American Crimes

In Laguna Beach, social climber Elizabeth Mulder finances her plastic surgery, Arabian horses, and ocean view real estate worth millions by swindling her best friends.

A man concocts a $50 million phony international real estate scheme spending millions on his own lavish lifestyle.

A new age evangelist tells Florida investors that positive thinking can lead to positive returns in her auto financing business; a man steals millions to build a luxurious doomsday bunker.

A jail shakedown recovers a huge stash of contraband; a young couple is charged with robbery and murder, but as judgment day approaches, one of their lives might depend on the choices of another.

After an inmate is assaulted, the jail identifies a suspect but the violence doesn't stop there; a young inmate gets a crash course on how to survive in jail, as he prepares to deal with the consequences of his actions.

A jailhouse assault leads to one bloody inmate, and two sides to the story; another inmate makes a daring escape; one of the jail's most violent inmates decides it's time for a change.

Behind every murder is a motive; Behind every murder is a story and behind some murders, there is a person someone thought they could trust.

Three unforgettable inmates, each one about to cross the threshold to freedom; witness their joys, their fears, their triumphs and discover that sometimes the only thing tougher than being in prison, is staying out.

Figuring out what contributes to kids getting locked up is not an exact science; over the past six years, Aaron has become a familiar face at Lake County Juvenile; with his 18th birthday just days away, he finds himself back behind bars.

Juvenile Court Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura observes that an indicator of what will happen in a child's life can be found by looking at the family and how supportive it has been; the kids seem to know this, too.

More than three thousand kids pass through the juvenile courts in Lake County, Indiana each year; here, consequences can range from a sleepless night in detention to the ultimate punishment for kids who keep coming back: Boys' School.

Ricky has spent a total of 266 days in Lake County, and another 16 months at a residential placement facility in Nevada; when he didn't return to his placement in Nevada after a weekend home pass, Ricky was picked up on a bench warrant.

A jail shakedown recovers a huge stash of contraband; a young couple is charged with robbery and murder, but as judgment day approaches, one of their lives might depend on the choices of another.

After an inmate is assaulted, the jail identifies a suspect but the violence doesn't stop there; a young inmate gets a crash course on how to survive in jail, as he prepares to deal with the consequences of his actions.

A jailhouse assault leads to one bloody inmate, and two sides to the story; another inmate makes a daring escape; one of the jail's most violent inmates decides it's time for a change.

Behind every murder is a motive; Behind every murder is a story and behind some murders, there is a person someone thought they could trust.

Three unforgettable inmates, each one about to cross the threshold to freedom; witness their joys, their fears, their triumphs and discover that sometimes the only thing tougher than being in prison, is staying out.

Figuring out what contributes to kids getting locked up is not an exact science; over the past six years, Aaron has become a familiar face at Lake County Juvenile; with his 18th birthday just days away, he finds himself back behind bars.

Juvenile Court Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura observes that an indicator of what will happen in a child's life can be found by looking at the family and how supportive it has been; the kids seem to know this, too.

More than three thousand kids pass through the juvenile courts in Lake County, Indiana each year; here, consequences can range from a sleepless night in detention to the ultimate punishment for kids who keep coming back: Boys' School.

Ricky has spent a total of 266 days in Lake County, and another 16 months at a residential placement facility in Nevada; when he didn't return to his placement in Nevada after a weekend home pass, Ricky was picked up on a bench warrant.

A jail shakedown recovers a huge stash of contraband; a young couple is charged with robbery and murder, but as judgment day approaches, one of their lives might depend on the choices of another.

After an inmate is assaulted, the jail identifies a suspect but the violence doesn't stop there; a young inmate gets a crash course on how to survive in jail, as he prepares to deal with the consequences of his actions.

A jailhouse assault leads to one bloody inmate, and two sides to the story; another inmate makes a daring escape; one of the jail's most violent inmates decides it's time for a change.

Behind every murder is a motive; Behind every murder is a story and behind some murders, there is a person someone thought they could trust.

Three unforgettable inmates, each one about to cross the threshold to freedom; witness their joys, their fears, their triumphs and discover that sometimes the only thing tougher than being in prison, is staying out.