A prison drama centering on the travails of three friends unjustly imprisoned for a crime they didn't commit, Lockdown opens with Avery (Richard T. Jones), a talented young swimmer who desperately wants to free himself, his wife Krista (Melissa De Sousa), and their infant son from life in the projects of Albuquerque, NM. Avery's future seems bright when, after winning a regional swimming competition, he is approached by Charles Pierce (Bill Nunn), a talent scout who takes an interest in the young man's athletic promise. Unfortunately, Avery's dreams quickly disintegrate when he and his pals Cashmere (Gabriel Casseus) and Dre (De'Aundre Bonds) are pulled over by cops one night and framed for a robbery/murder they didn't commit. Faster than you can say "blatant miscarriage of justice," Avery, Cashmere, and Dre land in the slammer, where they are separated and forced to fend for themselves. Avery ends by getting a valuable prison education from his Ralph Ellison-quoting cellmate Malachi (Clifton Powell), while Cashmere quickly becomes part of the African-American gang network operating under the leadership of Clean Up (rapper Master P, whose No Limit Films produced the film). Dre, meanwhile, meets the worst fate of the three, resorting to heroin after he's gang-raped by a group of Nazi thugs. On the outside, Krista and Pierce work tirelessly to free the trio from prison.
~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide