Independent Lens
Three Chaplains
Three Muslim chaplains aim to make change in one of America’s most powerful institutions—the military. For them, the fight for equality and religious freedom begins on the inside.
Constance
A lifelong Republican District Attorney in small-town Texas pursues criminal justice reform in the face of resistance from her conservative community.
- Series
- Independent Lens
- Premiere Date
- April 25, 2021
- Length
- 12:41 minutes
- Funding Initiative
- Short-Form Series and Special Projects
Producer/Director
Sally O'Grady
Sally O’Grady is a producer and director whose non-fiction films have appeared at festivals throughout Europe, Australia and the U.S. She has created content for National Geographic, History Channel, The Smithsonian, MSNBC, PBS and Discovery Channel. Originally from Sydney, Australia, she now lives in Austin, TX where, along with friend and… Show more
We fund untold stories for public media.
Learn more about funding opportunities with ITVS.
The Film
Elected in 2019, District Attorney Constance Filley Johnson of Victoria, Texas has an agenda. A lifelong Republican, Filley Johnson aims to implement and expand alternative sentencing in her community through specialty courts, programs that involve rigorous outpatient treatment, counselling, training, and accountability as an alternative to jail time for nonviolent offenders. In order to be successful, these programs must have active support from local judges, but there is resistance to the non-punitive approach in this small town. If Filley Johnson can persuade conservative Judge Eli Garza to participate in her DWI and drug courts, she has a chance at making a tangible change to the lives of individuals caught up in the criminal justice system.
