The Jericho Mile

Larry Murphy is convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in Folsom Prison after shooting his father, whom he believes was raping his stepsister. He maintains the act was justified, though the judgment leaves him isolated in the yard. The conviction becomes the bedrock of his life behind bars and his fixation on speed.

Inmates nickname him Lickety Split for his uncanny pace, and Murphy remains a loner with only one friend, Stiles. The nickname spreads through the yard, setting him apart from other inmates.

The prison psychologist arranges for the sports writer to time Murphy, giving him a tangible measure of his speed. Murphy does not realize how fast he is until the stopwatch reveals it, a moment that reframes his ambitions. The revelation becomes the catalyst for a plan that could change his life inside Folsom.

The Warden learns of Murphy's speed and brings in the state track coach to pit him against a few prison distance runners. Murphy defeats the challengers in a display of surprising speed, catching the staff's attention.

To register an official time, a proper track must be built in the yard, so the Warden asks inmates to volunteer. The project becomes a focal point in the prison, outlining a path toward something bigger than ordinary yard work.

Stiles negotiates with Dr D to secure an early conjugal visit so he can see his baby, hoping to maneuver within the white gang's control. Instead of Stiles' wife, a drug mule is arranged to smuggle drugs, prompting a confrontation when she is arrested.

Stiles informs Murphy of the mule incident, and Murphy convinces him to go into isolation for safety. When the prisoners are released, Stiles is killed, removing Murphy's only ally and driving tensions higher.

The white gang withdraws support and forms a picket line around the track project, preventing others from crossing. The strike fractures prison solidarity and escalates the rivalry between white, black, and Hispanic inmates.

Blacks and Hispanics challenge the legitimacy of the picket line, and a gang fight erupts as tensions flare in the yard. The conflict threatens the integrity of the track project and tests Murphy's focus.

The track is completed and Murphy clocks a qualifying time, beating Frank Davies, one of the fastest milers in the United States. His achievement moves him toward the Olympic trials.

Murphy is summoned before the U.S. Olympic board, and it becomes clear that the board never intended to let a convicted murderer compete. A board member tests Murphy on remorse, and Murphy bluntly admits that given the same circumstances he would do it again.

Life at Folsom returns to normal, but Murphy hears that Davies has qualified for the Olympics with an exceptional time. He retrieves a stopwatch and his spikes, preparing to imagine how he would have fared against Davies.

Murphy sets himself at the start line and races as hard as he can to see how he would have fared against Davies. The inmates watch with anticipation as he pushes through the pain to the finish.

As he crosses the imaginary finish line, an inmate declares that Murphy beat Davies' time, and Murphy angrily grabs and hurls the stopwatch against the prison wall, smashing it to pieces. The act underscores his defiance and the limits of what the prison will allow him to claim.