Premiering November 16 on PBS, the four-part documentary examines more than 250 years of America's evolving ideas about crime, punishment, and justice, as Represent Justice invites audiences to reconsider what makes communities safe.
How have we as a society defined public safety? For decades conversations about the severity of punishment we impose and the number of people we incarcerate have led to how we shape our justice system policies, instead of conversations about our ability to prevent harm and create opportunities for accountability and healing.
For more than 250 years, Americans have wrestled with questions about crime and punishment, shaping a justice system that reflects the country's beliefs about who deserves mercy, who deserves a second chance, and what justice should look like.
This November, Represent Justice is launching a national impact campaign for Crime and Punishment in America, a new four-part PBS documentary series directed by Lynn Novick and executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard. Premiering over four consecutive nights beginning November 16, 2026, the series takes audiences on a sweeping journey of the history of America's justice system, revealing how the policies and politics of the past continue to shape our understanding of crime, punishment, and public safety today.
Cummins Prison Farm, Arkansas from the series Inside the Wire, 1972. (Photo: Bruce Jackson)
Through historical accounts and deeply personal testimony, the documentary introduces audiences to people whose lives have intersected with the justice system in profoundly different ways. People who have experienced incarceration, survived crime, lost loved ones to violence, or worked within the system offer perspectives that illuminate the human consequences of America's approach to punishment.
Understanding the history of the criminal justice system, in all its complexity, prompts audiences to consider: What happens when we imagine public safety through the lens of preventing harm, supporting survivors, fostering meaningful accountability, and creating conditions for people and communities to heal?
This question sits at the center of Represent Justice's national impact campaign.
From November 2026 through May 2027, Represent Justice will bring the documentary's history and human stories into classrooms, cultural institutions, and communities across the country through film screenings, educational resources, digital storytelling, and conversations with people who have a direct relationship with the justice system.
Audiences will have opportunities to hear from individuals with diverse experiences of crime and punishment, explore the tensions between vengeance and mercy, and consider the possibilities of a justice system that makes room for rehabilitation, dignity, and healing.
Watch the Premiere
Crime and Punishment in America premieres on PBS on Monday, November 16, 2026, airing over four consecutive nights.
The series will also stream on PBS.org and the PBS App for four weeks beginning November 16, with additional streaming availability through PBS Passport and the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel.
Press Contacts:
For media inquiries, please use the following contact information
DKC Public Relations: DKCCrimeandPunishment@dkcnews.com
Represent Justice: viannca@representjustice.org
About Represent Justice’s Films and Series Work
Represent Justice uses storytelling to advance a more just legal system. Through its Films & Series work, Represent Justice brings stories rooted in lived experience to audiences nationwide, creating opportunities for community screenings, dialogue, and education.
