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Piece Description
At the age of 15, Cristel viciously attacked a rival classmate with a razor blade. The crime was one of the most violent acts ever committed by a young girl in Rhode Island. Now, after 3 1/2 years of incarceration, Cristel is getting ready to be released early. Many in the state consider her to be a poster child for rehabilitation.
Transcript
Going Home: Cristel?s Diary
Prison Diaries
Produced by: Joe Richman All Things Considered (NPR)
1/23/2001
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: Today we have the last in our series, "Prison Diaries." It takes place at The Rhode Island Training School. To the young people locked up inside it?s known simply as "The Ritz." The training school houses all of Rhode Island?s juvenile offenders, boys and girls. Cristel was fifteen when she attacked a classmate with a razor blade. When the fight was over the other girl needed more than 100 stitches on her face and neck. Cristel was sentenced to 6 and one-half years at the Ritz. She was five months pregnant and very angry. But slowly, things started to change. This is Cristel?s story.
[Hear knocking on door]
JUVENILE PROGRAM WORKER(JPW): Cristel, 6?oclock, time to get up.
CRISTEL: Coming. [Yawns] 6 am. [Clears throat] This is Cristel. I?m here. Sitting on my...
Read the full transcript
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Eric Nuzum
Posted on March 25, 2004 at 01:14 AM | Permalink
Review of Going Home: Cristel's Diary
Like all great documentaries, the piece offers a subject that is relatable, but doesn't fit into predictable patterns or clean outcomes. When you first hear this piece, there is a nagging feeling that you are about to experience a cliche: showing how "the system" really does work. However, the more time you spend with Cristel, you realize the change she has experienced has nothing to do with the penal system and everything to do with the emergence of her own character. She is the source of her success.
When the piece ends, we see Cristel happy and excited to have a chance at life with her daughter, but everything isn't rosey and resolved. We're left with Cristel commenting on seeing her first sun rise, commenting, "It was so beautiful...it made me think this is what normal life is like. I remember that."
Strangely, it would be a mistake to try to "peg" this piece to a topic or program "theme"--that effort won't serve the piece or the program well--it's too universal for that. Stations should just drop this in as it fits. It is engaging, inspiring, and tremendously human.