To: Kristin Dolan, CEO of AMC Networks; Dan McDermott, President of Entertainment & AMC Studios; and the AMC Networks Board of Directors
Petition to End "Love During Lockup" on AMC Networks
The #AIRS Campaign calls on AMC Networks to immediately cancel Love During Lockup.
Love During Lockup turns incarceration into entertainment, profiting from the personal struggles of incarcerated individuals and their loved ones. By sensationalizing trauma and reducing complex realities to dramatic storylines, the show reinforces stigma and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Instead of fostering understanding about incarceration and reentry, the program normalizes the commercialization of imprisonment. It presents vulnerable people as spectacle rather than as individuals deserving dignity and fairness.
As a major media company, AMC Networks has the responsibility to lead with integrity. Ending Love During Lockup would demonstrate a commitment to ethical storytelling that does not profit from systemic inequality. We urge AMC leadership to cancel Love During Lockup and commit to programming that uplifts stories of resilience, justice, and meaningful reform. The #AIRS Campaign stands ready to engage in constructive dialogue to support this change.
Why is this important?
The media shapes public perception. When incarceration is packaged as entertainment:
- Human suffering becomes a spectacle.
- Structural injustices are minimized.
- Harmful stereotypes are reinforced.
- Public empathy is weakened.
The United States continues to grapple with mass incarceration and reentry challenges. Programs that dramatize and commodify these realities undermine efforts toward reform and dignity. This campaign is about accountability and responsible storytelling. By signing, supporters affirm that:
- Incarceration should not be entertainment.
- Vulnerable communities deserve dignity and respect.
- Media companies must act responsibly when telling real people’s stories.
Together, we can push for programming that informs rather than exploits.
How it will be delivered
The #AIRS Campaign will:
- Deliver copies directly to AMC Networks leadership.
- Send formal letters to corporate offices.
- Amplify the message through coordinated social media outreach.
Our goal is to demonstrate broad public support for ending Love During Lockup and to encourage AMC Networks to align its programming with dignity, justice, and ethical responsibility.