Avery had to drop out of college to support his girlfriend Krista and their son Jordan, but he saved his money and is eager to get back in the game. He has returned to the swim meet circuit and is now having the time of his life. One night, after winning a race, he is approached by a college scout. Thrilled, he goes out with his friends Dre and Cashmere to celebrate. A gun used in a drive-by shooting somehow finds its way into Cashmere's car. The cops arrive, and soon the trio land in jail. Cashmere has an easier time adapting to penitentiary life than Dre and Avery, who are more unfamiliar with the gang life that pervades the environment. Avery clings to Krista and Jordan as reasons to hold on, but there is only one man who can, and will, fight on his behalf - Charles, his swimming scout, who believes in his innocence without question. Regardless of the outcome, Avery must learn to hold on to his ideals after the brutality he has witnessed.
