Guilty Pleasures - Prison Shows

Reality Prison Shows

Lockdown or Lockup are prime examples of these semi reality tv shows, more on the edge of a documentary but with the edge of a reality show. There is just something that gets me about these shows; some kind of twisted fascination with people's lived in prison. Most of the episodes are the same, repetitive in their level of fear and punishment that each facility imposes on their inmates, but it never gets old.

The different sections of these massive facilities are highlighted each episode, showing the different worlds that exist within one prison. Then there are the extreme lockdown sections of the prisons, the prison within the prison for those who violate the rules on a consistent basis. These are the sections of the prison where total isolation sinks in, bleeding over from the screen to whoever is watching. Trying to deal with the mind numbing boredom that life becomes in isolation must be agonizing, particularly for those who spend years living alone. But there is more than just punishment in these shows; they also highlight prisoners who do well, trying to reform themselves while doing their time. And they are normally rewarded by having more perks or even living in environments where freedoms are giving to them, but these inmates are still aware and even more heightened that they are living in prison, knowing that if they mess up at this point in their lives they will be sent back to main prison.

 That is one of the main things that hook me on these shows, showing punishment for those who have deserved it, and rewarding those in prison who are working within the system to reform themselves.