A disservice to James Baldwin

This was from the novel by James Baldwin, whose works include the memorable "The Fire Next Time." And the movie took a didactic and moving novel and rendered it unbelievably boring. What is presented could have been set forth in a 40-minute short movie -- and would have lost nothing in the rendition. As for the tale itself, it is unconvincing. The prisons are full of tens upon tens of thousands of inmates who are -- just ask them -- innocent. And yet, virtually every one pled Guilty. Why? 'Cause the system is overloaded; or, 'cause nobody cares; or, 'cause of rampant racism; or, 'cause I had a terrible lawyer. Really, it is sad. I spent seven years in federal prison. Over the time I was there I met between 350 and 370 prisoners who spoke at length about their "wrongful" convictions. Most could not withstand a few well-directed questions from me before folding. Some, of course, persisted in pronouncing their innocence. Of all these, in those seven years, there were precisely two (2) who managed to convince me that MAYBE they were not truly guilty. As for me -- I had pled Guilty, and I WAS Guilty.