In the Criminal Justice 101 social video series, Marshall Project Audience intern Katrina Pham and Audience Engagement Producer Chris Vazquez break down several terms and concepts. In the three submitted videos, the pair discusses charges, jail vs. prison, and parole on YouTube Shorts. The videos were also cross-posted to TikTok and Instagram Reels.
To explain charges, Pham interrupts a Vazquez mock newscast to break it down while different versions of Vazquez listen or act out her narration. The clip ends with Vazquez at home asking, “Can other people talk to me through my TV?” to which Pham replies: “Nah, that’s just a me thing.”
Starting the jail vs. prison video, Pham credits a commenter’s request for the video’s central idea. The clip also helps debunk a commonly held belief on social media that private prisons proliferate more than they do in reality.
In the parole video, the pair reveal how parole board officials don’t need experience and how boards’ rules for people on parole can be wide-ranging. Staff Writer Beth Schwartzapfel, a colleague who recently hosted a podcast about parole boards, helps add context through a video call. The clip ends on Vazquez’s character wondering if parole policies could change; Pham’s response underscores how difficult it is to achieve reform due to boards’ task load.
The video series is a beginner’s guide to the words that viewers likely have heard thrown around in their everyday lives, whether by people in their communities or in the news. This approach helps people understand the terms and see the educational products that The Marshall Project provides, whether explainers on social media or limited-run email series The System.
