Leroy Lowe, the grand dragon of the Texas Ku Klux Klan, is forced to confront his ingrained prejudices when he is sentenced to three years of hard labor at a prison work farm. There, Warden Merville, determined to reform Leroy, assigns him a cellmate named Emilio, a Hispanic field worker jailed for advocating labor rights. Isolated from his KKK allies, Leroy shares a cramped cell with someone he considers an adversary. Over time, Emilio’s friendly demeanor begins to erode Leroy’s hostility and bigotry. The warden’s weekly rehabilitation sessions, which Leroy initially endures with difficulty as they focus on agricultural topics, gain new significance when Madalena, an attractive Mexican maid, is employed to clean the warden’s office. An unexpected romance blossoms, prompting Leroy to envision a new way of life. Ultimately, a man steeped in racism embarks on an unexpected journey toward redemption.