这片子在90年代就意识到改造罪犯的重点不在于怎么限制自由、人身伤害、精神折磨等惩罚。而是要通过教育改造，来达到从内心深处反思自己，认识错误，从新做人。在追求教育改造罪犯的道路上，可谓是试金石，里程碑。
　　　　成立的翡翠城，仅仅是Tim个人理念的实践，可以说是Tim一个试验项目。他是为了践行无论什么人，都能通过教育改造转换成好人的，他为了证明，人性本善。
　　　　于是他带领着包括心理咨询师、牧师、修女等人进入翡翠城，开始了一种全新的监狱模式。在这里，犯人可以随意走动，可以随意串门，可以打牌可以娱乐，可以祷告可以劳作，可以吸烟可以烧饭，这一切的一切，都为全新的模式。
　　　　tim尝试把各种轻刑犯如交通肇事的律师Beecher，同一些贩毒、杀人、强奸的死囚关在一起，翡翠城原本是想要通过oz这个小社会，让犯人彼此之间自己改变自己，让好人把坏人带好，让坏人变善。可是我们目睹了一个好人被坏人带坏的过程，目睹了人性本恶的真相。当监狱内关进了Said，我们又目睹了这个穆斯林宗教的精神领袖的产生、发展、爆发、灭亡的过程。为了兽语，可以强奸同改；为了毒品、金钱，可以不顾法律在监狱内杀人放火，这一切的罪恶，从未变过。
　　　　tim的团队从始至终都没有放弃这帮犯人，他把犯人当学生、当朋友，给他们上课教授知识却换来他们的嘲笑攻击，给他们抽烟允许他们女友亲密会见为了让他们保留做人的人权换来的也是携带毒品等恩将仇报。
　　　　到最后暴狱之时，tim仍然顽强的告诉监狱长自己能摆平这些事，天真的进去当了人质。一切的一切都宣告失败，人性，本善本恶，我们无需讨论，只是作为罪恶之人，他的心灵，是很难一朝一夕通过感化去改变的，缺少肉体精神上的惩罚，对犯罪分子是没有震慑力的，也根本无从达到让其改过自新的目的。
　　　　虽然最后，tim和牧师还是给暴狱而死的罪犯做祷告，为杀自己的罪犯超度亡灵，仍然在用实际行动体现的大爱换取那邪恶灵魂的救赎。
　　　　我相信会有犯人在OZ的经历，会由坏变好，但是毕竟是少数。
　　　　
　　　　这也是为什么现代监狱仍然在不遗余力的推行分类关押制度。我国监狱到目前为止大部分监狱还是不分类的，就跟OZ一样，以点带线以线带面的好人变坏数不胜数，坏人变好屈指可数。翡翠城给世界监狱学做了一个试金石，作为开路先锋，它失败了，但是它宝贵的经验就是告诉我们，无论什么罪恶，如果潘多拉魔盒，一旦打开，将无法回头。制服犯罪，唯有以暴制暴，用心感化，纯属扯淡。

Season 6

Cyril's life continued to hang in a delicate balance as his execution loomed. Although his brother Ryan, Suzanne Fitzgerald and Sister Pete did all they could to fight the execution, no stay seemed to be forthcoming. While Sister Pete visited with him, Cyril ignored here and continued playing with his puppet 'Jericho'. She asked Cyril a question and he answered by calling her an expletive and grabbing her hand. Soon, Cyril began receiving electro shock treatment which keep him in a daze. Execution day arrived and just as Cyril's about to be strapped in, a stay was issued by the state. The relief is short lived when all other options are exhausted and the inevitable arrived. Cyril's execution is carried out while his brother Ryan weeps and prays and the inmates protest by beating on the glass of their pods.

Season 5

Against his brother's wishes, Cyril participates in one of Sister Pete's interventions to make peace with Jia Kenmin, the asian inmate Cyril put into a coma last season. When new inmate Li Chien arrives, Jia Kenmin uses him as ploy to Ryan for revenge. When Ryan's attempt to shank Li is thwarted by Jia, Cyril picks up Ryan's shank and fatally Li. Although this was really an act to protect Ryan, Cyril gets sent to solitary to await trial for first degree murder. Once the trial starts, Cyril becomes agitated in the courtroom. Sister Pete gives him a hand puppet for him to talk to so he'll stay calm during the proceedings. The verdict comes down as guilty and Cyril's life is now threatened with execution.

