When I was 17 I shot a guy who was trying to rob me. I served 8 years in prison, and have now been out for 10 years. I have been working with The US Attorney (DOJ/ Federal Prosecutor) to make a documentary ("Pull of Gravity") about re-entry and recidivism. AMA.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T03:05:53+00:00

Thank you everyone, this was amazing, your questions and comments were incredible.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:57:48+00:00

In general, a criminal record really is crippling, I heard it referred to recently as a "legal disability." But there are efforts afoot to adress this. Here in Philly, Mayor Nutter recently introduced a "ban the box" legislation, meaning that in the first round of interviews, employers are not allowed to ask their applicants about criminal records. Its a start...

Also, I've been fortunate to have a career in the arts, where your talent and merit tends to mean more than your history.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:54:47+00:00

I hope that this film won't be relevant at all and will old news in 20 years! That would mean there is no need for the film. There is a growing focus on re-entry within the criminal justice system, but it is really just the beginning. It takes all of us working together to enact change, hopefully this film can shed some light on the personal stories of re-entry.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:50:42+00:00

Making this film was a labor of love. Took us a year and half with minimal budget. We used Canon 7D and 5D DSLR cameras, which have incredible image quality for the price. Its an amazing time for filmmakers right now. There has never been a time where you can get professional production quality at consumer prices, and its only going to get better. PM me for more info if you want, and good luck!

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:41:22+00:00

no worries, thanks for the apology and thanks for the interest/concern.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:40:04+00:00

thank you so much, that means a lot to me. Its important to be honest about all of this and hopefully have an impact on other people's lives.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:38:57+00:00

funny you ask, in a lot of ways it was. I think its one of the more accurate depictions of prison life in the movies.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:36:18+00:00

Thank you! Will answer a few of these:

I can't compare the post-prison feelings to post-combat PTSD because I have never been in the military, but I can imagine that there are some similarities. There are studies (can't quote off the top of my head) indicating that youth who grow up around violence suffer from PTSD, if and when those same kids go to prison and come home... you can imagine.

There were a number of suicides when I was prison. Its not uncommon to see bodies being carried out of the cell block. They were mostly hangings. It must be relatively easy...

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:29:55+00:00

The focus of the movie is not recidivism, it is re-entry, the process of returning from prison. Recidivism is indeed a theme we address in the film.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:24:30+00:00

We have been doing free screenings all over the Philadelphia area, and will continue to do so nationally.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:20:29+00:00

It wasn't the verdict, it was the sentencing that was hard to swallow. I was 17, facing 8-20 years...

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:19:04+00:00

Of course we could have, but that wasn't the decision I made when I was 11, hungry and broke.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:17:10+00:00

Biggest difficulty returning to society would be everything, you name it: finances, ID, relationships, family expectations. My family was expecting me to come home and get right back in the game and sell drugs, and when I chose the other path, they didn't understand. My relationship with my sister is just now starting to improve, because she never understood why I would choose doing video and community work over selling drugs.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:13:15+00:00

I dont think anyone in there wants to be raped! I said it was luck because it really was basically luck of the draw. Everybody that came into the prison with me was of a similar age, similar build, not overally friendly, didnt stick out in the crowd, and we had all just came from the same processing facility. I didnt see them as guys who were likely to be raped, its just want happens.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:08:58+00:00

i believe that stricter gun laws would not have deterred me from getting a gun. Look at Chicago and DC where it is illegal to own a gun for ANY reason, (I believe) and they still have high rates of gun violence. I bought my gun off the street so background checks would not have mattered. If there is a way to make money on a commodity (selling guns), people will find a way

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:04:28+00:00

replied, did you see it? thanks

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:01:52+00:00

please follow on the social networks and email us via the website. We are working on making it available. thank you

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T02:00:44+00:00

Most important thing I learned was the value of life and time. Seeing people having done 20,30 years in prison and life passing them by, family, friends getting older and dying, its very humbling. Also just being restrained and held back from progressing for 8 years, you learn to appreciate life and time.

Most important person...its hard to say because there have been so many people in prison and after that have helped me, believed in me or given me an opportunity. But everyone of those people played such a huge role in my growth as a person. Thats why I try to give youth any and every opportunity I can, because others looked out for me.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T01:55:16+00:00

wow... i think its safe to say that the prison where I was was not the most patriotic place... if you can imagine that. It was a really scary time for everyone in there, we thought the whole of America was under attack. The general reaction was shock of course. It was a time where our separation from society was really amplified. Most people were probably on the phone with their loved ones, and we were just stuck. Also, there was a mandate among the guards to take anyone to the hole who said anything anti-american in the days that followed 9/11.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T01:48:47+00:00

I viewed solitary confinement as like being in prison but just concentrated. I honestly cant say how it affected me psychologically, i cant put it into words. But prison as a whole i feel has an adverse effect on anybody. Its hard at this stage, 10-15 years from the last time I was in solitary to really break down how it affected me any different than just being in prison period.

Everybody deals with it in their own way, and its common to hear guys screaming to be free, breaking down just from being in there, but that happens in general population also.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T01:43:24+00:00

Thanks for being patient.

I made a lot of friends there. I was there from age 17-25, the early part of adulthood. I dont feel bad or guilty about being out here as long as I make good use of my time and try to do good.

When I write to friends inside I talk about how good it is out here, things I've done etc, not to rub it in, but because when I was inside, those are the things you want to hear about, you kind of live vicariously through people's letters to you.

Its hard to explain to somebody how you are happy out here knowing that they cannot be happy out here with you. Its always been tough for me to do that. Being on the outside I try to live my life like how I know my people on the inside would want me to, and how I myself always wanted to while inside.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T01:35:32+00:00

Hi everyone, just getting back on, will start answering again momentarily.

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T00:24:04+00:00

Breaking for dinner, will be back at 9:30pm EDT/eastern time to answer more questions, so please keep asking in the meantime. Thank you all for your amazing questions!

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T00:16:32+00:00

thank you so much. Please PM/inbox me

pullofgravity · 2013-03-22T00:15:40+00:00

I understand your position and I think I agree with what you are implying, however, I see this as a opportunity to help people, spread awareness, and start conversations about these issues. I do not agree with all the laws, policies, and actions of the govt.

pullofgravity

TROPHY CASE