Types Of Us Federal Prisons Puns

EDIT: Thank you all so much for this incredible opportunity to share my experience with you. Your questions were great, inspiring, and moving. I hope that you will take the time to look at our website, stay abreast of the life of the project, and share it with others. We are open to all inquiries for screenings, collaboration or any support. If there is demand for another AMA I would be more than happy to do one in a few weeks. Please see the info below for how to connect with myself and with the film. Thank you so much. -El

www.pullofgravityfilm.com

on twitter www.twitter.com/pullofgravfilm

on facebook: www.facebook.com/pullofgravityfilm

My name is El Sawyer. I was sentenced to 8-20 years for a shooting when I was 17. I served 8 years in SCI Graterford, Pennsylvania's largest maximum security prison. While I was incarcerated I had the chance to learn film/video production. When I came home from prison I dedicated myself to community service and video production, and am now a director of a community arts non-profit in Philly called The Village of Arts and Humanities (www.villagearts.org)

Re-entry and recidivism is a huge issue, and through my own struggles with returning to society, I felt the need to create a film about the topic to shed light on some of these issues. The film is called Pull of Gravity (www.pullofgravityfilm.com) and follows three men (I'm one of them) in different stages of reintegration. The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of PA reached out to me three years ago to lead classes for at-risk youth using video as a violence prevention tool. From the success of those classes they have put their full support behind the film.

Trailer for the film: https://vimeo.com/57340780

I'm happy to talk about what led me to prison, being in prison, the filmmaking process, etc etc.

Ask me anything.

EDIT: The guy I shot did NOT die. He lived and testified against me in court.

proof:

1. Twitter pic: (https://twitter.com/pullofgravfilm/status/314821769007616000/photo/1)

2. Video interview from Phila. Inquirer about the film: (http://www.philly.com/philly/video/BC2125099929001.html)

I was just looking at someone like the the shoe bomber, 3 life sentences and 110 years in federal prison, but he is a British citizen.

So does he get a special type of visa to stay in the US? Is there a special exemption for prisoners? What about someone that has a chance of getting out (say, 10 years), did they commit the crime of overstaying their visa in prison? Does ICE ever deport people who are serving their sentence?