After the deaths of his parents, Jimmy Mason is taken in by his Aunt Emma and Uncle Henry. He meets their boarder Matt Kelly and his seductive girlfriend. Kelly impresses the young man with his boastful swagger and alleged political connections. However, in reality he's a bootlegger. Mason is sentenced to three years hard labor when, as one of Kelly's hired hands, he refuses to identify his boss during a police raid. His only chance of escape lies...

This is the hard and shocking story of life in a British Borstal for young offenders. The brutal regime made no attempt to reform or improve the inmates and actively encouraged a power struggle between the 'tough' new inmate and the 'old hands'. The film was originally made as a BBC play but it was banned before ever being shown. So 'Alan Clarke' and 'Roy Minton' got it re-made as a film. This is a tough and brutal film and should not be viewed lightly....