The events are free and open to the public. Learn more about the films and see more event details on the Native American Studies Program website.
On February 25, from 6 to 8pm, Burden of Innocence will be screened in Room G21 of Ming Hsieh Hall. A panel discussion led by Professor Melissa Giggenbach, Director of the WV Innocence Project at the WVU College of Law, will follow. Panelists include exoneree Debra Milke, who spent 22 years on Arizona’s death row, and Tony Walton, who is currently fighting his wrongful conviction for armed robbery in Fayette County, West Virginia.
"WVIP is thrilled to partner with other esteemed organizations for the Human Rights Film Series to shed light on the hurdles innocent men and women face when they are released from prison,” said Giggenbach. “Prison leaves an indelible mark that formerly incarcerated individuals carry with them for the rest of their lives. Burden of Innocence is an important film that helps those of us in their communities understand their plight and how critical it is to offer a welcoming and supportive homecoming.”
Produced by Ofra Bikel, Burden of Innocence highlights the lasting psychological effects faced by exonerees following their release, along with the social and economic barriers they must navigate, often without institutional support. The film explores systemic factors that contribute to wrongful convictions, including eyewitness misidentification, unreliable informant testimony, false confessions, improper or misleading forensic evidence, and inadequate legal representation. It invites viewers to engage more deeply with issues of justice, accountability, and human rights.
On March 4, from 6 to 8pm, College Behind Bars will be screened in Room G21 of Ming Hsieh Hall. The screening is followed by a panel discussion co-led by Dr. Katy Ryan, director of the WVU Center for Prison Education and Research and founder of the Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP), and WVU doctoral student Danielle Stoneberg, a coordinator for both APBP and the WVU Higher Education in Prison Initiative. Panelists include Bard College graduate Darryl Byers-Robinson, who was formerly incarcerated and is featured in the film, and Celeste Monette Blair, a poet and visual artist recently released from federal prison. WVU Bookstore will staff a book-signing for This Book is Free and yours to Keep: Notes from the Appalachian Prison Book Project, an award-winning WVU Press publication.
“College Behind Bars tells the story of how powerful and life-changing education can be,” said Ryan. “At the Center for Prison Education and Research, we are working to build this kind of higher education in prison program, one that responds to the needs of students and that is guided by research, community, and care.”
College Behind Bars is an inspiring documentary series that follows incarcerated men and women as they pursue college degrees while serving prison sentences.. Over four years of study, participants become scholars, confront their pasts, challenge stereotypes, and prepare for reentry into society. Directed by Lynn Novick, produced by Sarah Botstein, and executive produced by Ken Burns, the four-part series examines incarceration, race, inequality, and the transformative power of education in America. The film focuses on students enrolled in the Bard Prison Initiative, one of the most demanding and effective higher education programs in the United States.
The WVU Native American Studies Program in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences hosts the annual film series.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to engage with the community through these powerful films and the generous panelists sharing their invaluable perspectives and life experiences,” said NAS Program Coordinator Bonnie Brown. “At this heated point in our nation’s history, these films and presentations compel us to deeply consider both the human and civil rights of others, especially those being apprehended, detained, and incarcerated.”
The film series is made possible by the WVU Community Human Rights Film Fund, established by Morgantown residents Don Spencer and the late Carol Howe Hamblen.
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