Uncovers the system of abuse and denial that killed a 14-year-old boy in a Florida Boot Camp.
This film opens with media reports of the death of Martin Lee Anderson followed by a detailed accounting of the events surrounding the 18 hours between his incarceration in the Bay County Boot Camp and his death at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, FL.
Martin Lee Anderson was one of 8 juveniles who died while in state custody during former governor Jeb Bushs eight year tenure as Governor. The pattern of systemic negligence and abuse is detailed through accounts and analysis of the racial and class based judicial system. This pattern in the State of Florida is linked up to national trends in juvenile justice where coercion and corruption have replaced rehabilitation. This pattern was legitimized in the acquittal of the seven guards and one nurse who were all videotaped in the beating of Anderson.
The videotape of the Martin Lee Anderson beating was the galvanizing visual text that motivated public attention and protest. Much like the Rodney King videotape, these images circulated nationally, elicited public outrage and became a central point of debate between Martins parents and the Department of Juvenile Justice. The role of visual images and struggles for social justice is explored through interviews with media professionals, media scholars, social movement leaders and scientists from NASA who enhanced the video of the beating. Simply put, images dont speak for themselves.
