This Sunday, September 27, _VICE_ on HBO will release their special report, "Fixing the System," which details the mounting civil rights crisis taking place in our criminal justice system. The special also follows President Barack Obama on his historic tour of the El Reno Federal Correctional Institution in Oklahoma&#x2014;the first time in history that a sitting president has visited a federal prison.

In this comprehensive special report VICE founder and correspondent Shane Smith accompanies Obama on his visit as he speaks with inmates. Shane also interviews members of the judiciary and community reformers about the current failings of the way we deal with crime in our country, and the challenges that lie ahead for those who want to change it.

The special will air on HBO this Sunday, September 27 at 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Read more coverage of the [plight of American inmates here](http://www.vice.com/series/america-incarcerated), and watch the trailer below.

Check out the trailer for VICE and HBO's upcoming special on criminal justice in the US: Fixing The System — it will air September 27. Watch the Moment President Obama First Meets Federal Inmates: http://bit.ly/1OMjm5K

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The special offers a panoramic perspective on crime and punishment, and will follow all the key characters in America’s sprawling justice system, including prisoners and their families, members of the judiciary, and community reformers.

It will be hosted by VICE founder and correspondent, Shane Smith, and will also feature President Barack Obama's historic tour of El Reno Federal Correctional Institution in Oklahoma in July, where he met with inmates and prison officials.  

"There's an emerging consensus in this country — on both the right and the left — that the way we treat criminal offenders is utterly broken and weakening our society in profound ways," Smith said, explaining the significance of the documentary. 

In filming the special, President Obama became the first sitting President to visit a federal prison, signaling that criminal justice reform is a top priority in the final stretch of his presidency. At the medium-security prison for male offenders, Obama met with six inmates. He said the men's stories and the mistakes they made were not dissimilar to those the president made in his own youth, when he admittedly smoked pot and used cocaine.

America needs to distinguish between violent criminals and people "doing stupid things," Obama said, adding that many young people who end up in prison for nonviolent drug crimes grew up in environments where drug trafficking is prevalent. Giving those people decades-long sentences is what is contributing to the country's overcrowded prison system, and more resources should be directed to education, support, and rehabilitation, he said. 

"I am really interested in the possibilities, the prospect of bipartisan legislation around the criminal justice system," the president told reporters on June 30. "And we've seen some really interesting leadership from some unlikely Republican legislators very sincerely concerned about making progress there."

The special is the latest in VICE's ongoing coverage of what has become a major civil rights and reform issue in the United States.

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VICE Special Report on Prisons: 'Fixing The System' (Trailer)

America Incarcerated

In this comprehensive special report, VICE founder and correspondent Shane Smith accompanies Obama on his visit as he speaks with inmates at a federal prison.

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Watch VICE's Historic Conversation with President Obama

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Watch VICE's Historic Conversation with President Obama

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