I've seen this documentary before, but it never ceases to amaze me - not only because it's so well put together, but also because the topic hits so close to home. When I was a senior in high school, my stepdad was arrested and sent to prison in Huntsville, Texas where he served time for 16 years. He's out now, but the whole episode was really hard on my family. At the time when it happened, I was busy applying for colleges and trying to figure out a way to ace the SAT because I kept bombing the math section. (Math and I have never been a subject that got along.) It wasn't until years later that I actually looked up the reason for his arrest and, according to his paperwork, it was for a parole violation. I guess I was so wrapped up in my teenage world that I didn't even know he was on parole. I remember my parents arguing a lot during that time, but I was really into my music then (yep, super band nerd right here) and I didn't notice what they were arguing about. Anyways, my stepdad basically went to a prison for a very long time thanks to some trumped up charges the racist sheriff of my town made up in addition to the parole violation and no one fought it. To be honest, there was no money for anyone to pay for such a thing anyways.
So, time marched on and my mother never remarried. My biological father died when I was four (he was in and out of jail for reasons that no one in my family discusses) and my stepdad spent the majority of his life in prison. I also have many black male cousins who have are also locked away in prison on bogus charges. All of this to say that I can never watch 13th without catching all the feels of anger, frustration and sadness for the black men and families in America that have been affected by the topics addressed in the film.
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