ll be lenient and sentence them to a mere 40 years in jail as opposed to life. Should they plead innocent and be unable to provide indemnifying evidence, then the judge will not think twice before sending them to jail for the rest of their lives. The trial is only a show, and the girls are sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Much of the film after this is concerned with how they fit into prison life and how they learn to support one another, while first their father and then Hank try to find evidence to get them freed. Darlene's father tried to enlist the aid of the American embassy and gets no help at all. This leaves Hank as their last resort, along with his Thai wife, who helps him search for Nick and battle with the apathy of American officials. In prison, the women encounter a variety of other inmates, some of whom seek to harm them, others of whom become friends. Prison life is not as terrible as one might assume and certain
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