Two decades ago, Rafael Ragland was 17 years old and faced 126 years in prison.
His gang affiliations in Madison made him notorious among local law enforcement officials, and after being arrested in a police raid in 1991, he was charged with numerous counts of drug and gang-related charges.
After serving five years in prison, Ragland was granted parole. He moved back to Madison in 2003.
“I believe in the underdog because I was that child,” Ragland said.
Today, Ragland is the founder of a Madison-based production company, 608 TV, which recruits local teenagers to star in films about gangs, drugs, domestic abuse and addiction as well as a number of other issues prevalent in young people’s lives.
608 TV’s 2013 film, “The Club,” starred 11 local high school students as characters whose lives intersect at the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, Ragland said. The film included cameo appearances by Mayor Paul Soglin and police captain Joe Balles.
Ragland’s interests in filmmaking and activism grew out his personal experiences with gangs, dealing drugs and incarceration.
Raised in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, then referred to as the “killer ward,” he was affiliated with a gang by age 11. Expelled from school in eighth grade, and again in ninth grade for gang activity, Ragland was left with few alternatives to the avenues his gang offered.
“I closed so many doors on myself by not accepting help,” Ragland said.
After a brief stretch in county jail, Ragland moved to Madison at age 17 where he continued to sell drugs and affiliate with gangs. He was arrested within a year and ultimately served five years in prison. It was during his incarceration that he learned to read and write.
Ragland credits a spiritual awakening and the influence of his children for walking away from his past. Despite no formal training in film, he became involved in filmmaking after deciding it was one of the most influential platforms to address social issues.
Now in his late 30s, Ragland lives in Sun Prairie with his two high school-aged children. He has worked with over 100 young people in Madison through 608 TV, many of whom are referred by the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, the Madison Police Department and parents.
Ragland intentionally reaches out to kids who have had problems with the law or are struggling academically. By placing these young people in roles that explore the negative impacts of gang involvement and drugs, he hopes to demonstrate the consequences of such behavior.
Ragland’s ninth film, “Mad Girls,” will address bullying and the long-term psychological damage it causes.
Ragland emphasizes the importance of messaging in his films, explaining he includes explicit content such as gangs and drugs to depict their negative influence on people’s lives.
In addition to several planned film projects, Ragland and 608 TV are developing a television series that will also feature Madison teenagers.
Ragland said he hopes to one day establish a facility where he can offer acting and filmmaking classes, as the number of interested participants is increasing quickly.
“I want to make Madison a better place to live,” Ragland said.
