The Marshall Project and VICE News have teamed up to produce an eight-episode video series examining the realities of the US criminal legal system. Developed by people who were formerly incarcerated, “Inside Story” explores issues of crime, punishment and the prison industry through investigative journalism, animated first-person essays and more.

The series builds upon “News Inside,” a print publication developed in 2019 by Lawrence Bartley and The Marshall Project with support from The Tow Foundation. Bartley, who was released from prison in 2018, is host and co-creator of “Inside Story.”

Despite the logistical and editorial challenges of distributing a video series in prison, The Marshall Project has worked to ensure that “Inside Story” will be viewable from more than 1,000 correctional facilities across the country via tablets, DVDs and digital downloads.

Each episode will be available online on Thursdays, beginning today. You can watch the first episode here.