Unforgettable Lies: Framing Jamie Snow
Arts
FILM 171S: Making an Exoneree
Jamie Snow is an Illinois native who has been wrongfully imprisoned and denied freedom for the last 25 years. Over two quarters, my group and I worked on Jamie’s case alongside students from Georgetown University as part of their Prisons and Justice Initiative. During the first quarter, we intensively researched Jamie's case and had discussions with everyone involved, from legal advisors to family members. After establishing a plan of approach, we flew to Illinois during the second quarter to continue the investigation and conduct interviews that shed new perspectives on the case. Upon returning to California, we were tasked with the challenge of presenting all the information we had gathered into an eight-minute documentary. This was a task that involved many difficult conversations with Jamie’s family and our Georgetown teammates, but by the end of the course, not only were we left with the film itself, which has allowed us to relay Jamie's story to important figures such as the governor of Illinois, but more importantly a lasting drive to advocate for Jamie's innocence alongside his family. The film largely speaks for itself, as it lays out example after example of all the ways that the justice system of Illinois has wronged Jamie. Our group hopes that the distribution of this short documentary will both generate awareness of Jamie’s undeniable mistreatment and, more importantly, invite individuals to get involved in his exoneration efforts. An uncountable number of thanks are owed to Jamie’s family, Professor Sharon Daniel, and of course our Georgetown team members for granting us the opportunity to tell Jamie’s story.
