In 1998, the state of Pennsylvania launched a pioneering mediation program in which victims of violent crimes or their family members could meet face-to-face with the perpetrators of their crimes. The program provides an opportunity for survivors to express long-brewing emotions and get answers to questions that have haunted them.  It also allows perpetrators to express remorse and attempt to make amends after years of reflection.  BEYOND CONVICTION follows three pairs of survivors and perpetrators as they go through this emotionally intense program. This powerful documentary provides a rare glimpse into the lingering pain, questions and regrets for both sides and reveals the bold and difficult path to redemption and reconciliation.These stories are part of a revolutionary new approach to criminal justice called Restorative Justice which focuses on the human-versus legal- consequences of crime. Pennsylvania is one of only a handful of states that offers Victim-Offender Mediation as part of its regular criminal justice process and is also one of the few to work with violent crime cases. Over a five year period, filmmaker Rachel Libert had complete access to the program, and captured the stories from the beginning - when the survivors first request to meet with the perpetrators, to the meeting itself, and finally to the after-effects of the year-long process on both the survivors and the perpetrators.  This access allows a tremendous sense of immediacy and the raw emotion displayed is riveting. The pain of each survivor (a woman who was raped, the mother of a murdered son, the daughter of a murdered mother) is matched by the guilt and remorse of the perpetrators.  Loaded questions like "How could you kill someone you love?", "Why me?" and "What were her last words?"  lead to gut-wrenching confessions and inconceivable forgiveness.BEYOND CONVICTION offers an eye-opening look into a process that could have far-reaching repercussions for the ways we approach crime, criminal justice and conflict resolution.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.