Inside Las Vegas Jail, the atmosphere is tense and oppressive. Inmates are packed into cramped cells, often sleeping on thin mattresses on the floor. Many suffer from mental illness and addiction, and violence is a constant threat. The jail is understaffed and under-resourced, and inmates often go days without seeing a doctor or receiving basic medical care. The food is meager and often inedible, and the air is thick with the smell of sweat and urine. Inmates are subjected to constant surveillance, and their every move is monitored. They are denied basic human rights, such as the right to privacy, the right to a fair trial, and the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Las Vegas Jail is a microcosm of the broken criminal justice system in the United States, where mass incarceration has become a crisis and where the rights of the accused are routinely violated.
