On this edition of Your Call, we discuss 26.226.2 to Life, a documentary that follows inmates of San Quentin Prison as they undertake the challenge of running a marathon behind bars.
According to the Sentencing Project, there are two million people in the United States’ prisons and jails — a 500 percent increase over the last 40 years. More than 200,000 of those incarcerated people are serving life sentences — one out of every seven in prison.
26.2 to Life offers a rare glimpse into a world out-of-bounds, as inmates navigating life sentences seek redemption and freedom. What can their journeys tell us about the power of personal transformation within the structure of the American carceral system?
The film opened September 22 at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, Rialto Cinemas Elmwood in Berkeley and Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol.
Starting Oct 6 you can catch it at New Parkway in Oakland.
Guests:
Christine Yoo, director, producer, writer, and volunteer at San Quentin State Prison
Frank Ruona, marathon and ultramarathon runner and coach of the San Quentin’s 1000 Mile Club
Markelle Taylor, marathon athlete and former member of San Quentin’s 1000 mile club, board member of Marin County’s Tamalpa Runners Club
Web Resources:
San Quentin Marathon: 26.2 To Life
The Sentencing Project: No End In Sight: America’s Enduring Reliance on Life Sentences