Institute History
Description
The sex offender label is a scarlet letter in the United States. Individuals given this designation are relegated to a life of public shame, their photos posted online for all to see, with few opportunities for redemption. Only a small number of facilities, such as the beaten-down trailer park at the center of Frida and Lasse Barkfors’ unflinching new film, offer people the chance to confront their crimes and re-integrate—as much as the law will allow—into society. Although the formal title of the place is Florida Justice Transitions, local neighbors have nicknamed it “Pervert Park.” Within this outcast community, a handful of offenders tell searing personal stories that paint a troubling portrait of abuse and justice in America. Pervert Park seeks neither to forgive nor defend its subjects, some of whom have committed acts so atrocious they cannot even forgive themselves, but it does question the severity of laws designed to stifle rather than rehabilitate those yearning for a second chance. —H.V.