From its beginning during the Reagan years through current times, the War on Drugs has left many victims stranded in the prison system. PRISONERS OF THE WAR ON DRUGS reveals life behind bars in the nation’s prisons. Each prisoner has his or her own story, but for most, the story is predictably similar; they have been criminalized for drugs or drug related offenses, locked up with easy access to substances, and given little opportunity for rehabilitation. This film provides an inside look at the prison system, its prisoners and a war on drugs we do not seem to be winning.
Direction
Levin's unflinching prison access feels illegally intimate.
Writing
Stories that indict better than any statistic could.
Director
Marc Levin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during Clinton's crime bill era, the documentary landed like a grenade in a bipartisan consensus that more prisons equal less crime.
Marc Levin later directed 'Slam' and 'Brick City,' building a career on exposing how American institutions eat their young—this was his opening salvo.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
US
