Behind Bars: Rookie Year (2015)

Only the strong will survive in prison, for both inmates and officers alike. Purto and D'Angelo clash with antagonistic inmates. Lilly oversees a prison work program just a few steps away where SNM gang members recently murdered on of their own. Andrew hits the line and questions whether he is cut out for this job or not.

Working in corrections tests patience and courage each day and is beginning to take a toll on the rookies. Mangin and Cordova must subdue a gang member after he threatens them. Israel refuses to follow prison protocol when a former SNM gang member intimidates him. Lilly gets a confidence boost when she discovers drugs in an inmate's mail. Purto is called to a special assignment discharging a high risk inmate.

For the rookies, the mental game in prison can be even more challenging than the physical one. D'Angelo is frustrated when he has trouble catching inmates in his unit with contraband. Lilly learns a hard lesson about trusting inmates when a phone goes missing in the pod. Purto joins the elite STIU team interview a gang member. A new rookie, Chaz, hits the line and hopes to live up to his father's legacy.

Violence against New Mexico law enforcement is on the rise and even the smallest mistake can be devastating. Mangin joins the extraction to which must forcible remove an unwilling inmate from his cell. Israel makes an error while performing a drug test and Fabian loses track of inmates in his unit. Ariel starts a new post and goes too far to establish her authority and sets up a serious conflict.

The department's case against prison gangs is building and the rookies must learn how to find evidence that will take them down for good. Purto redeems himself with the STIU unit and assists in a major SNM drug bust. D'Angelo finally finds drugs in the open dormitory. Mangin and Cordova respond to an emergency involving an irate inmate. Fabian gets discouraged and has to call his brother for some help.

After a few months on the job, the rookies are starting to find their footing as officers while others are falling behind. Lilly works control in an SNM pod that has been locked down after a recent murder. Chaz gets ready for an extraction, meanwhile a new cadet, Javier, excels in the training academy. Fabian makes a serious mistake that puts his job in jeopardy. Ariel begins to doubt her career choice and stops showing up to work.

Violent attacks are on the rise in the prison and things can go from zero to 100 in an instant. Rookie COs must be vigilant at all times to prevent a disaster. Mangin must subdue a volatile inmate when he swallows unidentified contraband. A fight between gang members breaks out in Chaz's unit and Javier's first assignment as a CO is yard duty. Tired of the violence and stress, Ariel quits the job. Meanwhile D'Angelo moves to PNM in the hopes of getting to see more action.

The administration steps up efforts to take down the SNM gang as violence is still rising in the prison. Israel and Purto shakedown cells of of high level SNM gang leaders and find out Purto's life may be in jeopardy. A leader of the SNM gang tells his story. Mangin and Cordova hit their 1 year anniversary as COs and witness a violent SNM gang fight. Chaz is beginning to come into his own as a correctional officer.