Controlling the law. Were 200,000 people powerful and we dont mind putting that power to help for our constituents. America tonights Christof Putzel on the gun lobby, states rights and community power. Thanks for joining us, im joie chen. Political power doesnt always play by the books. No more is that apparent outside players with a competing agenda. In pennsylvania, the power of local communities is now being tested by one of the nations most powerful lobbies, the National Rifle association, the america tonight correspondent Christof Putzel. Fighting back. Rick bunker considers himself a responsible gun owner. You keep all of your guns locked up . Yes, always, i have a 12yearold at home so i have a safe. And you would report to the police if someone stole one of your guns . I would report to the police if someone stole anything but especially a gun because i dont want a gun out there hurting someone. Reporter bunker owns half a dozen guns and enjoys hunting. Requiring his home town of jenkin town pennsylvania, of reporting whether a gun is lost or stolen. It didnt say you couldnt own them or what kind. It didnt restrict my ability to happily own guns and use them in any way i wanted to, just if they are lost or stolen report it to the police. Despite his support for jenkin towns law, he voted to rescind it. The vote came under the passed act 192 allowing organizations like the nra to sue cities and towns over local gun restrictions. They gave us a choice between financial solvency and safety, really. Jen kintown mayor ed foley. We have a very small budget in this town and we really cant afford to defend a lawsuit against an organization with deep pockets like the nra. We really had no choice but to rescind this ordinance and to take it off the book s. With an annual budget of only 6 million jenkintown simply could not risk litigation. As much as i you know had to hold my nose to do it and as much as council had to hold their nose to pass it, they did pass a law rescinding the ordinance. Not often when people go in to vote for something, not wanting to vote for it. Its a shame. Its a stark illustration the position we were put in by the legislature, i feel is an irresponsible law. I dont know how it could stand up to a court challenge. Reporter doesnt it sound like a pretty good idea to report a stolen gun . It may or may not be but whats at issue is the municipalities have no right have no authority have no power to pass those sorts of laws. Jonathan gold stein, the nras attorney in pennsylvania say the municipalities get to be heart of american democracy. Who gets the right to make laws . Our elected legislature has decided that a uniform scheme of gun regulation across the state is disiecialg, desirable, period, full stop. Duly elected General Assembly and governor. Do you own a gun . I do. Thats a choice that our lawmakers have made. Reporter do you think that its possible that this could save some lives . I may or may not. It may make a law abiding gun owner into a criminal. But those discussion points are perfect fodder for a debate with the General Assembly. It is not up to the city of lancaster or philadelphia to abrogate its powers. Reporter in january, the nra filed suit against those three cities, lan caflt, philadelphia and pittsburgh goldstein said the central issue resolvedrevolved around an issue. Notion of preemption is a part of our law in pennsylvania that prohibits municipalities from passing local regulations of firearms. It is a set of regulatory powers that the General Assembly has reserved to itself. Act 192 was designed to bring more force to that preemption. Reporter but pennsylvanias law 192 may be subject to constitutional challenges. Philadelphia, pittsburgh and lancaster argued that the measure passed in 2014 was illegally tagged to a bill on scrap metals. Youre going to have your fee covered either way. Well, if the law is found unconstitutional our fees are not covered. Doesnt mean its not right, many municipalities across pennsylvania heeded the warning and withdrew these illegal ordinances. Lancaster, philadelphia and pittsburgh think they have some special knowledge, do so at their taxpayers pearl. Do you think they are scared of the nra . I think they did so because they looked at the ordinances and realized they were illegal were preempted and didnt want to spend taxpayer money, didnt want to wheel around to their voters and explain why they wasted money. We are 200,000 people, were powerful and we dont mind putting that power to work for our constituents. Thats what they expect us to do, thats what they ask us to do and by god were going to do it. I found out a long time ago theres only one way to stand deal with bullies and thats to stand up to them. Win, lose or draw when im done being mayor i think this will be one of the proudest moments ive done. Weve accomplished an awful lot in lancaster. Just to say we are not going to fold on this thing, just because you file a lawsuit. The mayor has said that while his city of 60,000 doesnt have much gun violence he felt compelled to act after a nineyearold girl was killed in cross fire. This isnt a theoretic issue, this is some arcane argument about the constitution, this is dead kids. The nra says enforce the laws that you have and whatnot. What good does it do if your childs been shot by some people. Wouldnt the nra say that thats a crime problem, not a gun problem . Thats a crime problem committed with a gun. So yeah if you want to jump the step, if they were fighting with nieives that knives she would still be alive. If they were fighting with fists she would still be alive. Has anyone reported a lost or stolen gun . Sure, sure. Absolutely last year i think we seized 