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About This Project
Summary
Cell Double L is the final cell in Oklahoma State Penitentiary. It is the cell you occupy before your execution. We speak to three men and their loved ones over the course of a year as they move through death watch row. The editorial team intentionally avoided the pull structure the story around the crimes committed by the characters in the story, and instead built a story around the experience of living on Death Watch Row, and the experience of execution.
Goals & Objectives
Our first goal was to humanize, because incarcerated people are often dehumanized so completely in our imaginations that we are willing to accept killing them, in violation of many human rights statutes. Second, we hoped to show the impact of incarceration and capital punishment on communities.
Results & Impact
Father Forgive Them was broadcast to 1 Million NPR Listeners. After this story aired Wade Lay was spared from his execution on June 6th and declared mentally incompetent. Reviews of the story (See URL) show that Snap's first person storytelling was able create empathy and change hearts and minds.
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