Bad Boys (1983)

This is as good as any of the best jail flicks, except this one is set in a juvenile detention center which adds poignancy since it involves only underaged offenders . Sean Penn does a good job reining in his performance as the main character who quickly finds himself the head of his cellblock, while the crimes he had committed earlier catch up to his loved ones on the outside. It follows a fairly typical jailhouse plot, but the rest of the acting is also strong, making this worth the watch.