Where Justice Ends

Filmmakers George Zuber and Andres Rodriguez's shocking documentary looks at the abominable treatment that transgender people experience at the hands of the U.S. justice system. One in six transgender Americans ends up in prison at some point, and among transgender African Americans the number is one in two. But this film is not so much about statistics, as it is about people who are unmercifully thrown to the wolves. As several trans women tell their stories here, a pattern emerges involving rampant, discrimination-based unemployment that leads to desperate circumstances that involve the police and judges, who sentence trans women to men's prisons, where they are repeatedly abused, gang-raped, and beaten. Also told here is the story of a trans woman who defended herself on the street when she was assaulted by a stranger—killing her attacker but winding up in prison. All of these women point out that in any instance involving a transgender individual and police scrutiny, the prevailing presumption is that the trans person is to blame for any problem, despite contrary evidence. A film sure to make viewers angry—and one that reminds us there are still serious flaws in American jurisprudence—this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)