Prison officials in Iowa will be closely watching the Academy Awards ceremony Sunday night. A short documentary film shot in 2006 at the State Penitentiary in Fort Madison is up for an Oscar.
“Prison Terminal” by director Edgar Barens focuses on the hospice care given by inmates to fellow prisoners in their final days. The director of the Iowa Department of Corrections is John Baldwin. “He filmed Jack Hall, who was a private in World War II, fought in Germany, and was taken prisoner. His son killed himself after a bad drug experience. Jack went out and killed the drug dealer, and served life,” Baldwin said.
The 42-minute long film is a nominee in the Best Documentary Short category. “We are intensely smug and proud, and hopefully we will win an Oscar,” Baldwin said. “Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall” was produced in association with HBO and will premiere on the network March 31st.