Producers take the time to get to know dozens of inmates, following the action and watching the story unfold in from of their eyes.

For some prison might be hell and it can be even worse for the sex offenders.

Long periods of monotony are broken up by brief moments of terror.

Relationships on the inside can be more complicated than on the outside.

Solitary confinement is one of the most common methods for disciplining inmates, but it's also a very controversial issue.

Addiction leads to serious crimes to support bad habits.

A look at female inmates that start off socializing, but end up creating a lot drama for the staff.

For better or worse, time behind bars changes everyone.

Decisions made inside prison.

Every murder has a motive and often the crime is committed by the least likely person.

Three inmates prepare to cross the threshold to freedom.

The crew's take on being in prisons and jails across the U.S. and the world for over a decade.

One inmate takes a grim field trip; an inmate offers clues to an Ohio sex slave mystery.

No escaping the consequences of one's actions behind bars.

Transgender inmates; inmates with dreams of stardom.

Frustrated inmates reach their breaking point.

In prison time can be an inmates worst enemy.

Los Angeles coroner's investigators.

The invisible lines between right and wrong and freedom and jail time.

Using inmates to turn troubled teens away from a life of crime; inmates express their regrets.

The relationships formed between inmates inside and outside of jail often take unexpected turns.

This documentary series takes viewers inside prisons and jails across America and around the world, offering rarely obtained and comprehensive access into these locations. The show profiles the inmates and employees who work at these facilities, highlighting their day-to-day experiences and interactions within the confines of prison. By bringing audiences the real, raw stories of life behind bars, this program aims to provide a truly authentic and in-depth look inside the complex criminal justice system.

The behind-the-scenes series goes international, taking viewers behind bars in prisons in countries around the world. From an abandoned, underground execution chamber in Serbia where prisoners faced death by firing squad to a special room for conjugal visits in a Belgian facility, cameras hunt out the details of prisoner life in other countries.

The "Lockup" franchise has become a staple of the MSNBC schedule, with each series in the franchise taking place in a different prison. This entry is filmed at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in the rural Indiana town of Carlisle. The prison's population, 2,200 male inmates, dwarfs the town's population of just several hundred residents. The majority of Wabash's inmates used to come from urban areas, but now they come mainly from rural farming communities, because of the rise of methamphetamine use. Many of the stories in the series revolve around the meth epidemic and the strict sentences that are handed down, including half brothers who are serving 54- and 35-year sentences for various meth-related crimes. Also housed at Wabash are several of Indiana's high-profile murderers.

There are creatures both legendary and unidentified roaming the Appalachian Mountains, and a band of hard-core hunters and trappers have made it their life's work to investigate them. For generations, supposed sightings of these monsters -- with such names as Wolfman, Devil Dog, Wampus Beast, Mothman and Lizard Demon -- have occurred along the 1,500-mile stretch of mountains, and it wasn't until the members of the Appalachian Investigators of Mysterious Sightings had their own personal encounters with these creatures that they became believers. Now, the AIMS crew, led by founders "Trapper" John Tice, Jeff Headlee and Willy McQuillian, use both traditional techniques and modern technology to track, trap and capture these monsters. Maybe AIMS will snag its first one while cameras are filming "Mountain Monsters"!

The phrase "ball and chain" takes on a whole new meaning in "Love After Lockup." Couples meet their potential future spouses for the first time once the bars are removed from the relationship. The way is full of bumps -- and some strong emotions -- along its rocky road, but these inmates are tasting freedom for the first time in a long while. Viewers follow along as they leave their paper and pen behind and jump straight into dating, meeting the family and experiencing other first-time, nerve-wracking moments.