Hell Behind Prison WallsStatus:
In Development
About the StorySociety started building prisons in the sixteenth-century with the main concept being lawful detainment. As the centuries passed, so did the purpose of advancing prison reform. By the nineteenth-century, our prisons began focusing on education, vocational and industrial learning programs. Administrative leaders took charge, along with the prison guards that were the backbone of the prison system, enforcing strict discipline, which made prisons a lot safer to work in. They produce inmates that return back into society with a more productive outlook on life. The first Reformatory built in the world was in Elmira New York in 1876. It was called the Elmira Reformatory. The first superindentent was Zebulon Reed Brockway, who was a master warden that understood the criminal mind. Brockway paved the way for all federal and state prisons by starting one of the best methods of disciplining prisoners ever designed in a prison system, the Military Style Drill. He also introduced the first academic, vocational and industrial programs that are still being used today in many federal and state prisons. When Brockway retired in 1900, the recidivism rate was sixteen-percent. After his retirement, prison officials gave him the title as the "Grandfather of Wardens." Brockway left behind a legacy that will be remembered but never duplicated. “Hell Behind Prison Walls” is based on the true life experiences of John J. Pecchio. Mr. Pecchio, regional best selling author of Hell Behind Prison Walls and The Devil's Den of Prison and Justice , has pen these books, offering unique insight into the inner workings of America 's prisons. He gives his readers a definitive look into the cause behind their major problems, which were shockingly created by lawmakers and prison officials. Many people naively believe that incarceration inevitably leads to rehabilitation; and are lulled into a false sense of security, when in fact the justice system is failing to take necessary steps in rehabilitating prisoners and in keeping society and prison workers safe.
Three years after Pecchio started working at the prison in 1966, the prison was still call the Elmira Reformatory. But lawmakers and politicians pressured prison leaders, which took a well run prison system and turned it into a nightmare from hell. They began experimenting for a better reform system, and started by passing more humanitarian laws to protect prisoner's right without knowing the impact those laws were going to have on prisons and society. The names of all federal and state prisons and reformatories were not called Correctional Facilities, and guards were called Correctional Officers. The morale of prisons staff started declining when “Prisoners Rights” began taking precedence over all else, and now has hit an all time low. Correctional Officers were downgraded from being the backbone of the prison system to glorified babysitting robots. Along with civilian staff, they lived in fear of violent inmates. Now there was more to fear because prison staffs were being reprimanded or fired by their superiors on an inmate's word, violating prisoner's rights, using too much physical force in breaking up inmate fighting and/or when using too much physical force when protecting themselves from violent inmates. After almost three-decades, surviving the horrors of prison life, Pecchio still remembers the staggering effect of moving daily between freedom and captivity while walking the delicate line between administrative politics and the threat of inmate violence. After working all those years, and just before Pecchio was ready to retire, that horrifying moment of what he feared the most would happen, did happen. On the morning of September 6, 1991 , he was in his shop ready to instruct inmates. When without warning a muscular 275 pound inmate quietly came up from behind and brutally attacked him. This violent inmate was a cold-blooded killer, serving two life terms for killing several people. Because of a failing prison system, this attack was inevitable.
Now it's time to expose the truth on how prison leaders became political followers, catering to politicians and lawmakers. Their new prison reform system has failed, repeatedly, to rehabilitate dangerous criminals. Instead of enforcing self-discipline, a no-tolerance policy for infractions, and a strong work ethic into the prisoners' daily lives, officials have allowed them to hide behind their civil rights. And in doing so, indulged and catered to their every whim for fear of retribution. This critical breakdown in power is thereby leading to a complete loss of authority and control in the prison system. Now retired, Mr. Pecchio hopes his books and the documentary, will help to rebuild prisons and bring back what they were intended for. About the Production
Golden Horse Productions was approached by Mr. Pecchio in March 2007, regarding the possibility of bringing his books to the film screen. Sherry Teleky Waple, producer for Golden Horse Productions, requested copies of his books to research the story. Waple was so captivated and intrigued by the stories told by Pecchio, that she immediately contacted Pecchio after finishing the first book to express Golden Horse Productions interest in producing a documentary to help tell his stories and show the public what really goes on behind the walls of prison. “What Pecchio talks about in his books is so true of our system today” Waple states. Having worked in the legal field for over 15 years, Waple has plenty of insight into how the system works and a strong belief and motivation to produce a film that will be controversial and challenge the system. “I want to make the world see just how inappropriate our system has become. Show them why the recidivism rate is so high. Our hopes are that in doing so, we can raise enough awareness to bring forth changes. Not only to protect society, but prisoner workers and prisoners”.
