Our America with Lisa Ling Season 2 Episode 16 Innocent Behind Bars

In this episode of Our America with Lisa Ling, titled "Innocent Behind Bars," viewers are taken on a journey through the lives of individuals who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit. Lisa Ling interviews several prisoners who have spent years or even decades in prison for crimes they did not commit.

The episode starts with a profile of Rodney Roberts, a man who was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend based on very little evidence. Roberts explains how he was coerced into making a false confession and how he was eventually able to prove his innocence with the help of the Innocence Project.

The next segment of the show features a couple named Bill and Kathy Swan, who were wrongfully convicted of sexually abusing their daughters based on false accusations made by their daughters during a contentious divorce. The segment focuses on the toll that their wrongful conviction took on their lives and their family.

The episode also features the story of Brian Banks, a high school football player who was accused of rape by a classmate and spent five years in prison. Banks explains how he was eventually exonerated and how he went on to play professional football after his release.

Lisa Ling also speaks to lawyers and advocates who work to free wrongfully convicted individuals, including the co-founder of the Innocence Project, Barry Scheck. The episode explores the reasons why wrongful convictions occur and how the criminal justice system can be improved to prevent these errors from happening in the future.

Throughout the episode, viewers are confronted with the human toll of wrongful convictions, as well as the systemic issues that contribute to these injustices. The stories told in this episode are both heartbreaking and hopeful, highlighting the resilience of those who have been wrongly imprisoned and the importance of fighting for justice.