Crime and Punishment in America

Join celebrated director Lynn Novick for a preview of her new landmark PBS documentary, Crime and Punishment in America, followed by a post-show discussion with Ear Hustle podcast hosts, Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor.

The new four-part, eight-hour series, executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard, tells the consequential story of criminal justice in America as it has never before been told — from the colonial era to today. The PBS extended trailer is available here, and a first look from the film is available here.

Narrated by Keith David, Crime and Punishment in America is the first documentary project to comprehensively explore the arguments Americans have had over the problem of crime, the purpose of punishment, and the meaning of justice for more than 250 years. The film offers a sweeping look at the American criminal justice system, from the origins of prisons and policing to our continued fascination with crime, and traces the contours of our imperfect system and how it influences nearly all parts of our society: the media, economics, and politics. Through the voices and testimony of those who have committed crimes, experienced incarceration, enforced the law, or lost loved ones to violence, the series explores the cost of America’s choices and the enduring tension between crime and punishment, vengeance and mercy, justice and redemption. Crime and Punishment in America will air over four consecutive nights on PBS beginning November 16, 2026, and will stream on all PBS digital platforms for four weeks.

After sharing a curated selection of clips from the eight-hour series, Novick will sit down with the hosts of the Pulitzer finalist podcast Ear Hustle, Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, to discuss the film’s making and perspectives on the American carceral system.

Cascade PBS is a proud sponsor of this event.