Irwin organizes a plot to throw the prison into chaos. His intent is to show a friend, Brigadier General Wheeler (Delroy Lindo), the commandant's superior officer, that the commandant is unfit and should be removed from command under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. During a visit, Winter receives a letter threatening the kidnapping of General Wheeler by the prisoners if he doesn't resign. After ordering his men into action, Winter discovers that the scheme was a just a bluff. Irwin uses the event to gain intelligence on how the prison guards would react during an actual uprising. Wheeler, who has made it clear that he hates Winter and loves Irwin, nevertheless respects Winter's angry argument that Wheeler has no idea what running a military prison is like; he snidely offers to transfer Irwin to another prison if Winter requests it, but Winter hisses that he has no interest in that resolution.