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Nearly 2 million people are incarcerated in the United States, the majority of them in state prisons, with many more—family and loved ones as well as employees and legal professionals—affected by the system. And President Donald Trump has set his sights on putting even more people into jails and prisons with his focus on crime (though crime rates have continued to fall since 1961) and illegal immigration, even recently suggesting that the infamous Alcatraz be reopened as a prison to house the “most ruthless and violent” offenders.
A look inside prison walls, however, reveals stories not often told, of humanity, connection, and heartbreak, including the death row inmates with a passion for sports and a daddy-daughter dance at a D.C. jail. Here, some of this year’s Peabody honorees that offer a different perspective on incarcerated life.
This Peabody-winning documentary follows four young girls as they get ready for a Daddy Daughter dance that is part of a fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C., jail, the only time they are likely to be able to touch or hug their dads during their incarceration, some of whom are sentenced to up to 20 years. It’s such a moving look at how children are affected by a parent’s time in jail that co-director Angela Patton actually advised viewers on the Netflix site about how to watch: “I would recommend you have a candle, tissues, water, and that you just breathe,” she says. “Take breaks if you have to, but we do want you to finish it—and then I want you to share it with someone else.”
Where to Watch: Netflix
‘This American Life: This Is the Case of Henry Dee’
The pre-eminent storytelling podcast goes inside the parole process for one man, Henry Dee, who has been in prison for nearly 50 years, the majority of his life. His is a relatively ordinary case, and that’s the point. What’s extraordinary is getting to hear what goes on in such hearings and how parole boards make decisions. As host Ira Glass says in his introduction, “These boards are trying to adjudicate these very squishy, nearly impossible questions, like when is a person rehabilitated? How can you tell? When should a long prison sentence end? This next question is almost too grand to say out loud, but it is in there, too: What is justice?”
Where to Listen: ThisAmericanLife.org
‘Inside Story’
The Marshall Project produces this informative video series aimed at incarcerated individuals, exploring the realities of the criminal justice system. Developed by Lawrence Bartley and Donald Washington Jr., both formerly incarcerated people, the episodes explore how prisoners take on side hustles, prison tourism (yes, this is a real thing), the effects of prison staff shortages, and how formerly convicted people can regain the right to vote, among other topics. Though anyone can watch it online, it’s meant to bring this crucial information to the people who need it most—those in jails and prisons across the country.
Where to Watch: TheMarshallProject.org
‘Pablo Torre Finds Out: Watching the Dallas Cowboys on Death Row’
This podcast dives deep on unexplored aspects of sports culture, and in this episode visits a supermax prison to talk to death row inmates…about the Dallas Cowboys. Correspondent David Fleming uncovered the startling fact that many death row inmates use their last words to express their fandom for their favorite sports teams. Here, he talks to prisoners in Texas about their lives on death row, and how their love of sports sustains them.
Where to Watch: Pablo.show