Carlin (Ray Winstone) gets sent to a prison in England called Borstal, and he must prove himself to be strong. Other inmates include Richards (Phil Daniels), Angel (Alrick Riley), Archer (Mick Ford), and Davis (Julian Firth), who is taunted for wanting to be alone. Pongo Banks (John Blundell) is in charge of one wing and beats up Carlin to maintain his position. The prison is very violent, with fights and a rape occurring. The guards and the warden are even worse than the prisoners. The system is supposed to teach them a lesson, but they do not learn anything good or useful.