The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, with a supporting cast of Lawrence Taylor, Marnie Alton, Malakai Davidson, and Billy Rieck.

Sergio Kovic, the man who raped and murdered her, buys the judge and is found not guilty due to lack of evidence.

Enraged, Kyle steals a gun from a bailiff and shoots Sergio multiple times in front of the entire courthouse, killing him.

The same night, he witnesses a fellow 21-year-old American inmate named Billy Cooper being taken to another cell by the guards to be raped by prison fighter and member of the Russian Mafia, Andrei.

Eventually, he is transferred to a cell with Inmate 451, an African-American prisoner with a reputation for killing his cellmates, something the sadistic Chief of the guards Lieutenant Tolik believes he will do to Kyle.

He soon meets Billy in the prison yard, who explains he is serving a year-and-a-half sentence for driving whilst intoxicated and crashing into a restaurant with a girl he met.

Throughout his time, he continuously fights other prisoners and begins to accept his sentence, becoming hardened by his environment and losing himself while also gaining respect.

Meanwhile, Billy, fed up with the physical and sexual abuse he is subjected to, attempts multiple times to escape the prison, first by running during outside work detail, and again by sneaking off during the Russian Independence Day celebrations; the latter fails as he is betrayed by Malakai, who informs the guards because his need of special medicine and treatment.

However, seeing Kyle's courage and his ability to stay strong during his long punishment, the prison gangs decide to put aside their rivalries and unite, following suit by refusing to fight when Hruschov commands it.

He also gives Kyle documents that contain evidence of all the murders and corruption that has happened in the prison for over 20 years, which he has planned to expose to the US government.

[2] Robert Pardi of TV Guide rated it 1/5 stars and called it a "pokey exercise in cellblock sadism" that does not live up Lam's previous work.

[5] Ian Jane of DVD Talk rated it 3/5 stars and called it "a pleasant surprise" and the best of Van Damme's recent films.