10 Best Prison Shows for Those Who Don't Get Enough of Breakout

1. The escape

Prison Break

• United States, 2005–2017.
• Thriller, drama.
• Duration: 5 seasons.
• IMDb: 8.3.

Michael believes his brother was wrongly sentenced to death. After a long preparation and tattooing important information about the prisoners on his body, Michael is ready to pull his brother out. After all, he once worked on a plan for a correctional facility and knows its features very well.

The Getaway had a great first season and a good second, after which the story turned into a farce. Nevertheless, the series is worthy of attention because of the original plot and bright characters. In a way, "Escape" is a classic TV show from zero with all the pros and cons.

A remake was released in Russia, which is hardly worth watching in full, but you can devote time to a couple of episodes - it turned out so badly that it was even good.

2. Orange is the hit of the season

Orange Is the New Black

• USA, 2013-2019.
• Drama, comedy.
• Duration: 7 seasons.
• IMDb: 8.1.

An affair with a drug dealer turns an ordinary Connecticut resident into an accomplice in crime. The court sentences her to 15 months in prison. Once in the colony, the girl discovers a new world, under which you need to adapt very quickly.

«Orange is the hit of the season"is one of the few works about a women's prison. Perhaps originality played a crucial role in the popularity of the series. One of the characteristic features of the show was black humor, helping the heroines to cope with all the difficulties.

3. Mayor of Kingstown

Mayor of Kingstown

• United States, 2021 - present.
• Thriller, drama.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 8.2.

The McCluskey family controls a prison in a provincial town, making money on the prisoners. The head of the family holds the post of mayor, although he can also be described as the main gangster of Kingstown. The closer he gets to losing influence on the prison, the more decisive steps he is ready to take.

"The Mayor of Kingstown" shows the prison not as a place for rehabilitation, but as an illegal business of the local elite. And the more desires the officials have, the worse the life of ordinary prisoners becomes. The main star of the series is Jeremy Renner, who plays the unprincipled mayor.

4. Dannemora Prison Escape

Escape at Dannemora

• USA, 2018.
• Thriller, biographical.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 7.9.

Tilly Mitchell works in a prison - she runs a sewing shop. Secretly from her husband, the heroine begins a romantic relationship with one of the criminals, and later with his friend. By manipulating the woman, the prisoners begin to use her not only as an opportunity to satisfy physical needs, but also as an assistant in escaping.

The series is based on real events. He does not devote much time to describing life in prison and focuses on human relationships. Directed by Ben Stiller, and the main villains were played by Benicio del Toro and Paul Dano - it turned out to be a wonderful series that can be watched in a couple of evenings.

5. When they see us

When They See Us

• USA, 2019.
• Drama.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8.9.

Five teenagers from Harlem are accused of raping a girl. They did not commit this crime, but the investigation is ready to ignore the arguments because of the color of the defendants' skin. Once in prison, young people are forced to learn how to survive.

When They See Us gained near-cult status in the US in no time after its release. The theme of racial discrimination has not lost its relevance over the years, so the series still looks like a manifesto. However, many criticize him precisely for this, and the authors themselves do not deny their political engagement. You can give it a chance not only because of its popularity, but also because of its brevity - it has only five episodes.

6. One night

The Night Of

• USA, 2016.
• drama, detective
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8.5.

An ordinary guy wakes up in the same bed as a dead girl. The investigation decides that he was involved in her death. While imprisoned, the protagonist tries to prove that he did not actually kill anyone, although all the evidence leads to him.

"One Night" has a great script that keeps the viewer in suspense throughout all eight episodes. The detective story is accompanied by the torment of a prisoner who believes less and less in justice every day. Riz Ahmed and John Turturro played the main roles in the series - it turned out to be a wonderful duet.

7. For a life

For Life

• United States, 2020–2021.
• Drama, biographical.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 7.6.

Aaron Wallace was sentenced to life in prison for a crime he did not commit. Disillusioned with lawyers, Wallace decides to take on his own case, studying the profession of a lawyer along the way.

The series is based on real events. Perhaps he does not tell much about prison life, but he demonstrates that even in the most difficult situation one should not lose hope.

8. Escape Kings

Breakout Kings

• United States, 2011–2012.
• Thriller, drama.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 7.2.

The American government admits that the old methods of finding escaped prisoners do not work well. To correct mistakes, a team is created from former fugitives who are well aware of the psychology of prisoners. The escape experts are an effective team, but they themselves are not always ready to listen to their superiors.

In places, Breakout Kings is too naive a show to take seriously. Caricature characters, banal humor, predictable plots - in terms of characteristics, it is more like an average series from the zeros than a project from a new era. However, he also has fans. For example, due to the intersection with universe Breakout: One of the characters (T-Bag) even appears in Breakout Kings.

9. vis-a-vis

Vis a vis

• Spain, 2015-2019.
• Drama, action.
• Duration: 4 seasons.
• IMDb: 8.2.

The girl ends up in prison because of her gullibility - she is accused of a crime that she did not commit. Being behind bars from the first day forces her to change, otherwise she will not be able to survive. During the transformation, she learns a lot about herself.

"Vis-a-vis" stands out among many series about the prison, at least because of its Spanish background - it looks like an exotic against the backdrop of American projects. Also, the show deserves attention because of the bright characters. It is worth noting that there is one season of "Vis-Avis: Oasis" - it can be perceived both as a separate show and as the fifth season of the original series.

10. Black bird

Blackbird

• USA, 2022.
• Drama, biographical.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8.2.

Jimmy Keane, convicted of selling weapons and drugs, enters into an agreement with the investigation. His task is to ingratiate himself with Larry Hall, a serial killer against whom there is not enough evidence. The difficulty is that Hall suffers from mental disorders and has difficulty talking to people, and Keane himself begins to arouse suspicion among other prisoners.

A great mini-series that can be watched in one day. An incredible dramatic story tells not only about prison everyday life, but also about the investigation of murders committed by a maniac. An excellent cast (Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Houser, Ray Liotta) adds new colors to the already bright plot.