In the new eight-part series The Redemption Project with Van Jones incredible access to the US prison system is granted, allowing viewers into the room as offenders come face-to-face with those impacted by their violent crimes as part of a process called “Restorative Justice.” Restorative Justice by definition is the work to repair the harm caused by the crime; where victims, offenders, and community members meet to decide how to do just that.
The CNN original series created and executively produced by Jonas Bell Pasht and Jonah Bekhor of Citizen Jones and Academy-Award®-nominated director Jason Cohen, offers a rare glimpse into the restorative justice process, each episode following the victim, or surviving family members, of a life-altering crime as they journey to meet face-to-face with their offender in the hopes of finding answers or some sense of healing. Van Jones serves as a guide for the viewer throughout this transformational experience. This powerful series explores the human potential for redemption.
“I wanted to do The Redemption Project because I think we have lost our sense of grace and empathy and the capacity to forgive in our culture, at the highest levels,” said Jones. “This series is my attempt to put some medicine into our very sick system and to uplift people who are doing extraordinarily courageous things every day.”
In the series premiere, viewers witnessed the first-ever dialogue between a victim and an offender in the history of the Alaskan prison system. Terria Walters, a mother whose son Christopher was killed in a drug deal gone bad, met convicted killer Joshua Beebe, a former heroin dealer serving a 60-year sentence at Spring Creek Correctional Center.
The Redemption Project’s executive producers are Jones, Jonas Bell Pasht, Jonah Bekhor, Jason Cohen, Sonia Slutsky, and Magic Labs Media’s Jana Carter. Amy Entelis and Lizzie Fox executive produce for CNN. The series airs regularly Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