35 or 40 stolen guns, how do we know they were stolen, because they were reported. They dont understand the nras opposition of reporting lost or stolen guns and the response is why wouldnt i be reporting . Lancaster has established a Legal Defense fund and met 20,000 in donations. Nearly enough to meet its deductible. I think the nra has just overstepped so far here, that people,ists almost a level of ridicule when i talk to people about it. That not only dont they understand, but they shake their head and say whats the problem . As a gun owner, when you come to the range do you find that there are other people here that have a problem with the idea of having to report the stolen gun within 72 hours . Ive never heard a single complaint about it. The lost and stolen ordinance only inconveniences people who are trying to funnel guns that are lost and stolen. Ive never heard a complaint. The fight in pennsylvania isnt over yet. You here the america tonights Christof Putzel. Christoph tell us what the real concern here. Whats the real concern . Well, the mayors big concern is gun trafficking. He doesnt want to give traffickers any deniability. As he told us the first thing that people do when they break into a house is look for cash and the second thing they do is look for guns. The atf estimates there are probably about half a million guns stolen in the u. S. Every year and the mayor doesnt want pennsylvania become a feeder state. Doesnt want to see guns going into other places. As weve seen in chicago where weve done tons of reporting about gun trafficking. Does not prevent guns from flowing over borders coming in from other places and creating havoc. So as you have seen in your reporting there is a lot of question about gun rights but is this just an issue about gun rights . Well, no. I mean for most of these people who are victims of gun violence, who have had stolen guns, this is not an issue of having their away. This is a Public Safety issue and thats that. And what about in other parts of the country . I mean these sorts of battles between lobby itions lobbyists are taking place. Sure there are powerful lobby groups all over the country. Take oil and gas, the tobacco lobby trying to get rid of smoking ban on a local level in 13 different states and the other nra, the National Restaurant association, trying to get rid of sick leave laws, overtime laws, this is happening everywhere. America tonights Christof Putzel. Why nurses are going off duty, refusing to treat california prisoners. Soledad obriens look at kids behind bars. Can a program called cambiar live up to its reputation change . And the antidote to in our fast forward segment behind bars. To save money, some prisons have turned health care over to for profit companies. One of the biggest corizon, evenly former employees charge the company doesnt provide prisoners the care the law guarantees. I feel the trade by the company because theyre supposed to keep the environment safe for everybody, the inmates and the coworkers. Failures in care. Did you see any patient die because of inadequacy of the health care . Yes, a vascular cat. Ath. I reported it and reported it, at 5 00 in the morning when i went back to his cell i could smell blood before i went into his room. And when i turned on his light it looked like somebody had been murdered. Fast forward to a serious threat, hundreds of corizons firsts say they need help to do their jobs right. Soledad obrien went inside what had been a nor tore use part of al Jazeera Americas special month long evironmental focus fragile planet it was known to many as a violent warehouse for juveniles. New mexicos j. Paul Taylor Center where officials charged physical and sexual abuse of Young Offenders took place and there was little to no attempt at rehabilitation. In the end the state agreed to a settlement that mandated change. In her special report. Soledad obrien had rare access inside the Detention Center where she met young men facing daunting odds. The this i got from my birthday is mom, her name is jenny. Like mainly they could send you types of drinks and stuff but they cant be like bottles because they think were going to make alcohol and stuff. Reporter 17 and celebrating. A birthday behind bars. His mom is homeless. His older brother in jail. He was five. With seven siblings. When his father put a note on the refrigerator and left. Thats my niece, shes like five right now. That is my brother pedro. Hes been in and out of jail his whole life. Hes in southern prison right now. Hes kind of the reason why i got into trouble. I would hang out with him. He got me into using drugs. That led me into being in here wanted me to be like him but i shouldnt want to be like him. That reminds me of my family because i ate a lot of this stuff at home. And i just comforts me. Reporter this is his fourth birthday in an institution. Jail at 11, foster care at 14. Rehab at 15. Then rehab and jail again. This time it was illegal alcohol possession and then violating probation by shoplifting. At 17 he was out of second chances. It sucks because like on your birthday you want to be with your family the most. Keith will spend his next birthday here too. Trying to change his life while serving a two year sentence at the j. Paul Taylor Center. My favorite, its my favorite kind of snack, so i want to make sure she leaves that. Reporter this juvenile lockup is also trying to change as part of the 2009 settlement with the aclu after accusations of physical and sexual assaults and an absence of physical or Mental Health care, the state of new mexico offers constant resources even on the outside and has one of the poorest populations of children in the nation. Here, keith gets