Hard Time

Behind bars, there are two sets of rules: prison protocol and convict code. To survive one, you might have to break the other. So begins another day in a brutal world, where respect is hard-won, time is distorted, violence is a constant threat and redemption is an elusive quest. National Geographic Channel’s six-part series Hard Time goes inside the battleground of Georgia’s paramilitary correctional system. Throughout the course of a year, cameras follow both those who work and those who serve time – from nonviolent first-time offenders in a military-style boot camp to repeat criminals in “Hi-Max”, the most extreme disciplinary environment allowed – tracking the hazy line between control and chaos.