Through “Hell Behind Prison Walls”, we will be show: 1) that taxpayers', who pay for all criminals and court costs, how their money is really being spent behind those prison walls pampering and catering to dangerous prisoners that will never be disciplined or rehabilitate; 2) how prisons are failing and why repeat felons commit most of the crimes in the United States; 3) how the recidivism rates are very high - 67%, and then 80% with 15 or more arrest and then 90% of sex offenders, and all will return to prisons in 1-to-3 years committing the same crimes; 4) how society is living in constant fear of repeat felons who keep returning back into their society that are not disciplined or rehabilitate; 5) how Federal and State prisons are failing, and like our courtrooms they have become a playground for criminals retrying the same criminals over and over and still, because of the lack of administrative and prisoner discipline they will be released again to keep terrorizing our society; 6) how lawmakers keep passing laws to protect prisoner's rights without knowing the impact those laws are going to have on prisons and society. And now that prisoner's rights have taken precedence over all else our prisons, have become a ticking time-bomb; 7) Because of repeat felons committing most of the crimes in our society, one law enforcement officer dies every 57 hours; 8) we have over 700,000 violent gang and 21,000 our youthful gangs terrorizing our society, and they filter down through our prison systems continuing putting fear into the prison systems. Thugs control the prison population and there is no turning back once you become a thug member and want to leave you will be killed; 9) How the non-violent criminals fear for their lives, become sex slaves, robbed of their commissary and packages from home just to survive. And many will commit suicide in their cells because correctional officers cannot fully protect criminals in any prisons; 10) Prisons were not built for prisoners to brutally attack prison staff, verbally and physically or throw bodily fluids on them for pleasure or revenge, and then just get a slap on the wrist; 11) Without strict discipline, prisoners have no fear of prison security, and what discipline they do get, they say, ‘what can you do to me because I am already lock up.'; 12) Once you give prisoners rights and take some away, they see that as punishment and will retaliate. As they did in the Attica Riot in 1972, and that was over 15 prisoner's demands; 12) The Military Style Drill was taken out of the dangerous prisons because it was too hard on the inmates; 13) The way some of these more violent prisoners act now in prison, their rights should be limited to just the Geneva Convention laws that are given to war criminals. If you violate a victim's rights, then you should not have rights as a criminal while incarcerated. You as a criminal should earn those right back before you are paroled; 14) Prisoners should not be able to file frivolous or any lawsuits against the prison system and its employees; 15) The prison system should not pay for legal aid attorneys to represent prisoners, at taxpayers' expense. They are in there for a crime and not to be treated like they were in a Sunday school for orphans. Golden Horse Productions is in the development stages of “Hell Behind Prison Walls” which shares the same names as Pecchio's first book. A budget has been prepared, and a letter of intent signed. Waple hopes financing can be secured so production can begin within the next six months. Financing is always the most difficult aspect of filmmaking, but for a project of this magnitude, with the potential to make changes in the way our prison systems work, there are high hopes that support will be coming forthright. Anyone wishing to help in the financing of this project, please contact the producer at sherry@goldenhorseproductions.com .
Pre-production will begin once financing is secured. This is slated for a 25-day shoot, with interviews from Mr. Pecchio, past and present correctional officers, prisoners and prison officials, politicians, activists groups, repeat offenders, victim's families, attorneys, and many more. Some re-enactments of events depicted in Mr. Pecchio's books may also be created. The film will be shot using the Sony P2 HD camera and edited using Final Cut Pro.
The Cast
The CrewSherry Teleky Waple - Director/Producer James Hollenbaugh - Director of Photography
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