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FRONTLINE: Locked Up in America: Solitary Nation and Prison State DVD

$24.99
4 Reviews Write a Review
Item #: WB4162
FRONTLINE: Locked Up in America: Solitary Nation and Prison State Two films examine incarceration in the United States. 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 ... More
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FRONTLINE: Locked Up in America: Solitary Nation and Prison State

Two films examine incarceration in the United States.

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. Award-winning director and producer Dan Edge gives viewers these raw and unforgettable firsthand accounts from prisoners, prison staff, and people whose lives are forever altered by this troubled system.

Solitary Nation presents a visceral portrait of life in a solitary-confinement unit in Maine's maximum-security prison, told through the inmates living in isolation, the officers watching over them, and the new warden who is desperately trying to reform the system.

Prison State takes an intimate look at the cycle of mass incarceration in America and a statewide effort to reverse the trend, following four residents of a housing project in Louisville, Ky., as they cycle in and out of the state's jails and prisons.

Production Year: 2014
Copyright Year: 2014
Discs: 1
Subtitles: Y
Subtitle Language: English (SDH)
DVI: N
Audio Format: Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen

4 Reviews
M
Mike
Verified Reviewer
5.0 star rating
11/29/23
Is prison a better home ?
Review by Mike on 11/29/23 review stating Is prison a better home ?
I spent 3 years in prison and 8 post, inside you have church, a structured but not perfect, ( its prison) society. How you failed on the outside and the fear of living with no life, on the inside the razor wire kept out the fear of the world. Sounds strange after I got out it actually hurt to leave. Then the horror started, get a job, transportation etc. then came no friends, shunned, even churches treated you different, then you figured it out ! The outside is just as bad if not worse then the inside. Its been 10 years now Ive been out and not much human love. God has not given up on me, he is faithful when Im not.
M
Michael
Verified Reviewer
5.0 star rating
09/26/23
Been there in prison
Review by Michael on 09/26/23 review stating Been there in prison
Its ironic that there are more on the outside who live as deserving solitary then on the inside of prison! Some prisons give the opportunity to survive on the outside by training, schooling and ministry, thats the blessing, when you get out that is the possible beginning of the curse, being given the opportunity. That is why inmates come back or end up in solitary, they give up and rage out. They feel safer on the inside!
J
Justice P.
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
Haunting and Powerful
Review by Justice P. on 07/17/20 review stating Haunting and Powerful
Solitary Nation is an important but hard to watch film. It documents the difficult ethical and moral decisions facing correctional administrators for carrying out U.S. crime control policies. On the one hand, solitary confinement may be needed for the most dangerous offenders, but puting them in solitary may well drive them mad. The film never answers the question of why the U.S. has the highest rate of solitary confinements in the world, nor does the accompanying film Prison State fully answer the question of why the U.S. has the highest rate of imprisonment in the world. However, both films suggest there is something seriously wrong with the way we use prison and solitary confinement in America. Unless one wants to argue that Amercans are some of the most violent people on Earth, these high rates suggest the problem lies in policies, not in the number of criminals or their character.
J
Jm
Anonymous User
4.0 star rating
07/17/20
Riveting look at solitary
Review by Jm on 07/17/20 review stating Riveting look at solitary
Filmmakers were given access to a horrific world Americans rarely see. Sometimes this documentary is hard to watch as some of these inmates descend into depression and self-abuse. Excellent interviews with prison staff who are trying to cope with the daily fallout from a Kafka-esque system: men who act out in solitary receive more time in solitary. Is the cure worse than the disease? The warden is looking for better solutions but few are on the horizon. Great storytelling and camera work.

Highlighted Customer Reviews

J
Justice P. reviewed FRONTLINE: Locked Up in America: Solitary Nation and Prison State DVD
5 star rating
Haunting and Powerful
Review by Justice P. review stating Haunting and Powerful
Solitary Nation is an important but hard to watch film. It documents the difficult ethical and moral decisions facing correctional administrators for carrying out U.S. crime control policies. On the one hand, solitary confinement may be needed for the most dangerous offenders, but puting them in solitary may well drive them mad. The film never answers the question of why the U.S. has the highest rate of solitary confinements in the world, nor does the accompanying film Prison State fully answer the question of why the U.S. has the highest rate of imprisonment in the world. However, both films suggest there is something seriously wrong with the way we use prison and solitary confinement in America. Unless one wants to argue that Amercans are some of the most violent people on Earth, these high rates suggest the problem lies in policies, not in the number of criminals or their character.
M
Michael reviewed FRONTLINE: Locked Up in America: Solitary Nation and Prison State DVD
5 star rating
Been there in prison
Review by Michael review stating Been there in prison
Its ironic that there are more on the outside who live as deserving solitary then on the inside of prison! Some prisons give the opportunity to survive on the outside by training, schooling and ministry, thats the blessing, when you get out that is the possible beginning of the curse, being given the opportunity. That is why inmates come back or end up in solitary, they give up and rage out. They feel safer on the inside!
M
Mike reviewed FRONTLINE: Locked Up in America: Solitary Nation and Prison State DVD
5 star rating
Is prison a better home ?
Review by Mike review stating Is prison a better home ?
I spent 3 years in prison and 8 post, inside you have church, a structured but not perfect, ( its prison) society. How you failed on the outside and the fear of living with no life, on the inside the razor wire kept out the fear of the world. Sounds strange after I got out it actually hurt to leave. Then the horror started, get a job, transportation etc. then came no friends, shunned, even churches treated you different, then you figured it out ! The outside is just as bad if not worse then the inside. Its been 10 years now Ive been out and not much human love. God has not given up on me, he is faithful when Im not.
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