Lockdown

In Albuquerque, Avery Montgomery trains and competes, balancing family life with Krista. His impressive victory catches the eye of a scout and opens the door to a potential college scholarship. The win marks the start of a path that could change his future.

Earlier in the day, before the swim meet, Cashmere clashes with Broadway over what he owes. He asserts his power by kicking Broadway down a flight of stairs and pulling a gun to back up his threat. Broadway vows revenge for the humiliation.

During the same day, Broadway attempts a robbery at a drive-through and shoots a woman. He wipes the scene clean and later stuffs his gun into the backseat of Cashmere's convertible, hoping to lay blame elsewhere. The setup foreshadows the later mistaken identity that will ensnare Avery and friends.

After Avery's big win, Cashmere and Dre join the celebration. A gun is discovered in the car and a police stop escalates when Cashmere's pit bull is shot by an officer. Cashmere grabs the gun in anger and is wounded in the shoulder amid the chaos.

The trio is convicted of Broadway's crime they didn't commit and sentenced to ten years in prison. They are separated from their families and face a harsh new reality behind bars. The sense of injustice begins to drive the rest of the story.

Inside prison, Dre is raped by Graffiti, the white supremacist cellmate who leads a neo-Nazi gang and dominates the prison's drug trade. Cashmere aligns with Graffiti's rival Clean Up, while Avery meets Malachi Young, an elder inmate near the end of his sentence. The three men begin navigating a brutal new social order.

Graffiti uses smuggling through his girlfriends to flood the prison with drugs. Clean Up carries out a decisive kill to disrupt the rival, making the prison's power balance more volatile. A warden lockdown follows as authorities try to restore order.

During the lockdown, Dre begins injecting heroin and is attacked by Graffiti. Avery intervenes to protect Dre, and Malachi steps in to help defuse the violence, leading to a large fight among inmates. Guards restore order after injuries mount.

In the aftermath, Malachi takes responsibility for the riot and assault to spare Avery a disciplinary record. His calm stance and rage-tinged confession convince the panel, and he is transferred to another prison. Avery receives a symbolic parting gift and a mentor figure fades from his day-to-day life.

Dre finally stabs Graffiti to avenge the abuse, during a tense moment at a gospel concert in the prison. Shortly after, the crooked guard Perez kills Dre, ending his attempt at revenge. The power vacuum intensifies the prisoners' struggle for control.

Clean Up's informant mole is arrested amid suspicions of internal betrayal. Cashmere is suspected, leading to Clean Up ordering Cashmere to kill Avery, heightening the tension among allies turned enemies. Loyalties shift as the drug empire fractures.

Krista and Charles Pierce uncover Broadway's file and learn Lil' G was shot during the robbery. Broadway writes a confession to the murder and hangs himself in prison after Krista confronts him with Avery's son. A judge accepts the confession and Avery is released.

Tensions explode into a riot in the prison yard, with rival gangs clashing and prisoners and guards dying. Cashmere attacks Avery with a shank, but Clean Up intervenes and Cashmere kills Clean Up before a guard shoots Cashmere dead. The chaos finally closes with Avery miraculously alive.

Avery is released from prison and returns to Krista and his son. He rediscovers his love of swimming and resumes life with his family, stepping back into the world as a free man. The pool and family scenes symbolize his fresh start.