Lava for Good Expands Beyond Criminal Justice With ‘Absolute’ Series.

Lava for Good has made its mark on podcasting by showcasing stories of people wrongfully convicted of crimes. It is broadening its focus with the launch of its new series Absolute. It says the new investigative series examines how extreme corporate power reshapes institutions and the everyday lives of Americans.

“With this terrific debut season of our new Absolute series, we’re expanding our investigative focus to examine how increasingly militarized, high-tech policing supplied by powerful private enterprise impacts the criminal legal system in America,” CEO Jason Flom says. “This series exemplifies Lava for Good’s commitment to stories that challenge listeners to question the systems we take for granted.”

The first season is titled “Taser Incorporated.” It is hosted by writer, director and journalist Nick Berardini, who has spent over a decade investigating the history and rise of the Taser and the company behind it. Lava For Good says it is a story about unchecked power, and the collision between technology and humanity in the realm of modern law enforcement. Berardini has spent over a decade investigating the history and rise of the Taser and the company behind it.

Taser International, now known as Axon Enterprises, is the 800-pound gorilla in the paramilitary police equipment industry. It has become the ultimate alternative weapon for police, as millions of taxpayer dollars have been poured into the company with the promise of a non-lethal alternative to firearms. But as stories of deaths and serious injuries began to emerge, the podcast alleges Taser’s legal and publicity strategy seemingly turned to blaming police for misuse and victims for health issues rather than focusing on potential flaws in the product itself.

Lava For Good has just released the first three episodes of Absolute, with the remaining three episodes set to be released June 4. The series will be available early to subscribers of its Lava for Good+ channel on Apple Podcasts, but it has made the first two episodes available for listeners on all podcast apps as a teaser.

Lava for Good is best known for Wrongful Conviction, the criminal justice series whose stories have led to actual exonerations and criminal legal reform, including legislative change in three states. It also produces the Bone Valley and The War on Drugs series. The new show Absolute is part of a new roster of podcasts from Lava For Good, which has signed a new multi-year deal with iHeartPodcasts to distribute its podcasts and sell inventory on the shows, and the two will work together to develop new series. The two companies have been working together since 2022, as Lava for Good’s roster of shows has seen its downloads climb to more than 70 million.