A Musical Indictment of the Harris County Jail in “Criminal”

From the outside, the Harris County Jail might be mistaken for a high-end condo, with walls of windows that overlook the bayou in downtown Houston. But the windows are fake, and the inmates inside—most of whom are awaiting trial—face harrowing conditions. “Criminal” uses music and lyrics by the Tony Award-winning artists Stew Stewart and Heidi Rodewald; animation by Thomas Curtis, who was incarcerated for eleven years; testimony from legal advocates; and excerpts of letters written by inmates to create a dire picture of the reality of the criminal-justice system. It focusses in particular on the role of the cash-bail system, which forces people charged with a crime to await their trial in jail if they cannot pay—sometimes for months or even years. In footage of actual bail hearings, judges are harsh and dismissive, even as defendants ask about the legal jargon being used to determine their fate. Alec Karakatsanis, of the Civil Rights Corps, says, “There is no presumption of innocence in practice, in the American legal system, if you are poor.” Around eight thousand individuals are housed in the Harris County Jail, living in harsh conditions that some argue constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Many have not even had the chance to stand trial.