New York gangster Bert Galvin (Richard Conte) is sent to a prison farm in Florida for killing one of his enemies in Miami. Once there, he learns that in the particular prison he is serving his sentence, "trustees" are made to guard other prisoners, and that should a trustee actually shoot an escaping prisoner, the trustee is given his freedom. Being smart, Galvin quickly decides he would rather be a trustee instead of another prisoner, and via bribery he quickly becomes a trustee. He hatches an escape plan and, using a bribe of $25,000 , he sends prisoner Samuel Gower (Sam Jaffe) who has a starving wife and child, into the woods. Gower doesn't quite make the woods, as Galvin shoots him in the back before he gets very far. Galvin gets his freedom and heads for the border but there is a determined sheriff, Bill Langley (John McIntire), who has heard of the deal through the prison grapevine...and he is on Galvin's tail.