Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

"TOO FLAWED TO FIX”: A DOCUMENTARY
OF THE ILLINOIS DEATH PENALTY EXPERIENCE

The Illinois Death Penalty Experience" explores and exposes the irreparable flaws in a criminal justice system that has wrongfully convicted 17 people in Illinois. This documentary presents viewers with an explanation of all that is wrong with state funded executions used as a means to control crime. It also presents actual testimony from the families of murder victims who explain the myth of "closure" - in that there is nothing gained by taking another life.

Jackie Rivet-River, President of Peace Productions worked with John Lyons, Amnesty International's State Abolition Death Penalty Coordinator to produce and direct a powerful documentary film that presents viewers with a living testimony on what's wrong with the death penalty.

The production team worked pro bono throughout most of 2002 to record the statements of numerous individuals including four of 17 death row inmates who were eventually exonerated: Anthony Porter, Gary Gauger, Steve Smith and Perry Cobb.
The commentary of former Illinois Governor George Ryan, who allowed the producers to use the Thompson Center pressroom for one day's filming, are also included as he ponders what decision to take regarding the system in Illinois. The documentary was completed in early December 2002... shortly before he announced commutations and exonerations.

Funding for production of the film has been provided by a number of organizations including: Amnesty International, USA American Friends Service Committee, Citizens Alert, The Campaign to End the Death Penalty, The Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation, The Tides Foundation, The David K. Hardin Generativity Trust and many Orders of the Benedictines and Dominicans as well as many other individuals.

Other notable individuals who appear in the film include Moses W. Harrison II, then Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, Thomas Sullivan - Co-Chair of the Governor's Commission on Capital Punishment (who kindly hosted one day of filming at Jenner and Block Law Firm), Senator Paul Simon, Co-Chair of the Commission David Protess - Professor of Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University who worked with his students on the Anthony Porter case and others; Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins, National Chair, Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation; Jeanne Bishop MVFR and a defense lawyer for capital cases; Francis Cardinal George, Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago; Lawrence C. Marshall, Legal Director, Northwestern Center on Wrongful Convictions; Rob Warden, former Director of the Center; defense attorney Aviva Futorian (pictured above); defense attorney Charles Hoffman; mothers of death row inmates, including JoAnne Patterson, mother of recently exonerated Aaron Patterson; and other religious, community and grassroots activists.