a full day of school. Daily counseling. Guards that double as mentors. The reforms come from a program called cambiar, spanish word for change. Implemented at all five of new mexicos juvenile centers. Al Jazeera America got extensive access inside to see the impact its had on the inmates. Keith is seven months into a twoyear sentence. Hes had only one family visit and hes nursing an old basketball injury. First it was pretty bad. My anger was pretty bad. So i needed to just learn how to control it better. Its kind of hard though. Because right whether i start feeling it, i try to tell myself to calm down but it doesnt really work that much so i have to learn how to just remove myself from situations thats going to make me angry. Reporter i see his softer side. And then suddenly i see another side of keith when, out of nowhere he tries to start a fight. Hes the guy with the pink cast in the surveillance video. So how many fights have you had in the five months youve been here . Five. Five fights . Yeah, five. Reporter so every time you fight, you get a disciplinary writeup . Yes. And it takes seven to get extended on a twoyear and i already have seven. Reporter so the next thing you are getting extended . I need to be really cautious, i have slipups, the other day i almost got into a fight and it was over something stupid. Someone cutting you in line . Yeah, so i just got to start thinking more about stuff before i act. Reporter is it working . Sometimes it is, sometimes it doesnt. Reporter cambiar is working better for the old est member of the unit. He has been in jail three times, once he and his brother beat a drug client. This time hes serving two years for arson and assault. Reporter what brought you here . Recently on a one year sentence an arson case. You put gasoline on his car . More or less yes. That got you how much time . That got me a year. In albuquerque . Yes, i jumped a kid with a weapon. Reporter what weapon . It was just a sock in a bar of soap and whenever the staff tried to intervene my friend started to assault him and i just followed suit. Reporter and thats what brought you here . Yes, and i came down here and i got committed till the age of 21. Reporter his first year nothing changed. I was like a bleep stick. A bleep stick which is exactly what it sounds like a bad kid . Yes, always trying to instigate, if i try get restrained. Reporter so what happened in the two and a half years that youve been here . Just like i honestly say i woke up one day and like ooh, i dont want to do this anymore. I learn how to reason before i do my actions, i learn how to control my anger,. Reporter when did you find out it was fun to learn . I never had the will, never had someone to push me and when i came here like i said some staff would help me out with that. Reporter has having mentors helped you . Id say it helped me a lot. Reporter how . Their life experiences, some could relate to me, in past situations, i got love for once some affection, some showed me kindness and all that. Reporter so you had to come behind bars really to get some attention and affection . I know it sounds odd but Something Like that. Reporter what do you like to study . I like music. I like space and physics a lot, like the physical sciences, not much grammar and english and those but more handson things. Reporter quinteto, the superintendent, credits the program for helping vincent turn things around. Something clicked in him, i hope it was a decision, i dont want to live life this way. Vincent found a reason to live which was his music. Assemble all all right lets do it for real. Ready . I messed it up, i was going to a different rhythm. Reporter so obviously youre playing better than doing chop sticks. What is your favorite thing to play . Classical beethoven, mozart, bach. You dont just sit down one day and feeling out bach from the piano. I took what i knew from the trumpet and went to the piano. Reporter you can read music . Yes, not like for keyboard i cant read it directly. The cello piece i played for the piano. Reporter what does playing the piano do for you . Therapy, hobby, interests, i want to be professional, little bit of everything. Reporter does anybody else here play . No, i teach them little scales and they learned. They like hip hop beats, songs that are already made. I teach them how to do that. Flow all day but when it comes to a little sonata, forget it. Reporter what are you doing now . A cello suite by bach. How does it go . See if i remember it. Reporter cambiahar let him keep his trumpet when he arrived and later found him apiano. A a piano. But not everyone here has found their way to peace. The meskite unit is about to explode. More from inside this weekend on al Jazeera America, kids behind bars, a Soledad Obrien special report this sunday at 10 00 p. M. Eastern. Thats america tonight. Tell us what you think, at aljazeera. Com americatonight. Well have more of america tonight tomorrow. The peninsula, in arabic, is aljazeera. Our logo represents courage. Fiercely independent quality reporting. To take as much aid as possible. And standing up for the voiceless. When you see this symbol respected around the world it means you too can now count on all the things we stand for. AlJazeera America. We are well aware of the support that iran has been giving to yemen. The u. S. Warns iran of supporting Houthi Rebels as saudiled air strikes enter their third week. Hello i am Darren Jordan and you are watching al jazerra live from doha. Also ahead. Guilty on all 30 count Dzhokhar Tsarnaev convicted of carrying out the Boston Marathon bombing. Hopes for peace in africa after rival groups sign a ceasefire deal in kenya. Crisis in i understand years e