Los Angeles has been good to Scott Budnick. He arrived more than 15 years ago as an aspiring film producer. He found a home in comedy, and eventually became the executive producer of the Hangover trilogy — the wildly popular, profane buddy movies that are still the highest grossing comedy franchise ever made.
Now, he lives in the Hollywood Hills. He drives a fancy car, lives in a beautiful house and has lots of famous friends.
But in 2013, Budnick decided to leave Hollywood for a very different field: prison reform.
It wasn't a move he'd anticipated early in his career.
"I spent the first four years in LA really just stuck in the bubble of the business," he remembers. "In nice restaurants and bars and talking about directors and writers and all the things you talk about in Hollywood."
In the mid-2000s, a friend had taken Budnick to visit a juvenile detention hall north of Los Angeles. Budnick was moved by what he saw there.
"[I] sat with a bunch of kids facing life in prison at 14, 15, 16, and just heard horror stories about victimization and the lack of fathers and physical abuse, sexual abuse," he remembers.
"I realized these kids living five, 10 minutes away from where I was in the Hollywood Hills were victims for many years before they decided to victimize anyone else."
Budnick started to volunteer in youth prisons and went on to found a membership organization for former prisoners called the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. In 2013, he quit Hollywood to focus full time on the group.
At the time, a lot of people warned him he was making a mistake.
"I think everyone wanted me to be cautious and not move too fast," he says.
But Budnick did move fast. The Anti-Recidivism Coalition has almost 200 members, all of whom sign a pledge to be crime-free, gang-free, drug-free, working or in school, and working to contribute to society. The organization runs multiple programs for youth, and Budnick himself works with young people in prisons around Southern California, teaching writing classes and mentoring individual kids.
Recently, the organization opened a housing facility — like a dorm — for young men who have gotten out of prison and are attending community college. And Budnick is also lobbying for prison reform laws in California's capitol.
In 2013, he and his group were part of the lobbying effort that pushed through a bill that gave people who committed crimes as youths an earlier chance at parole.
"[Prison reform] can't only be done one person at a time and one weekend people coming to class," says Budnick. "It needs to be done in a more comprehensive way."
You can read more about Scott Budnick and the Antirecidivism Coalition in the latest issue of California Sunday Magazine.
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Transcript
ARUN RATH, HOST:
Here in California, a young organization called the Antirecidivism Coalition is working to give people who have been in prison a support system. Scott Budnick is the group's founder.
SCOTT BUDNICK: We have just under 200 members who were all formally incarcerated men and women, boys and girls. Some are 18 years old and did two years in the juvenile system. Some are 43 years old and did 25 years in the adult system. So it just runs the gamut, but everyone who is part of ARC is making a signed commitment to be crime free, gang free, drug free, working and in school, and willing to be of service.
RATH: Scott Budnick came to prison reform from an unlikely place - Hollywood. He produced the wildly popular "Hangover" movies.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE HANGOVER")
ED HELMS: (As Stu Price) So are you sure you're qualified to be taking care of that baby?
ZACH GALIFIANAKIS: (As Alan Garner) What are you talking about? I've found a baby before.
HELMS: (As Stu Price) You found a baby before?
GALIFIANAKIS: (As Alan Garner) Yeah.
HELMS: (As Stu Price) Where?
GALIFIANAKIS: (As Alan Garner) Coffee Bean.
BUDNICK: Towards the beginning of my career, I spent the first four years in Los Angeles really kind of stuck in the bubble of the business and really kind of in nice restaurants and nice nightclubs and bars and talking about directors and writers and all the things that you talk about in Hollywood.
RATH: Then in 2013, the young incredibly successful movie producer decided to leave it all behind.
BUDNICK: It took a friend of mine taking me down to Sylmar juvenile hall. And I sat with a bunch of kids facing life in prison at 14, 15, 16 and just heard horror stories about victimization and the lack of fathers and physical abuse, sexual abuse, foster care, et cetera, and realized that these kids living 5, 10 miles away from where I was in the Hollywood Hills were victims for many years before they ever decided to victimize anyone else.
RATH: Less than two years after he left Hollywood, Budnick's organization has helped pass prison reform legislation in California, started multiple youth programs in juvenile halls near Los Angeles and recently opened a special dorm for formally incarcerated young men working on college degrees.
BUDNICK: I think the most difficult part about it is just public perception not being in line with reality and how much work it takes to change public perception. Because when I walk someone into my class in juvenile hall or the county jail or the state prison and they sit down with the young men and women who are incarcerated, they leave a changed person. But it really is - it can't only be done one person at a time and one weekend people coming to class. It needs to be done in a much more comprehensive way.
RATH: You've launched a lot of programs in less than two years. Is there any danger of going too far too fast on this issue?
BUDNICK: I think the speed at which we can move is based on the resources we can get. Obviously, I - we have a staff of nine people now, and they're about stretched as far as they can go. So unfortunately, part of my job now is being a professional fundraiser.
RATH: Scott, it feels like there are a lot of people now - politicians on both sides of the aisle - who are talking about criminal justice reform. Is there something special about this moment in history? What's going on?
BUDNICK: I think there really is. We're spending $9 billion a year on a prison system - that with a 70 percent recidivism rate. So I don't think any business that spent $9 billion a year and failed 7 out of 10 times would ever stay afloat.
RATH: Scott Budnick, producer of the "Hangover" movies among others and founder of Antirecidivism Coalition in California. Scott, thanks very much.
BUDNICK: Thank you so much. Great talking to you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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