Behind Bars: Rookie Year

Even the best training can't prepare a rookie Corrections Officer for the physical demands and emotional rollercoaster of their first year on the job. At the Penitentiary of New Mexico (PNM) a group of rookie COs embark on their new career. Zach experiences his first use of force, 19-year-old Tyler makes a frightening discovery, an unruly inmate tests Carlos and Ariel is out to prove everyone wrong.

The hardest lesson for a rookie CO to learn is the difference between forcing respect and earning it. New CO Andrew's aggressive approach rubs inmates the wrong way while Keith tries to get ahead of a potentially volatile situation. Francisco confronts a lying inmate and Ariel faces her first day on the line. And for one Rookie, the job proves to be too much.

Gangs are the number one threat to maintaining order at PNM. Members are organized, loyal and often violent. Francisco responds to a fight while Tyler crosses the line with a gang leader. Keith assists PNM's elite gang unit and new CO Cohen Mangin aims to prove he has what it takes to follow in his family's footsteps.

Inmates are called convicts for good reason. Once inside, they have nothing but time to conjure up ingenious ways to hide contraband and manipulate COs. Mangin gets conned by a career criminal and Andrew helps STIU bust a drug dealing gang member. Ariel deals with the challenges of being a female CO.

Violence is a way of life in prison and the threat of it keeps both COs and inmates on constant alert. Zach investigates a fight while Keith deals with unstable and violent inmates. Ariel is a "rover" wrestling with the uncertainty that comes with the job. And PNM's tragic past, which includes the bloodiest prison riot in American history, acts as both a haunting reminder and a catalyst for change.

Most of PNM's inmates are serving long-term sentences for violent crimes, and for many it's drugs that help them get through the time. Despite efforts to keep the prison clean, narcotics always find their way into this otherwise closed world. Francisco suspects an inmate is high while Andrew takes inmates on a high-risk work detail outside of the prison. And new CO Bruce struggles under the weight of high expectations.

With a few months on the line under their belts, the rookies are beginning to understand the harsh realities of their new careers. Keith is at a crossroads while Andrew tries to find the balance needed to be an effective officer. The training wheels come off as Ariel is tested during an emergency.

An inmate walks off a work detail; Ariel is assigned to PNM's worst inmates; Keith decides it's time for a change; Andrew and Mangin form a partnership; a former CO tries to get his job back.