Plot Synopsis

Directed and executive produced by Peabody and Emmy Award-winning documentarian Joe Berlinger, JUDGMENT DAY: PRISON OR PAROLE? uses first-hand accounts to pull back the curtain to see if the extreme remorse expressed by convicted inmates seeking parole is real as the parole boards revisit the crimes, while also hearing the often opposing view expressed by victims and victims' families, to ultimately decide if the incarcerated is safe for release. Shining a light into the lesser-known side of justice, this three-part series showcases the delicate balance that parole board members in Colorado and Wyoming must weigh between forgiveness and freedom -- and risk and responsibility -- in the process to determine if inmates are fit to be released back into society. In the season opener, "A Second Chance," Benny Sandoval has served 17 years of his 25-year sentence for first degree attempted murder, a crime he committed at the age of 16. With his fate in the hands of the Colorado Board of Parole, a revealing interview with law enforcement sheds new light on the incident and the effect it had on his victim. North in Wyoming, Steve Barela has served 21 years for the second degree murder of his wife. Hoping the Board will give him a second chance, the case's lead investigator exposes another side of this brutal crime, while Barela's mother pleads for her son to get a second chance.