The Big House
History channel goes inside some of the toughest prisons in America
- 1998-2003
- 2 seasons
- ABC
- Documentary
History channel goes inside some of the toughest prisons in America
Season 2 Episode Guide
8 Episodes 2000 - 2003
Episode 1
Attica
Mon, Jan 10, 2000
Attica Correctional Facility - opened in 1931, is a maximum security campus New York State prison in the town of Attica, New York. The prison was hailed as a model for the confinement of the most dangerous criminals.
Episode 3
Angola
Thu, Jan 13, 2000 44 mins
The Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as Angola, opened in 1901. It is a brutal maximum-security prison known as the 'Bloodiest Prison in America.' Most of the facility's 6,300 inmates will never see the outside world again.
Episode 4
Maze Prison
Sun, Jun 30, 2002 44 mins
Located near Belfast, Maze Prison holds both Catholic and Protestant prisoners, members of paramilitary groups like the Irish Republican Army. The prison consists of 8 H-shaped cellblocks with cameras, searchlights, 16-foot walls, and guard towers.
Episode 5
Florida State At Raiford
Thu, Jan 18, 2001 44 mins
The Florida State Prison at Raiford was built on 18, 000 acres of farmland in 1913. The original maximum-security housing unit, nicknamed "The Rock", gave the prison its notorious reputation.
Episode 6
Kentucky State Penitentiary
Thu, Jun 26, 2003 42 mins
Called the "Castle on the Cumberland", its inspiring medieval presence is a focal point on the landscape.
Episode 7
L.A. County Jail
Wed, Jul 23, 2003 43 mins
The largest prison system in the free world, its 20,000 male and female inmates reflect the crimes and racial tensions of LA. The challenge is staggering feed 75,000 meals a day and keep 16,000 gang members from killing each other.
Episode 8
Lewisburg Federal
Wed, Jan 17, 2001 44 mins
Built in 1932, the federal penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, looks more like a church than a prison. When it opened, it was considered the most modern and humane prison in America.
Episode 9
Auburn
Thu, May 29, 2003 43 mins
The State Penitentiary in Auburn, New York is the centerpiece of a city and a monument to one of America's first attempts at criminal rehabilitation.