A prison inmate separates who he is from what he’s done in an exclusive clip from the HBO documentary, Nature of the Crime.

The documentary, which debuted on Nov. 13 during the DOC NYC festival, is directed by Ricki Stern and Jesse Sweet. The film follows three men who have been incarcerated since their teenage years and are hoping to be seen as men who have learned from their mistakes. Here’s more about the film from its synopsis:

NATURE OF THE CRIME is a timely examination of the bureaucracy of New York’s parole system. Directed by Ricki Stern (The Devil Came on Horseback) and Jesse Sweet (City of Joel), the film follows three men, Todd Scott, Chad Campbell, and Carlos Rebollow, all incarcerated as teens for violent crimes and all grappling with the weight of their crimes and how to properly express their repentance to the parole board. The film also features personal interviews with the incarcerated men’s attorneys, Rochelle Swartz and Rhiya Trivedi, along with Scott’s wife Sabrina Scott. As many seeking parole in New York are often denied due to “the nature of the crime” these difficult stories tap into an under-examined aspect of the parole system – is rehabilitation truly possible?

The question about rehabilitation is put on trial itself in this exclusive clip when one of the men featured in the documentary opens up about how he has dealt with what he calls the “shameful” actions of his past. He hopes that he can be seen as someone who has grown from what they did instead of being defined by it.

The HBO documentary film Nature of the Crime debuts on Dec. 10 and won HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

Watch the clip below: