The New Stanford Prison Experiment (2026)

Thirty participants arrive at the prison facility, ready to learn their fate. Eight are assigned to be guards — and the rest are put behind bars.

When the day shift and night shift guards can't present a united front, two like-minded inmates seize the opportunity to disrupt the balance of power.

As the experiment reaches the point where the 1971 study spiraled, a newly empowered inmate stirs unrest and receives a controversial punishment.

Phase three brings changes that put everyone in the pod on edge as the day shift establishes control and former guards adjust to their new roles.

A power vacuum emerges as the former inmates on the new night shift struggle to command respect. An ex-guard sows rebellion, threatening the hierarchy.

As the experiment nears its end, the guards head home and the inmates take control — but their newfound authority sparks a clash over what happens next.