Browse Films

Writ Writer portrays the historic conflict that emerged in the 1960s when Texas prisoners petitioned the courts for relief from inhumane prison conditions. Focusing on the story of self-taught jailhouse lawyer Fred Arispe Cruz, the film uncovers his legal battle, his collaboration with poverty law attorney Frances Jalet, and his successful litigation for the right of Texas prisoners to assist one another with lawsuits. His litigation paved the legal path for Ruiz v Estelle, the most comprehensive court-ordered state prison reform litigation in U.S. history.

This Silver Gavel award winner includes commentary by civil rights attorneys William Bennett Turner and Steve J. Martin, and rare on-camera interviews with former Texas prison wardens and prisoners, and illuminates a critical chapter in the contemporary history of U.S. corrections.

Archival films of Texas prison life are combined with original documentary footage to reveal a troubled prison system on the verge of historic change. Dramatic aspects of the story emerge from the courtroom testimony, correspondence and diaries of Cruz over the course of his legal battle.

Writ Writer presents an extraordinary portrait of a brave and indefatigable man who stood up to insurmountable odds. Highly recommended.
P. Hall
Video Librarian

WRIT WRITER is a terrific film about a fascinating story in correctional history. It will be of interest to instructors and students, and will stimulate a deeper understanding of the complexities of prison law and prison reform.
Todd R. Clear, PhD
John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Watching Writ Writer, viewers experience its seamless, methodical, gripping pace, which seems pitch perfect for the story it narrates - of human degradation, cunning and courage, triumph, and personal tragedy. The documentary should engage young people and adults alike. Writ Writer shows how one person can use the courage of his humanity and the resources of the law to make a difference.
American Bar Association

...a profound film of sociological relevance...
Rebecca L. Bordt, PhD
Teaching Sociology

A gripping tale of a jailhouse lawyer who made a difference.
David Yas, Publisher
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

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AWARDS & SCREENINGS:

• 2009 SILVER GAVEL AWARD, American Bar Association

• Independent Lens (PBS), national television broadcast, 2008
• SXSW Film Festival, 2008
• San Diego Latino Film Festival, 2008
• CineFestival San Antonio, 2008
• Tulipanes Latino Art and Film Festival
• Rock the LockUp Prison Reform Film Festival
• Critical Resistance 10 Film Festival