Producers:
Frank Carlson & Mike Fritz
PBS NewsHour’s documentary, “Searching for Justice: Life After Lockup,” focuses on the challenges people who have spent years behind bars encounter after release — from reconnecting with family, to finding work and housing, to staying out of prison or jail. The special hosted by NewsHour’s chief correspondent, Amna Nawaz, features the struggles and successes of four formerly incarcerated individuals as they navigate their return to society.
Frank Carlson is an award-winning producer at the PBS NewsHour, where for over a decade he’s covered national and international stories. More recently, he’s focused on criminal justice reform and issues like prison abuse, the failures of the public defense system, and the many collateral consequences of criminal convictions on things like housing, employment, and family reunification. He lives in New Mexico with his wife, Sarah.
Mike Fritz is a video journalist for the PBS NewsHour. He was part of the NewsHour team that was awarded a Peabody Award for its coverage of the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Prior to joining PBS in 2009, he worked for the Associated Press and NBC News. Over the last few years, his reporting has focused on the challenges men and women face re-entering society after incarceration. Fritz lives with his wife, Erin, and their dog Banjo in Washington D.C.