By Katie RessmeyerThe Daily Northwestern
Medill senior Ashima Singal and Johnnie Savory met for the first time in prison.
On Friday, almost two years later, the two came together again for Block Museum of Art’s screening of Singal’s documentary “A Life Wasted: The Story of Johnnie Savory.”
Singal met Savory through Northwestern School of Law’s Center on Wrongful Convictions, which investigates cases and represents prisoners who claim to have been wrongfully convicted of crimes.
In 1977, Savory was imprisoned for a double murder at the age of 14, but he has maintained his innocence even after being released on parole last December.
While in prison, Savory sent a letter to the center, which receives between 200 and 300 requests each month from inmates around the country.
The center chose to represent Savory because he has maintained his innocence for so long and his community supported him.
The case was referred to Singal after she expressed interest in creating a documentary on a prisoner.
“It is extremely motivating to know someone was literally putting the opportunity to be free in your hands,” Singal said.
Even though she sometimes encountered difficulty gaining access to Savory in prison, Singal said the biggest obstacle in the making of her documentary was obtaining funding.
After applying three times for a grant, Singal finally received $1,000 to edit her film and make DVDs.
“It took a long time to get the project on its feet,” Singal said. “Every time there was some delay I felt like I was letting him down.”
But Savory said he never sensed Singal’s frustration.
“I remember Ashima telling me she had (applied) for the different grants,” Savory said. “Each time she was denied she told me, ‘No matter, I’ll get it done.'”
It was this positive attitude that surprised Singal the first time she met Savory.
“I realized that the bitterness would only block me from reaching out to people,” Savory said. “They would have taken my physical life from me and the spiritual treasures.”
When Singal finished her 14-minute documentary last winter, she sent copies to about 50 legislators, media outlets and parole board representatives.
Singal said she received about 10 letters in response, mostly saying they had no way to help.
But Steve Drizin, legal director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, said he believes her documentary helped lead to Savory’s release.
“I believe this film might have had an impact on (Savory’s parole) board,” Drizin said.
Savory is currently living at a halfway home on Chicago’s South Side. Since his release, he said he has been working, speaking at colleges and getting used to the outside world in the 21st century.
But the case is still not closed.
Savory said he hopes to prove his innocence through the use of DNA evidence, which is currently denied by the federal courts because of how long ago the crime occurred.
“(The case) shouldn’t end until you submit this evidence,” Drizin said. “We believe this test would not only exclude Johnnie but reveal the true perpetrator.”
Friday’s event was the end of Singal’s two-year involvement with the project, which she called draining and extremely emotional.
“It was a big relief when Friday was over,” Singal said. “Friday was a recognition of that effort and an end to the project.”
Despite the difficulty of completing the documentary, Singal said it was rewarding experience.
“It is the one thing at NU I am most proud of,” Singal said.
Reach Katie Ressmeyer at [email protected].
