Marie Allen is a 19-year-old innocent who is sent to the State penitentiary after becoming involved in a robbery staged by her now-dead husband. She is two months pregnant and finds herself in the company of both petty and hardened criminals. With the help of a few inmates she quickly learns the inmate pecking order and takes the advice of the kind prison Superintendent, Ruth Benton, to follow the rules and aim to get parole at the end of her first year. Her biggest obstacle is the matron in charge of her section, Evelyn Harper, an evil, sadistic overseer who goes out of her way to make everyone miserable. When her mother refuses to take care of her newborn, it goes into State care, and when Marie is refused parole, she hardens and is destined to a life of crime.—garykmcd