Season 4 Part 2

Cyril's condition seemingly gets better, but just as it does, he beats a TV reporter badly, something Ryan tricks him to do. Cyril also gets into a fight with inmate Wick but only after Wick initiated the fight in the phone room. He participates in the experimental aging drug project with brother Ryan only Cyril begins aging and Ryan doesn't. After Wick dies, Cyril and all the other inmates are taken off the drug. Unfortunately, Cyril has one more violent outburst and he's transferred to death row where he meets inmate Stanton. When Ryan comes to visit, he finds Cyril talking with Stanton. Ryan, fearful of Cyril spilling details of his treachery, promptly tells Stanton to back off and not talk to Cyril.

Season 4 Part 1

Cyril begins with questions about Khan's death and these questions turn into violent nightmares. Sister Pete recommends that he and Ryan go to interaction with Dr. Gloria and her in-laws. At the first meeting, Cyril apologizes for killing Gloria's husband but the meeting ends in turmoil. Cyril's also placed on drug therapy to keep him calm, only it backfires when he's given too much by accident overdoses and falls unconscious.

Season 3

Cyril starts this season by getting thrown in the hole for fighting with Schillinger. Ryan manages to get Cyril out and vows revenge on Vern. Soon Cyril gets drafted into boxing by his brother who sees money to be made. With Ryan training and slipping his opponents spiked water, Cyril rises to the top of the Oz boxing heap. For the boxing finals, Cyril has to beat Khan. Ryan arranges a "visit" by their father which angers Cyril. Cyril takes that anger out on Khan and fatally beats him.

Season 2

Ryan's slow-witted brother comes to OZ for murdering Dr. Nathan's husband. He's put into Gen Pop and given Schillinger as a cellmate. Confused and unaware of any danger, Cyril is taken by Schillinger to a dark hallway and is raped by him. Ryan finds out, and stages a fight with Cyril so that he will be taken to solitary and away from Schillinger.

If sex is sweet, death is bitter, love is both. Love will always and forever break your heart.

It's rare when you say goodbye to someone that you know it's the last time. You can try to say whatever it is you should have said before or you can just hold on tight, just hold on, hoping the moment will last a lifetime.

After a big bad event, you only become more of the person you already were.

We don't need more prisons, bigger prisons, better prisons. We need better justice.

Who cares who lives or dies in prison? We read the names in the morning paper and they mean nothing to us. They are faceless. Truth is, we don't want to put a face on them. We don't wanna know who they really are. Because then it might hit too close to home. And home is what it's all about, right? Making a home no matter where you are, no matter who you are, at the end of the day, everybody wants somewhere to rest, somewhere to lay their bones, even if it's in a land called OZ.

这些天来，一直沉迷于OZ（监狱风云）。简单的说，这是一部“很黄很暴力”的美剧。著名有线台HBO出品，1997年开播，一共拍了六季，每季8集（其中第四季16集），每集长达55分钟。目前已经看到了第四季，如果不是精力时间有限，真想不眠不休的一股脑儿全看完。刚开始看《越狱》的时候，也有点这样上瘾的感觉（当然，越狱拍到第三季时已经成了垃圾），但和OZ比起来，《越狱》显然还是部轻松愉快的剧集。OZ的人物之众多，线索之复杂，情节之紧张，人性之黑暗，与《越狱》简直不在一个重量级上。几乎每集都要死人，死人之方式五花八门，有被烧死的，有被吊死的，有被割喉的，有被掐死的，有被割了JJ再勒死的，有在每天食物中被掺上碎玻璃渣一个月后七窍流血而死的，有被艾滋针头扎了感染上HIV之后又被枕头捂死的，有被健身房杠铃砸死的，有在越狱时钻地道遭遇塌方被活埋的……几乎你能想象的不用枪的杀人方法OZ里都实现了。正面全裸的镜头比比皆是，囚犯被关进水泥禁闭室的时候可是要被剥成光猪的，尺度之宽，在美国也只能在收费的有线台播出。平均一句话里要嵌三四个F**K，一分钟对白里粗口词汇多达三四十个，几集看下来，美式英语中最粗最脏的骂人话就学会大半了。剧中演员熟脸的相当多，《法律与秩序SVU》里的不少人都有参演。据说当初OZ拍摄期间，剧组中有个可怕的传言，哪个演员胆敢迟到，下一集中他的角色不是被杀就是被强暴。汗……真是够寒的。

从某种程度上来说，HBO出品就是品质的保证。