
Raymond Joshua, a young black performance poet, is arrested and imprisoned for a petty marijuana charge in a Washington, D.C. jail. Although the confining prison walls do little to shield him from danger, it is within those walls that Raymond establishes his identity, strength, and voice and meets a prison gang leader and a prison writing teacher, Lauren Bell. Bell inspires Raymond to use the power of creative expression to free himself from the struggles and demise of the Black male as another victim of the judicial system.

Saul Williams
Ray Joshua

Sonja Sohn
Lauren Bell
Bonz Malone
Hopha
Lawrence Wilson
Big Mike

Beau Sia
Jimmy Huang
Andre Taylor
China
Momolu Stewart
Bay (Jail Rapper)
Ron Jones
Do Wop Cop
Reamer Shedrick
Do Wop Cop
Allan E. Lucas
Chief C.O.
Dominic Chianese Jr.
Officer Dom
Jerome Goldman
Jail Class Poet 'Why'

City of Hope
City of Hope

Nowhere
Nowhere

Russian Dolls
Russian Dolls

Little Buddha
Little Buddha

Paranoid Park
Paranoid Park

Local Color
Local Color

The Creep Behind the Camera
The Creep Behind the Camera

The Lovers
The Lovers

Model Minority
Model Minority

Deconstructing Harry
Deconstructing Harry

Running Scared
Running Scared

The Dream Catcher
The Dream Catcher