Wiktionary
up the river
adv. (context US idiomatic English) To prison.
Wikipedia
Up the River
Up the River ( 1930) is a Pre-Code comedy film about escaped convicts, directed by John Ford and starring Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart in their feature film debuts.
Up the River (1938 film)
Up the River ( 1938) is a prison comedy film starring Preston Foster and Arthur Treacher and featuring Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. The movie was directed by Alfred L. Werker and is a remake of a 1930 film with the same title directed by John Ford and starring Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart in the roles subsequently played by Foster and Tony Martin.
Usage examples of "up the river".
Also up the river, where it split into two branches, I could see buildings with Chinese characters painted on them.