The documentary centers around the kick back money recieved by two judges, illegally, from a complex funding operation for building a juvenile prison. The juvenile court judge states he wanted to build a prison that was sanitary. So he utilized his own resources, from a beer company to a strip club, which he has business ties, and privately funds building the jail. The same jail he will be sentencing the juveniles to. But that's not even close to the real dilemma.
This all takes place post Columbine, so a ZERO tolerance is placed. Zero tolerance meaning they are going to weed out the trouble makers by any means necessary. Here are some examples of ZERO TOLERANCE:
A juvenile purchases a scooter for $250. The police finds out the scooter was originally stolen. He is sentenced to five years in prison.
A girl gets in a fight in school and is sentenced the same.
A juvenile gets in an argument with a parent at a bus stop. As the parent is cursing and shouting its the boy who gets sentenced to 4 years of prison.
All three of those kids sentenced without a lawyer. These are 15 year olds who will not experience growing up outside of prison walls.
The sentencing is beyond harsh. This is closer to paranoia. This is how you ruin a person's life, demoralize them and permanently damage their souls. The central focus is not the money. The documentary reveals trails of unjust sentencing and their ramifications show a complete lack of understanding of children. At 1 hr 18 min, there is an unforgettable scene when a parent confronts the judge about her sons suicide after his sentencing.
This documentary is powerful. It reveals a problem no one is talking about. If not for a group of advocates, the unjust sentencing will continue. The system will continue to silence these children as they are sentenced to grow up in the isolation of cold concrete walls of prisons.