Video Advocacy for North Carolina Parole Applications (2025-2026)
Background
North Carolina has seen a dramatic increase in its prison population over the past few decades, contributing to the larger national crisis of mass incarceration. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, in 2023, the state’s prison population surpassed 37,000 incarcerated people with a disproportionate effect on communities of color, with Black people being incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of white people.
In North Carolina, the parole process serves as an important avenue for incarcerated individuals seeking to reintegrate into the community outside of prison walls. However, parole is denied to many people due, in part, to the difficulty people experience in navigating the labyrinth of the parole system. Many incarcerated individuals and their families receive limited guidance about how to apply and present their best case for parole, and parole commissioners need additional information about an incarcerated person to understand the full context of their case for relief.
Incorporating video into parole applications is an innovative practice gaining traction. Organizations like WITNESS and the Legal Aid Society have started producing such videos to bolster legal advocacy. These “mitigation videos” serve as visual tools to enhance traditional written parole applications and provide context into a parole applicant’s character, circumstances and community.
Project Description
Partnering with the Decarceration Project at Duke Law School, this project team will work directly with parole applicants to create short mitigation videos that explore a parole applicant’s life before and during incarceration, highlighting their character, community support and plans for reintegration.
By showcasing personal stories, skills and community involvement, these mitigation videos will give the Parole Commission deeper insight into individuals seeking parole. This approach aims to enhance applications and improve the chances of successful reintegration for incarcerated individuals in North Carolina by highlighting the community support available to them.
Team members will explore foundational texts on parole, clemency and incarceration, gaining an understanding of the systemic issues involved and stories of directly impacted individuals. They will also document and observe the creative and legal processes behind producing a parole video.
Law students and students with film editing skills will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and contribute more directly to the creation of parole videos, working collaboratively with community members. This will involve video editing, production and storytelling. Students may also contribute to writing an academic research paper related to the project, with the potential for publication.
All team members will play a role in shaping a structure for producing future parole videos at Duke. This includes helping to create guides, process documents and best practices that will support the production of future videos. By ensuring that the process can be replicated and improved over time, students will help create the framework for future advocacy.
Ultimately, the team will seek to establish a robust model at Duke that enables collaboration among students interested in film and law to create mitigation videos that give incarcerated individuals in North Carolina a better chance at parole.
Anticipated Outputs
Pilot program at Duke for video production to aid parole applicants in North Carolina; 2-3 finalized mitigation videos for parole applicants
Student Opportunities
Ideally, this project team will include 6 graduate students and 4 undergraduate students interested in law, documentary filmmaking, human rights and parole advocacy.
The entire team will meet weekly for both editing workshops and discussions on assigned texts related to video advocacy. Early in the term, meetings will focus on reading, discussion and brainstorming, engaging with texts that inform the ethical and legal considerations of using video in parole advocacy. As the process progresses, the meetings will shift toward being more editing-focused workshops, allowing for more collaboration to finalize the videos.
The team will be divided into two subteams, each focused on one parole video. Law students will guide the legal and advocacy strategy for the videos, while film students will lead the technical and creative process.
By the end of the project, students will have developed practical skills in media production and strengthened their ability to collaborate across disciplines. Combining technical film skills with legal advocacy will prepare students for roles at the intersection of media, law and human rights.
Timing
Fall 2025 – Spring 2026
- Fall 2025: Produce and complete first round of videos
- Spring 2026: Produce and complete second round of videos
Crediting
Academic credit available for fall and spring semesters