PBS North Carolina's Crime and Punishment in America Preview Screening
About this Event
Crime and Punishment in America—Preview Screening & Community Conversation
PBS North Carolina, in partnership with Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens and Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, invites you to a special preview screening and community conversation featuring clips from the highly anticipated PBS documentary series Crime and Punishment in America.
Event Details:
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
6:00–8:30 PM
Thalian Hall Center for Performing Arts located at 310 Chestnut Street, Wilmington
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lynn Novick (The Vietnam War, Hemingway, College Behind Bars, The U.S. and the Holocaust) and executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard, the four-part, eight-hour series explores the history of criminal justice in America from the colonial era to the present day.
Join us for an evening of film and conversation
The program will feature a curated selection of clips from Crime and Punishment in America, followed by a panel discussion featuring local historians, legal scholars and community advocates.
Moderator: Hunter Ingram, Assistant Museum Director of the Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens
Panelists:
Christine Lamberton, Museum Director of the Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens
Together, we’ll explore some of the questions at the heart of the series with a local approach:
- How has America’s approach to crime and punishment evolved over time?
- What are the historical forces that have shaped our criminal justice system?
- How have questions of law, power, race and class influenced the American experience?
- Where have some historical local jails been uncovered?
- What can history teach us about justice, public safety, punishment and rehabilitation?
The series takes a sweeping look at more than 250 years of American history, examining prisons, policing and courts alongside the personal stories of incarcerated people, victims and their families, police officers, corrections officials, lawyers, judges, reformers and others whose lives have been shaped by the criminal justice system.
Come experience an early look at this important new documentary and join fellow PBS fans, history lovers and members of the Wilmington community for a thoughtful conversation about America’s complicated history with crime, punishment and justice.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
If you have any questions about the event or your registration, please email Karen Nowak at [email protected].
Crime and Punishment in America premieres nationally and on PBS NC beginning Monday, November 16, 2026 at 8 PM, with all four episodes available to stream online and on the free PBS App.
Major funding for the documentary was provided by The Atlantic Philanthropies, Emerson Collective, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Park Foundation. Major funding was also provided by the following members of The Better Angels Society: The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; The Just Trust for Education; Allan and Shelley Holt; The Tow Foundation; and the Sozosei Foundation. Additional support was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, Ford Foundation | JustFilms, and by The Better Angels Society members: John and Catherine Debs; Timothy Fazio; Lise Strickler and Mark Gallogly; the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund (Laurie M. Tisch Foundation Inc); Gilchrist and Amy Berg; the Carson Family Charitable Trust; Mauree Jane and Mark W. Perry; the Segal Family Foundation; and Mark A. Tracy.
Thank you to our event partners, Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens and Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
