10 Louis Theroux Documentaries You Need To Watch Before You Die
7. Miami Mega-Jail
As a country with a prison population of over 2.2 million, it is no surprise that there have been countless documentary films and TV series looking at the US jail system.
However, Theroux’s 2011 two-part documentary film Miami Mega-Jail still manages to stand out in this crowded field as a dark and heart-rending look at life inside one of Florida’s most notorious detention facilities.
During the documentary's first instalment, Theroux spends time amongst some of the jail's most volatile inmates, who are housed in large 24-man cells where senseless violence is rife.
The treatment of these inmates is particularly fascinating given that, as they are still awaiting court trials, they are technically presumed to be innocent.
This also produces a bizarre conundrum for the participating inmates - how much of their crime they can discuss before accidentally incriminating themselves?
In the second instalment, Theroux visits a military-style boot camp for younger inmates. Although at first the brutal regime of training regime and indoctrination seems harsh, seeing the programme's success stories provides a brief glimmer of hope in an otherwise demoralising documentary.
However, despite the large variety of subjects, Theroux's most striking interviewee is an alleged triple-murderer who, if convicted, is facing the possibility of a death sentence.
The inmate's apparent indifference to his fate is alarming to say the least and acts as the perfect case study for the injustices the inmates experience and their total inability to change their situations.