Watch Civil Brand

Civil Brand is a drama movie released in 2002, directed by Neema Barnette and written by Preston A. Whitmore II. The film follows two women, Frances Shepard (LisaRaye McCoy) and Nikki Barnes (N'Bushe Wright), who are imprisoned in Whitehead Correctional Institute, a privately-run women's prison. The movie draws inspiration from a real-life prison scandal of the late 1990s.

Frances Shepard, a former model, is wrongly convicted of murdering her abusive husband, and Nikki Barnes, a single mother and drug addict, is incarcerated for drug possession. When they arrive at the prison, they find themselves in a world of corruption, where the prison guards and officials subject the inmates to brutal and inhumane treatment. The guards also turn a blind eye to gang violence and drug trafficking, which runs rampant in the prison.

Frances and Nikki soon meet other inmates, including a transgender woman, a woman with a terminal illness, and a woman who is in prison for killing her stalker. Together, they form a sisterhood, determined to fight against the prison's mistreatment and bring change to the system. They come up with a plan to stand up to the corrupt prison officials, and Frances becomes the leader of the group. She uses her modeling skills to gather evidence of the prison's malpractices, and the group decides to file a class-action lawsuit against the prison.

Their fight for justice is not without its challenges. The prison officials use intimidation tactics to threaten the women, and the gang leaders try to sabotage their efforts. Frances and Nikki also face personal challenges, as Frances struggles with PTSD from her past abuse and Nikki battles her addiction while trying to regain custody of her daughter.

Amidst all the chaos, an activist lawyer named Michael (Yasiin Bey) arrives to help the women with their case. Michael is initially skeptical of Frances and her group's allegations and warns them that their actions may have consequences. However, as he starts to investigate, he discovers that the women's claims are true, and the prison officials are indeed engaged in illegal activities.

As the lawsuit progresses, tensions rise, and the women face increasingly violent retaliation from the prison guards and gang leaders. The women's safety and the success of their case hang in the balance, and Frances and Nikki must fight to the end to survive and achieve justice.

The performances by LisaRaye McCoy and N'Bushe Wright are powerful and moving, portraying the trials and tribulations of being imprisoned and working to make positive changes in an oppressive system. Yasiin Bey is also convincing as the activist lawyer who learns that sometimes, one must fight for what is right even when the odds are against them.

Civil Brand is a powerful and emotional movie that sheds light on the harsh reality of for-profit prisons and the mistreatment of inmates. It shows how people can come together to challenge an unjust system and make a difference, despite the heavy odds against them. Civil Brand is a must-watch for anyone interested in social justice issues and the plight of incarcerated women.

Civil Brand is a 2002 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.1 and a MetaScore of 29.