Nature of the Crime

Every day, thousands of people are sentenced to prison with the possibility of parole, which grants release back into their communities. The life-changing decision of whether parole is ultimately granted – and who decides – is an aspect of the U.S. criminal justice system with little oversight that is often shielded from public scrutiny, mired in political considerations and little understood. In New York state, an average of 11,000 incarcerated people appear before parole boards every year. The majority of them are denied and must remain in prison until the next opportunity to plead their case. NATURE OF THE CRIME follows two men convicted of murder in New York when they were teens, their attorneys, and their family members, as they prepare for their upcoming parole interviews, reflecting on their crimes, their rehabilitation, and the criteria for decisions about their potential release. The film also follows another incarcerated man going through the parole process in Connecticut, a state that recently reformed its process to allow for public observation and additional legal protections. HBO Documentary Films presents NATURE OF THE CRIME, a Break Thru Films Production. Produced, directed, and written by Ricki Stern and Jesse Sweet; senior producer, Seth Keal; executive producers, Joe Caterini and Logan Snyder. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Tina Nguyen.