Watch Hard Time

Hard Time is a National Geographic Channel series that goes behind the scenes of some of toughest correctional facilities in the country. The show takes a day to day look at the day in the life of inmates, guards, and wardens. Hard Time pulls no punches when it exposes the harsh realities of prison life, and the hopelessness of the individuals who are serving long sentences, life sentences, or are on death row. Episodes focus on several facilities such as Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, Ross Correctional Institution in Ohio, Forth Worth Correctional Facility, and the Georgia State Penitentiary.

The female prisoners are a good mix of African American, White and Latino. The women are mostly poor, uneducated, and incarcerated for some type of drug charge. The women are usually repeat offenders who find themselves caught in the revolving door of incarceration, release, and relapse. The show takes a sympathetic look at the plight of these women who often leave behind children who are made wards of the state. Some of the females are in prison on serious felony charges such as robbery and murder. The women find that prison is a dangerous, often unforgiving place, as altercations could lead to injury or death.

The male prisons are notoriously harsher than the female. The mixture of drugs, testosterone, psychosis, and anger is sometimes volatile. Most of the men profiled are also incarcerated for drugs and the recidivism rate is very high. Many are in prison for heinous crimes, and are facing life sentences or death. Oddly enough, these inmates seem to have made peace with their situation. Wardens have the difficult task of walking the tightrope between tending to the issues of inmates and understanding the inherent risks and dangers of the men and women who guard the prison. Although guards seldom admit the truth, it is apparent that safety is a real issue as a number of guards have been murdered. At the end of the day, most of the parties involved try make the best of their situation.

Hard Time is a series that is currently running and has 4 seasons (35 episodes). The series first aired on January 21, 2009.