Classroom 4: Studying crime and punishment from inside prison in the US

In a prison classroom, Professor Reiko Hillyer brings together university students and imprisoned men to study the history of crime and punishment in the United States. As they examine the origins of prisons, abolition, guilt and mercy, the course breaks down the barriers that keep prisoners invisible.

Through honest exchanges and shared reflections, students confront their assumptions and discover the wider human consequences of mass imprisonment. What begins as an academic exercise becomes a transformative dialogue, revealing unexpected insights and challenging everyone to rethink justice, responsibility and redemption.

Classroom 4 is a documentary film by Eden Wurmfeld.