A new documentary film, produced with the Fund’s support, examines the politics of parole through the case of Ronnie Carrasquillo, who was convicted of killing a plainclothes police officer 47 years ago. Dan Protess, producer and director of the film, filed public records requests, dug through documents, interviewed sources, and filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department, in order to shed light on the parole board and show how easily the parole process can be influenced. The film shows how the Fraternal Order of Police and the Chicago Police Department held sway over the Illinois Prisoner Review Board’s decisionmaking by employing lobbyists, launching a taxpayer-funded investigation of Carrasquillo and sending armed police officers to watch over the board’s proceedings. The film premiered this month at the Chicago Cultural Center, and it will air on WTTW (Chicago PBS) on December 27 at 9 pm, and stream on wttw.com and the PBS app.
Grantee documentary film shines a light on political influence over parole process in Illinois
