prisons: Questioning the System (Run time 58 min.) DVD $179.9
From mandatory sentencing to capital punishment, America has developed a strong stance on dealing with crime. But are these measures improving society or undermining it? In this topical two-part series, representatives from the legal system, academia, and community service organizations speak out about the system that many approve of as practical and timely-and others condemn as misguided and a failure of humanity. 2-part series, 29 minutes each.
#37254 Rehabilitation - Going Home: Teens Reentering Society (Run time min.) DVD $179.9
All former inmates have a hard time adjusting to life outside prison, but teenagers face their own specific set of challenges after doing time. This two-part series shows how that adjustment process often plays out and how its hardships can be minimized. Filmed in large part at the Rikers Island Academy, a GED-level school that has helped turn hundreds of inmates' lives around, the series covers the major sources of conflict that young people will encounter when reentering society. Addressing the day-to-day challenges of newfound, uncertain freedom, these programs illustrate how a support system can be built with the help of family, peers, caseworkers, and even correctional staff. A Cambridge Educational Production. Correlates to all applicable National and State Educational Standards including the NCLB Act. 2-part series, 21 and 23 minutes each. Follows educational and program recommendations provided by the National Center on Education, Disability and Juvenile Justice.
#7333 The Criminal Mind - Mind of a Murderer (Run time min.) DVD $179.9
This two-part series from the BBC archives delves deep into the mind of serial killer Kenneth Bianchi, who nearly convinced a team of psychologists that he suffered from multiple personalities. 2-part series, 60 minutes each.
#9071 Prisons - Supermax: Life in a Super-Maximum Security Prison (Run time min.) DVD $259.9
Promoting greater public safety and punishment that better fits the crime, legislators are pressing for tougher sentencing and prisons that bear no resemblance to country clubs. But dehumanized to the point of despair and even insanity, many inmates being returned to the streets from supermax prisons are angry and psychotic. This explosive two-part series featuring ABC News anchor Ted Koppel scrutinizes the impact of supermax on convicts, prison staff, and society itself. 2-part series, 40 minutes each.
#8729 Criminal Investigation - On the Trail of Crime (Run time min.) DVD $449.85
Many of the procedures in modern criminology were developed in Europe around the turn of the 20th century. This comprehensive three-part series, complete with archival footage, crime scene photos, and interviews with experts and eyewitnesses, presents a broad catalog of case histories-both celebrated crimes from the past and modern-day cases that follow the evidence from the corpse, to the crime scene, to the courtroom. 3-part series, 55 minutes each.
#10169 Criminal Investigation - Investigative Interviewing: The Methodology Behind Police Interrogation (Run time min.) DVD $449.85
A purse is snatched on the street. When the victim, a witness, and a suspect are brought in for interrogation, it is up to the Detective Sergeant to skillfully question each person to extract the facts from the inevitable hodge-podge of images, impressions, recollections, and evasions. This detailed three-part series presents the British approach to cognitive interviewing, conversation management, and nonverbal communication in a scenario-based format. Dramatizations scrutinize the mugging and subsequent interrogations from multiple points of view, highlighting both good and bad interviewing technique. 3-part series, 58-62 minutes each.
#30039 The Criminal Mind - Inside the Criminal Mind (Run time min.) DVD $449.85
This gripping three-part series enters the world of forensic psychology to illustrate how law enforcement officers and mental health professionals get inside the criminal mind. Captivating case studies from the U.K. and the U.S. provide a real-world context for the techniques and processes described. 3-part series, 46-47 minutes each.
#30469 The Criminal Mind - Mind of a Murderer 2 (Run time min.) DVD $449.85
How far is biology a predeterminer of violent behavior, and to what extent do environment and conditioning influence the brain? Drawing on a range of brutal case studies from the U.S., the U.K., and Canada, this compelling three-part series takes a scientific look at psychopathy as it seeks answers to those and other fundamental questions about what prompts human beings to commit murder. A BBC Production. 3-part series, 50 minutes each.
#31988 Police - NYPD at Close Range (Run time min.) DVD $599.8
With nothing staged or dramatized, this 4-part series portrays with gritty, often sobering realism how crimes are solved by specialized units of the New York City Police Department. Cameras travel with the officers, capturing investigative details and the methods employed, while candid interviews and ongoing commentary lend further insight into the law enforcement profession. 4-part series, 54 minutes each.
#32767 Prisons - The Experiment: Power, Behavior, and Identity under Duress (Run time min.) DVD $599.8
This acclaimed four-part series from the BBC-a riveting documentary that grips the attention like reality TV-updates the controversial 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, Dr. Philip Zimbardo's inquiry into the power of social situations to distort identity and erode moral behavior. Each inherently dramatic episode explores different aspects of the dynamic interplay between the study's prisoners and guards, dealing with issues of leadership and negotiation, conflict and cooperation, work and stress, tyranny and resistance, power and powerlessness-elements of prison life that can be extrapolated to shed light on the social psychology of society in general. A viewable/printable user's guide-149 pages of research background, findings, implications, conclusions, and a bibliography of additional texts-is available online. Contains harsh, inflammatory, and explicit language. Original BBCW broadcast title: The Experiment. 4-part series, 60 minutes each.
#39083 Prisons - Lock-up: Inside America's Prisons (Run time min.) DVD $899.7
With more resources than ever invested in the nation's prison system, a growing number of Americans question whether or not that system is really working. Searching for answers, this six-part series of MSNBC documentaries looks at the world of the incarcerated-from the inside out. With extraordinary access to the inner workings of several correctional facilities, the series records the hopes, fears, regrets, and occasional rehabilitation of jailed convicts, while presenting commentary from wardens, corrections officers, and medical personnel. The result is a comprehensive, hard-hitting examination of life behind bars in America. Not available in French-speaking Canada. 6-part series, 42-46 minutes each.
#8597 Criminal Investigation - Medical Detectives, Part 3 (Run time min.) DVD $1559.4
In part 3 of this popular series, twelve more mysteries are investigated by using cutting-edge scientific techniques and proven police methods. Ultraviolet and electron microscopy, PCR and DQ Alpha testing, ballistics, toxicology, forensic anthropology, and even the television show Unsolved Mysteries all play a part in capturing criminals and freeing the innocent. 12-part series, 26 minutes each.
