Crime and Punishment in America

FAIN: TR-293231-23

Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association (Arlington, VA 22206-3440)
John Wilson (Project Director: January 2023 to present)

Production of an eight-hour documentary series exploring the American criminal justice system from the seventeenth century to the present. 

Crime and Punishment in America is the first documentary ever to offer a truly comprehensive look at the American criminal justice system from its origins in the colonial era to present day mass incarceration. It is an eight-hour, eight-episode PBS documentary film series, created by a diverse and inclusive team led by acclaimed filmmaker Lynn Novick, and advised by the leading scholars in the field. It is slated for national primetime premiere on PBS in 2026, the year we will mark and reflect upon the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. Seeking to answer the seemingly simple question, “How did we get here?,” this series will inform, educate and engage audiences with an expansive and original new telling of 400 years of American history through the lens of crime and punishment.