A&E Greenlights Investigative Prison Doc

A&E Network has greenlit the four-part docuseries Exposing Parchman (working title) from Good Caper Content, Roc Nation and Red Summer.

Exposing Parchman centers on the Mississippi State Penitentiary, known as Parchman, which made headlines in 2019 for its large death toll, attributable to violence and neglect. The desperate inmates shared prohibited cell phone footage from inside, and Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, Yo Gotti, Team Roc and a group of lawyers stepped in to spearhead a civil rights lawsuit on the inmates’ behalf.

The series delves into the developing legal case and unpacks Parchman’s shocking history from plantation to prison, exposing the devastating and inequitable impact of the U.S. prison system on the incarcerated and their communities, as well as on the country as a whole.

Executive producers of the series are Jordana Hochman and Jeanmarie Condon for ITV America’s Good Caper Content; Rahman Ali Bugg for Red Summer; and Elaine Frontain Bryant, Shelly Tatro and Brad Abramson for A&E. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights.

“A&E has the privilege to partner with Roc Nation to tell the truly urgent story of Parchman Prison as we continue our commitment to impactful programming,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive VP and head of programming at A&E. “The series is emblematic of larger issues within the U.S. criminal justice system, and we hope it spurs desperately needed awareness both at Parchman Prison and nationwide.”

“In 2020, Roc Nation and Team Roc launched a fight to put a stop to the literal death sentences imposed on inmates through the inhumane, violent and torturous conditions created by Parchman prison officials,” said Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation. “We are honored to develop this series with A&E, Good Caper and ITV to continue to make sure the atrocities and history of Parchman are top of mind on a national stage.”