For more than 250 years, Americans have struggled with fundamental questions about crime and punishment: Why do people commit crimes? What should happen to those who break the law? And does the criminal justice system actually deliver justice?
A new four-part, eight-hour PBS documentary, "Crime and Punishment in America," explores those questions through the nation's complicated history, from colonial America to today's era of mass incarceration.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lynn Novick and executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard, the series premieres November 16.
The documentary traces the evolution of American justice, beginning with public executions and corporal punishment and the development of prisons intended to rehabilitate offenders rather than simply punish them.
But those ambitions frequently collided with political interests, racial discrimination, economic inequality and public demands for tougher sentencing.
The series examines slavery, Jim Crow, policing, organized crime, the war on drugs and the expansion of the nation's prison population.
It also investigates America's enduring fascination with criminals and sensational crime stories, from accounts of criminal confessions in the colonial era to notorious outlaws, televised police dramas and today's booming true-crime industry.
Through interviews with crime victims, incarcerated people, corrections officers, law enforcement officials and historians, the documentary confronts competing ideas about accountability, public safety, rehabilitation and redemption.
What does society owe victims of crime? Can punishment also offer opportunities for rehabilitation? And how should Americans measure whether their justice system is working?
Novick argues that understanding the history of criminal justice is essential to improving public safety, reducing violence and addressing the needs of victims and offenders alike.
Ultimately, "Crime and Punishment in America" challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about an institution that reflects the nation's values, prejudices and contradictions.
Guests:
Lynn Novick is the director, producer and writer of "Crime and Punishment in America."
Angelica Zaragoza, is the Founder and Chief Executive Director of Janie's Angels, a Texas nonprofit focused on healing justice work for those affected by maternal incarceration, inspired by her own lived experience which she speaks in the film about.
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m.
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This interview will be recorded live Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
