Solitary : inside Red Onion State Prison

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Summary

On an Appalachian mountaintop nearly 300 miles from the nearest urban center, Red Onion State Prison --one of over 40 supermax prisons across the US--holds up to 500 prisoners in isolated, 8'x10' c...

On an Appalachian mountaintop nearly 300 miles from the nearest urban center, Red Onion State Prison --one of over 40 supermax prisons across the US--holds up to 500 prisoners in isolated, 8'x10' cells for 23 hours a day, where they are forgotten by the world beyond its walls. These inmates are sentenced to solitary confinement, not by judges or juries, but by prison authorities. Supermax prisons are considered "Black Sites"-- mysterious and highly guarded locations that virtually never admit the press. In this film, filmmaker Kristi Jacobson gives viewers unprecedented and unrestricted access to Red Onion residents. Inmates reflect on violent childhoods, the dangers of prison life, and their struggles to stay sane against the unrelenting monotony of solitary confinement.

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