Solitary: Inside Red Onion State Prison

Kristi Jacobson's HBO-aired documentary takes viewers inside the segregation units at Red Onion State Prison, a supermax facility located in rural Virginia. The convicts incarcerated here are among the most violent in the penal system, and while they initially come across as articulate and charismatic in interviews, the insouciant manner in which they detail the carnage that landed them behind bars is more than a little unsettling. The prisoners live in the 8x10 cells 23 hours a day, and while some are allowed the luxuries of TVs, books, and (in at least one case) an iPod, they nonetheless find it a challenge to remain sane in this environment. Many of the prison pods echo with endless screaming and banging, but the cacophony is mostly ignored by correctional officers (those interviewed here seem mostly numb to their duties). The documentary details an attempt to move these men out of solitary confinement and back into the general prison population, but the results are not always encouraging. Offering fascinating insights into some of the moral complexities within the prison system, this film raises difficult questions without serving up easy answers. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)