After revealing his true identity, Brubaker brings much-needed reform to the prison with the help of supporters Dickie Coombes (Yaphet Kotto) and Lillian Gray (Jane Alexander). When the benefactors of the old corrupt system are threatened by the changes, Brubaker's battles really begin.

Based on a real-life case from 1960’s Arkansas, this dramatic film with a heavy social conscience includes a great supporting cast of well-known faces, including Morgan Freeman in one of his very first feature films.