AllMovie

Stephen Roszell's award winning documentary is a darkly humorous look at prison from the perspective of prison guards-the other prisoners, as he calls them. Roszell is known for his offbeat and complex takes on the human condition. This documentary looks at the "yard lords"- the term for prison guards- and their perceptions and observations about the people they are paid to watch. The viewer meets an interesting array of inmates, including convicted car thieves who learned their trade by watching "Adam-12" on television, and inmates who traffic in prison luxuries. This film is a unique opportunity to study human nature, as the guards observe the lives of inmates, with their various adaptations to prison life. And the guards themselves are a study in the use and abuse of power, with acts of both humanity and inhumanity behind those prison walls.