Punishment TV on Inquest

In his article "Punishment TV," our Executive Director and Founder, Vidal Guzman, critiques the rise of reality television shows that exploit the experiences of incarcerated individuals for entertainment. He examines how programs like Netflix’s Unlocked: A Jail Experiment and A&E’s 60 Days In sensationalize prison life and reinforce harmful stereotypes—particularly against people of color. Guzman argues that these shows normalize the prison-industrial complex, turning systemic injustice into profit-driven spectacle. Drawing from his own lived experience, he powerfully illustrates the trauma of incarceration and challenges the media’s commodification of suffering.