Synopsis

“I wasn’t a bad kid. I just made bad decisions.” Jason Hernandez was barely 21 when he was sentenced to life without parole, plus 320 years, for a nonviolent drug crime. Jason’s Sentence is part of a short animated documentary series about mass incarceration in the U.S., which shows the toll that an abusive and unjust criminal system takes on individuals, families, and communities.

Elyse Kelly

Elyse Kelly is a director, producer and animator based in Washington DC. She co-directed Fired Up, an animated short that depicts the origins of President Obama’s “fired up, ready to go” chant. Released on the final day of the Obama presidency, the film was featured by The Atlantic and has had more than 7 million views. Elyse has over a decade of experience in animation and film, working on commercials, television specials, music videos, short independent films, and documentary series for clients such as Nickelodeon, Columbia Records, ESPN Films, Upworthy and Disney Research.