First in a three-part series about the prison experience, focusing on DCI (Dixon Correctional Institute) in Louisiana, a state which doles out some of the heaviest sentences and has one of the highest incarceration rates in the U.S. This segment gives a close-up look at life in a medium-security environment as a busload of convicted felons arrives for in-processing. Includes interviews with five inmates: black and white, first-timers and old-timers, teenaged and middle-aged. Also includes commentary from the warden, guards, and others, to give a balanced perspective of the penal system as the cameras capture the new inmates' first few days. Highlights security procedures, convict duties, disciplinary actions, and a hostage crisis drill.