THE TOUGHEST BEAT IS BEHIND BARS.

Imagine a city populated entirely by the nation's worst criminals, and it's your job to police them.... Tennessee Prison IS that city, and THE SQUAD is that police force.

THE SQUAD is comprised of 8 special agents who respond to and investigate every major crime in the prison -- from riots and assaults, to organized crime and drugs, to stabbings and murder. As the only police unit in the prison, THE SQUAD functions as detectives, SWAT and CSI all rolled into one. All members of The Squad must complete a rigorous training course with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, so their level of expertise is unique.

Like other investigative units, THE SQUAD must build cases for criminal prosecution -- and there ARE serious consequences for these inmates (additional sentences, solitary confinement, etc). Unlike other similar prison investigative units, though, Tennessee’s Squad has full police powers, enabling them to work these major criminal cases (homicides, felony drug smuggling) by themselves all the way to conviction. Each episode will follow at least one investigation from beginning to end. The team closed almost 130 major cases last year, which included the apprehension of 4 escapees.