(Image
via
HBO
Max)
When
it
comes
to
teenage
offenders
who
have
been
convicted
of
violent
crimes,
how
much
punishment
is
enough?
Are
we
a
society
that
believes
in
second
chances,
or
would
we
rather
condemn
the
guilty
to
a
lifetime
spent
behind
bars,
one
parole
denial
at
a
time?
In
“Nature
of
the
Crime,”
a
powerful
new
documentary
that
premiered
on
HBO
this
week,
directors
Ricki
Stern
and
Jesse
Sweet
challenge
viewers
with
the
difficult
task
of
observing
the
complexities
of
the
American
system
of
crime
and
punishment
and
assessing
whether
our
approach
to
parole
actually
acknowledges
whether
rehabilitation
is
possible.
When,
in
the
eyes
of
the
parole
board,
does
the
nature
of
the
human
being
who
is
pleading
their
case
become
more
meaningful
than
the
nature
of
the
crime
that
occurred
so
many
years
ago?
The
story
is
told
through
the
lens
of
Chad
Campbell,
Carlos
Rebollo,
and
Todd
Scott
—
three
boys
who
became
men
while
living
behind
bars
—
who
committed
heinous
crimes
when
they
were
14,
15,
and
19,
respectively,
as
they
prepare
for
their
upcoming
parole
interviews.
Campbell
was
sentenced
to
two
consecutive
prison
terms
of
nine
years
to
life
for
two
counts
of
second-degree
murder
after
he
killed
a
classmate
and
the
toddler
she
was
babysitting.
Rebollo
was
sentenced
to
45
years
in
prison
after
he
was
convicted
of
arson
and
attempted
murder.
Scott
was
sentenced
to
25
years
to
life
after
he
was
convicted
of
second-degree
murder
for
his
involvement
in
the
death
of
a
New
York
police
officer.
Collectively,
they’ve
served
85
years
behind
bars,
and
only
one
of
them
has
been
paroled.
“There’s
so
little
attention
paid
to
how
are
people
being
released,
what’s
determining
who’s
getting
released,”
Sweet
told
Above
the
Law
in
an
interview.
“And
that’s
just
as
impactful
on
hundreds
of
thousands
of
people
in
terms
of
how
long
they’re
going
to
be
in
prison
and
the
nature
of
their
sentences.
As
we
got
deeper
and
deeper,
we
realized
how
short
the
parole
system
falls
from
what
it’s
set
out
to
do.”
Stern
echoed
Sweet’s
thoughts,
explaining
that
while
it
wasn’t
their
goal
for
the
film
to
be
“an
advocacy
piece
on
its
face,”
they
wanted
the
audience
to
wrestle
with
how
to
determine
whether
an
offender
should
be
released
from
prison.
“You
spent
the
film
sort
of
understanding
who
these
people
are
and
witnessing
how
they
have
changed
despite
being
in
prison
for
more
than
half
their
lives,”
she
said.
“They
essentially
grew
up
in
a
place
that
doesn’t
foster
change
or
growth.”
“It’s
almost
like
we
wanted
to
put
the
audience
in
the
seat
of
the
parole
commissioners.
How
do
they
demonstrate
remorse?
What
does
rehabilitation
look
like?
Have
they
served
enough
time
for
this
crime?
Who
gets
to
decide
that?”
Throughout
the
documentary,
we
watch
as
Campbell,
Rebello,
and
Scott
take
steps
to
prepare
for
interviews
with
the
parole
board
members
who
will
decide
their
fates,
witnessing
their
yearning
to
be
free
after
years
spent
attempting
to
change
themselves
for
the
better.
Though
their
attorneys’
work
is
powerful
and
purposeful
not
just
for
their
clients,
but
also
for
the
common
good,
we
ultimately
witness
Campbell
and
Scott’s
intense
disappointment,
while
Rebello
is
finally
able
to
leave
his
life
behind
bars
thanks
to
a
unique
parole
reform
program
in
Connecticut.
Rochelle
Swartz,
a
senior
associate
at
Orrick
who
serves
as
Campbell’s
attorney,
shared
a
rather
striking
quote
during
the
movie,
saying,
“Do
we
want
to
live
in
a
country
where
a
child
commits
a
crime
that’s
terrible
and
horrific
and
they
spend
their
lives
in
prison
no
matter
who
they
become,
or
what
they
turn
into
as
they
grow
and
mature,
or
do
we
want
to
do
better
than
that?”
“The
fastest
asked
and
simplest
way
to
improve
or
reform
parole
in
New
York
would
be
for
the
judges
to
actually
exercise
judicial
review
and
to
stop
the
board
from
overstepping
its
authority,”
Swartz
said
in
an
interview
with
Above
the
Law.
Swartz,
who
refers
to
her
pro
bono
work
with
Campbell
as
“far
and
away
the
most
rewarding
thing
I’ve
ever
done
in
my
professional
career,”
recognizes
that
she’ll
be
working
with
her
client
for
quite
some
time
due
to
the
challenging
nature
of
parole
board
decisions.
“I
think
this
is
a
long-term
case
for
me.
I
think
I’m
going
to
spend
a
large
chunk
of
my
career
on
it,”
she
said.
“I
hope
I’m
wrong.
I
really
hope
I’m
wrong
in
that
Chad
gets
out
imminently.
We’re
only
six
years
in,
and
I
think
this
could
be
a
15
year
fight
—
but
I
hope
not.”
“Nature
of
the
Crime”
succeeds
as
a
thinkpiece
on
the
sum
and
substance
of
the
parole
system,
and
makes
the
audience
wonder
what,
if
anything,
can
be
done
to
possibly
repair,
rebuild,
and
reinvigorate
its
legal
framework
to
ensure
that
those
who
are
ready
to
be
released
from
prison
actually
can
and
will
be.
“When
is
enough
is
enough?
How
do
you
know
someone
deserves
a
second
chance?
I
think
what
we
want
people
to
do
is
honestly
ask
those
questions,”
Sweet
told
us.
“We
hope
people
watch
it
and
we
hope
it
sparks
a
conversation.
And
even
maybe
legislative
change,”
Stern
concluded.
“Nature
of
the
Crime”
is
now
streaming
on
Max.
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
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on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
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with
her
on LinkedIn.