Presumed innocent

“Presumed Innocent” is a video documentary about pretrial detention at the House of Detention for Men on Rikers Island, N.Y.C. The documentary focuses on the bail system, the problems and conditions of confinement, and how pretrial detention affects the outcome of criminal cases for indigent defendants. Structured around the daily lives of people in jail the documentary presents stark verite sequences including: a shakedown, a strip search, a suicide announcement, a stabbing, a sick call, a family visit and a man released on bail. These sequences are intercut with commentary from inmates, corrections officers, judges, lawyers, and other criminal justice officials.