Butch, Davis and Angel are teenagers who have been sentenced to Enola Vale juvenile detention center in Montana. The focus is on Butch, who has been imprisoned for attacking and blinding a correctional officer. Goodyear, a tough but fair officer, urges the new inmates to follow the rules and quietly serve their time so they can earn a second chance on the outside. At first Butch attempts to conform to the rules, but soon he and his friends are attacked by the chief bully Banks and his thugs, Eckersley and Looney. Refusing to reveal the names of his attackers, Butch is sent to solitary confinement. Once out, he immediately exacts revenge on Banks, Eckersley, and Looney. Butch saves the worst for Banks, who is savagely beaten. The beatings establish his rank among the inmates and offers temporary protection to his friends, Davis and Angel. During a routine painting job, Angel and Goodyear get into a physical altercation; Angel is thrown against a wall by Goodyear and dies instantly. Butch, who was a witness to the altercation, is placed in solitary confinement while an investigation takes place. Without Butch's protection, Davis is raped by Looney and Eckersley. Davis tries to contact his mother during the night, but an officer denies his request, telling him he'll have to wait until morning. Feeling helpless, Davis goes back to his bunk, eventually committing suicide by slitting his wrists. The deaths of both Angel and Davis result in their dormitory going on a hunger strike during breakfast. After a stare-down in the cafeteria, Butch loses control and instigates a riot. The detention officers are overwhelmed and return to the cafeteria in riot gear, using tear gas and plastic bullets in an attempt to end the riot. During the riot, Butch tries to escape the building, but is caught and beaten by the prison officers moments later.
The film was described as "intense" and not suited to the tastes of all viewers by reviewer Perri Nemiroff. The film received positive reviews; on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 65% "fresh" rating with a 6.2 average- based on 26 reviews. Metacritic shows a 57/100 rating, signifying "mixed or average reviews". Dog Pound is French director Chapiron's first English-language feature, and the film earned him an award as Best New Narrative Filmmaker at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.
