BET is teaming up with the Moving Picture Institute (MPI) to tell the story of criminal justice reform advocate Kemba Smith. A press release confirmed a feature-length TV movie is being developed, with principal photography kicking off next year. The as-yet untitled film will premiere on BET “with additional launch and distribution plans to be announced at a later date.”
When she was 23, and seven months pregnant, Smith was charged as a co-conspirator to her abusive boyfriend’s drug-trafficking crimes and sentenced to 24.5 years in prison without parole. She became the “poster child” for the rising number of first-time, non-violent offenders receiving unduly long prison sentences, and was frequently featured in the press. Bill Clinton eventually commuted Smith’s sentence in December 2000, when she had been incarcerated for 6.5 years.
“We are excited to partner with the Moving Picture Institute,” said Lorisa Bates, BET’s VP of Content Strategy, Co-Productions, and Multiplatform. “With projects like ‘Miss Virginia,’ the company’s objectives align with BET’s ongoing commitment to producing original and compelling stories focused on civil justice and social change. We look forward to telling more of these stories and supporting content aimed to help address and eradicate core issues that perpetuate racism and racial inequities in America.”
Rob Pfaltzgraff, President of MPI, added, “The Moving Picture Institute is thrilled to collaborate with BET to tell the true story of Kemba Smith’s courageous fight for criminal justice reform. BET shares in MPI’s passion to create original content that educates and inspires audiences to take action on topics of the greatest importance to our national consciousness.”
Pfaltzgraff, Stacey Parks, and Lana Link are among the project’s producers. No word on a director or screenwriter yet.
Since her release, Smith has worked to inform the public about the devastating ramifications of current drug and crime policy. She has spoken at the White House and testified before Congress and the UN, discussing issues including women and incarceration, mandatory drug sentencing, and felony disenfranchisement. Smith shared her experiences in her book “Poster Child: The Kemba Smith Story.”
“My burden is that I represent the thousands of others still currently incarcerated,” Smith has said, “some are my friends who I left behind that deserve an opportunity to raise their children.”
