The premise of Prison Valley, which took 16 months to complete, is about a town in Colorado called Canon City. 36,000 residents, 13 prisons. The crew spent time in the town, interviewing the people who live and work there, and documenting what the voiceover calls “the clean version of hell.” The town has grown up around the prisons. “If the prisons weren’t here, there would be nothing and nobody, because there is nothing else to offer.”

After a four-minute introduction, the $300,000 project gets interactive. Viewers register via Facebook or Twitter, and watch the documentary, pausing every couple of minutes to check out additional footage and information. There’s a forum for the community to share opinions of the show and a blog. Thanks to the member profiles, the Web site remembers the last bit you watched, so there’s no need to go back to the beginning and search for where you left off.

If you are interested in addressing mass incarceration, the film is well-worth your time and is a unique interactive experience.