Oz

In New York State stands Oswald Penitentiary, known to nearly everyone as Oz, a maximum-security prison. Inside, an experimental unit called the Emerald City operates, where unit director Tim McManus argues that inmates should learn to take responsibility during their sentences instead of simply being punished. To avoid clashes, the space is managed with a careful balance between racial and social groups, although nearly all the factions remain at odds with one another. Augustus Hill, a wheelchair-using inmate, recovering drug addict and former dealer, introduces the episodes and offers social commentary on prison life. Created by Tom Fontana and aired on HBO, the series shows modern, well-kept facilities where survival remains the priority and fear is a daily companion for prisoners.