Primetime Nightline: Beyond Belief - Near Death Experiences: 8/3/11

Manufacturer: PBS Model: 28843218

For decades, the United States has been fixated on incarceration, building prisons and locking up more and more people. But at what cost, and has it really made a difference? FRONTLINE goes to the epicenter of the raging debate about incarceration in America, focusing on the controversial practice of solitary confinement and on new efforts to reduce the prison population, as officials are rethinking what to do with criminals.

Manufacturer: MacNeil / Lehrer Productions

Five accomplished fiction writers discuss their work and the craft of writing. Novelist John Irving talks about the challenges of bringing his stories to the big screen and the differences between screenwriting and novel writing. Susan Sontag comments on how events in her life influenced her novel "In America." Israeli author Amos Oz discusses politics, love and humor amid the chaos of the Palestinian conflict. John Updike reflects on the early part of his career. And in a two-part interview Philip Roth discusses his acclaimed novel "The Plot Against America" and the writing process.When sold by Amazon.com, this product will be manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Manufacturer: PBS

For three decades, Vice President Dick Cheney has waged a secretive and bitter battle to expand the power of the presidency. Now in a direct confrontation with Congress, as the administration asserts executive privilege to head off investigations into domestic wiretapping and the firing of U.S. attorneys. FRONTLINE meticulously traces the behind-closed-doors battle within the administration over the power of the presidency and the rule of law.

Manufacturer: PBS

Every day, nearly 7,000 people die in America, and the rate of autopsies, the gold standard of death investigation, has plummeted. As a result, not only do murderers go free and innocent people go to jail, but the crisis in death investigation in America is also a threat to public health. FRONTLINE reports the results of a joint investigation with ProPublica, NPR, and the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley.

Manufacturer: ABC News

In an unparalleled call to action, Diane Sawyer and the resources of ABC News look at the crisis of the foster care system and at ways children can be saved. Sawyer casts a light on young fractured lives, as she takes a rare look at foster care across the country. With unprecedented access -- bringing cameras where they have never been before - she explores a system many consider broken, but one that is struggling to change. According to the latest statistics, just over 800,000 children pass through the system every year, more than 500,000 of whom are taken into foster care. For them, the average length of stay is 31 months. A third are in the system for more than three years. In addition to "Primetime," the DVD contains this extended reporting:* Nightline's Cynthia McFadden follows young people who are aging out of foster care, with nowhere to go and few resources.* 20/20 takes a second look at a thriving program to help get foster children placed for adoption by having professionals photograph them.When sold by Amazon.com, this product will be manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Manufacturer: PBS

Tens of thousands of fresh American troops are now on the move in Afghanistan. FRONTLINE producers Martin Smith and Marcela Gaviria, through interviews with the top U.S. commanders on the ground, embeds with U.S. forces, and fresh reporting from Washington, they examine U.S. counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan - a fight that promises to be longer and more costly than most Americans understand.

Manufacturer: PBS

Medical advances have enabled an unprecedented number of Americans to live longer and healthier lives, but this new longevity has also had unintended consequences. For millions of Americans, living longer also means chronic illness and a physical decline. Just as the need for care is rising, the number of available caregivers is dwindling. With a healthcare system overburdened, many fear that we are on the threshold of a major crisis in care.

Manufacturer: ABC News

A teacher, Erin Gruwell, finds a unique way to inspire her students to learn and who dramatically changed their lives, from hopelessness and despair to a future of limitless possibilities.This "Primetime" show also contains the following additional story:Buyer BewareWhen sold by Amazon.com, this product will be manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.