10 Best Prison TV Shows Ever, Ranked by Fans (& Where to Watch Them)

10. Prisoner (1979–1986)

The maximum-security wing of a women’s prison greets two new inmates: one of them killed her husband for cheating on her, and the other claims innocence despite being sentenced for the attempted murder of a child. It’s hard to call the welcome warm as the brutal world the two women enter is nothing they were ever ready for.

You can stream Prisoner on Apple TV.

9. Beyond Scared Straight (2011–2015)

Troubled teens are often at risk of becoming criminals and shattering their lives, and that’s why young offender intervention programs exist. In each episode of Beyond Scared Straight, an at-risk teen is taken to prison for a few days so that they can talk to inmates and learn about the conditions — and hopefully, rethink their life choices.

You can stream Beyond Scared Straight on Hulu, Prime Video, and Apple TV.

8. Making a Murderer (2015–2018)

The justice system isn’t always flawless, to put it mildly, and Making a Murderer showcases a ruthless story that backs this claim. What happens to a wrongly convicted man after many years in prison? Is there a chance that he doesn’t break under the constant pressure of the hate press, righteous rage, and awful conditions?

You can stream Making a Murderer on Netflix.

7. Girls Incarcerated (2018–2019)

Back on the topic of troubled kids, Girls Incarcerated follows the lives and drama of female juvenile delinquents in two different juvenile centers in the US. Not only are they teenagers, but they’re also criminals in the making who either try to change or want to escape from detention, so the tensions are running high between all of them.

You can stream Girls Incarcerated on Netflix.

6. Lockup (2005–2017)

One of the most in-depth dives into the lives of American inmates, Lockup is a documentary series that follows different prisoners in each episode. The show profiles different notable inmates across the US in every episode as they share their thoughts, show their daily routines, and even give updates after their releases.

You can stream Lockup on Peacock and Prime Video.

5. 60 Days In (2016–Now)

For some people, learning about prison life from TV shows just isn’t enough, and they’re willing to become undercover inmates for two months without either staff or other prisoners knowing their true identities. Sure enough, this makes for an unprecedented TV show in its own right where the risks are exceedingly high.

You can stream 60 Days In on Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV.

4. Oz (1997–2003)

Stepping away from the real-life prisons and their inmates, welcome to Oz — the iconic land where the wonderful wizard… Nevermind, wrong story. Oz is a fictional place in this TV show, too, but instead of a fairy tale land, it's a maximum-security prison in Indiana — and, coincidentally, one of HBO’s first TV shows ever.

You can stream Oz on Hulu, HBO Max, and Prime Video.

3. Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019)

Sometimes, your decades-old choices can come back to bite you in the bottom, and that’s exactly what happened to one law-abiding model citizen who once helped her former girlfriend transport drug money. Now, her everyday life is ruined, and she needs to quickly adapt to a prison that has unexpectedly become her new home.

You can stream Orange Is the New Black on Netflix and Prime Video.

2. Prison Break (2005–2017)

A brilliant engineer designed the near-perfect prison, but here’s the catch: later, his own brother was sentenced to death on false accusations, and he’s detained in that same building. To save his sibling, the engineer decides to become an inmate, too, and use his knowledge of the layout of the prison to break both of them free.

You can stream Prison Break on Hulu, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and Apple TV.

1. Wentworth (2013–2021)

The absolute fan-favorite show isn’t set in the United States; welcome to Australia! In the modern reimagining of Prisoner (the show we covered earlier on this list), Wentworth follows both the staff and the inmates of an Australian prison as some rise to the top of the local hierarchy and some meet gruesome ends, as it happens.

You can stream Wentworth on Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV.

Source: Ranker