Top 10 TV Convicts

A former top enforcer for the Barksdale Organization, Wee-Bey gained a huge reputation for taking the fall for many murders he did not commit. Although he is a killer, he cares deeply about those around him, most notably his closest friends and son Namond. Even in prison, he maintains his passion for keeping tropical fish, while remaining an important influence on the events of the rest of the show. At heart, Brice may well be a good person, but the environment he grew up in forced him into a life of crime.
 

This British drama takes place in a brutal women’s prison, but this particular convict sets out to help her fellow inmates. Yvonne Atkins is not a complete pacifist, however, and has been seen fighting and even poisoning other inmates if it means protecting those close to her. This maternal instinct has helped her rise to the position of top dog of G-Wing, a status that means her life and level of influence are constantly under threat from those who believe they should be in power. 

A Full Patch member of the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club, “Big” Otto is fiercely loyal to the other Sons - to the point that he’s prison raped and even bites off his own tongue to protest interrogation. While that is extreme, he is most of all dedicated to his wife, Luann. Even in the big house, Otto can't toe the line and commits numerous violent acts in revenge for her death – for example he kills a man with a screwdriver while on camera - all of which adds years to his original six year sentence.

The first episode of this cult-comedy hit sees the patriarch of the Bluth family sent to prison for doctoring the books of his housing company and doing shady deals with the likes of Saddam Hussein. Despite charges of ‘light treason’ hanging over him, he adapts to prison life incredibly quickly. He makes friends with inmates, gets invited to join various gangs and even founds his own personal version of Judaism during his incarceration. He also tries to profit from this newfound religion, releasing his own video on the faith aptly titled ‘Caged Wisdom’. There's always money in the banana stand! ...er, offering plate! 

An exceedingly talented music producer and businesswoman, Cookie Lyon was forced to do some unsavory deals in order to establish her first successful company, Empire Entertainment. This criminal activity - and the fact the company was funded by drug money – eventually caught up with her, translating into a 17-year prison sentence. Upon her release, she set about restoring her musical empire by starting the label Lyon Dynasty. The stylish badass also doubled down on her resolve to do absolutely anything to give her children the best life possible.

In a prison full of sadistic and merciless criminals, this Nigerian stands out as the cruelest. Adebisi is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for beheading a police officer. Feared by almost all other inmates at Oswald, a maximum-security state prison - including Augustus Hill – he’s been known to kill others in elaborate ways. For example, Adebisi killed a man by adding ground-up glass to his meals for an extended period of time and murdered another by deliberately infecting him with HIV. Needless to say, this is not someone you wanna mess with.

One of the greatest criminal masterminds in “The Simpsons” series has his intelligence matched only by his penchant for theatricality. Originally a sidekick of Krusty the Clown, Dr. Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, alias: Sideshow Bob, grows tired of his boss’ mistreatment - but his plan to frame him is foiled by one Bartholomew J.  Simpson. While in prison, Bob obsesses over his revenge against Bart. Nearly all his schemes involve vengeance on the spiky menace, but they also inevitably end in Bob’s re-incarceration… well that or a rake handle to the face.

Based upon real life money launderer turned author Piper Kerman, Chapman is a convicted drug trafficker and main character of this comedy-drama. For someone who looks so innocent, she is an incredibly complex character and often unsympathetic. She has shown the propensity to be cruel and manipulative to fellow inmates, but at the same time has the capacity for compassion and self-reflection as her improving relationship with Red, the head chef, shows. This former PR executive has her world turned upside down and has to quickly work out how to deal with her new volatile environment and status as an inmate.

Throughout the first couple of seasons of this mysterious drama, we get a look at the life of crime Kate Austen led prior to the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. On the run for the murder of her mother's abusive husband and the brains behind at least one robbery, as well as the owner of multiple aliases, Austen is a more multifaceted character than she may seem at first. After the plane crash, Kate is better known as a mother figure to Claire's child and a love interest for both Jack and Sawyer - but underneath it all, we know she is an undeniable badass.
 
Before we reveal our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
Dr. Lloyd Lowery
“Breakout Kings” (2011-12)
Dr. Richard Kimble
“The Fugitive” (1963-67)
Norman Stanley Fletcher
“Porridge” (1974-77)

Though fellow member of the ‘Fox River Eight’, T-Bag, would have been a worthy addition to this list, the younger Scofield is far more influential in driving the story of this show. He is perhaps the only voluntary convict on this list as he gets himself imprisoned in order to break out his wrongfully convicted older brother. Michael meticulously prepares his brother’s escape by tattooing his body with plans of the prison and identifying other inmates who will be crucial in carrying out the plan. He’s fiercely intelligent, so seeing how Scofield’s next ingenious move pans out from episode to episode really makes for fantasticTV and that’s why he’s got our top spot.
 
Do you agree with our list? Which prison inmates do you think make the most compelling television? For more criminally brilliant top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.