Atom 100 Pod News Today

Facilities. and in one of those facilities we came upon a high security housing unit that was like nothing we had ever encountered before. >> when you enter the estrella jail facility which is where the women are housed within the maricopa county jail system, the vast majority are incarcerated in dorm-like facilities with the exception of a very small number of prisoners who are housed in a maximum security unit. and a unit within that unit is the atom 100 pod. >> although the atom 100 pod had s...

Since disavowing his gang, he knows there still may be some trouble ahead. >> id rather die on my feet than live on my knees. if they come, they better come hard and strong. you know what i mean? and everybody who knows me will say that because im not going to [ bleep ] sit there and bow down. i dont bow down to nobody. >> while martinez contemplates life with neither his fiance nor his gang, theres anger in the atom 100 pod and its all directed at one detention officer. >> what a jerk! >> what ...

Yeah. >> the victim also had a three-inch nail driven into his head. >> she is the one in this whole jail that creeps me out for a better word, you know? she just -- you just dont know what shes going to do. >> thank you, ms. simpson. coming up, the unofficial leader of the atom 100 pod speaks out. >> they swear up and down that i like run the show or something like that. >> and later, the nations only female chain gang takes on a solemn task. (road noise) whats happening here... is not normal...

>> oh, thats cute. >> apkaw doesnt have much time left in atom 100. she recently accepted a plea in her aggravated assault case and will soon be transferred from maricopa to state prison to begin a 2 1/2-year sentence but staff still takes plenty of precaution whenever they deal with her. >> searching her cell because she was on her hour out. every time they come back to their cell, they get searched to make sure they didnt bring back contraband or another inmate in the pod didnt pass any inform...

>> these particular closed custody inmates are very special management. theyre in this pod segregated for a reason. youve always got to stay on your toes when youre around them. >> the final factor in the unprecedented decision to isolate four women in a unit large enough for 32 came after one of them viciously attacked another inmate. the attacker was cynthia apkaw. >> apkaw is extremely violent. she severely assaulted that inmate to the point she needed facial reconstructive surgery. so thats ...

Aggravated assault after allegedly stabbing her boyfriend. >> i had a rough childhood. i mean, thats all i could say. i dad passed away when i was younger. he was in prison most of the time. i had to take care of my brothers and sisters, and i had to grow up and feed my family and have to do what i had to do. >> the girl you got in a fight with, what happened? >> she was making comments about raping kids and just sick comments. just making comments about kids. about just disgusting stuff. she st...

Contraband. >> oh, thats cute. >> apkaw doesnt have much time left in atom 100. she recently accepted a plea in her aggravated assault case and will soon be transferred from maricopa to state prison to begin a 2 1/2-year sentence but staff still takes plenty of precaution whenever they deal with her. >> searching her cell because she was on her hour out. every time they come back to their cell, they get searched to make sure they didnt bring back contraband or another inmate in the pod didnt pas...

Atom 100. >> these particular closed custody inmates are very special management. theyre in this pod segregated for a reason. youve always got to stay on your toes when youre around them. >> the final factor in the unprecedented decision to isolate four women in a unit large enough for 32 came after one of them viciously attacked another inmate. the attacker was cynthia apkaw. >> apkaw is extremely violent. she severely assaulted that inmate to the point she needed facial reconstructive surger...

>> as a result of his plea deal, martinez will be sent to a state prison. since disavowing his gang, he knows there still may be some trouble ahead. >> id rather die on my feet than live on my knees. if they come, they better come hard and strong. you know what i mean? and everybody who knows me will say that because im not going to [ bleep ] sit there and bow down. i dont bow down to nobody. >> while martinez contemplates life with neither his fiance nor his gang, theres anger in the atom 100 p...

Myself also. i will be there with my taser drawn, and basically were going to keep the door to our back so if theres any problems the cameraman will have to fall back. the two staff and myself will basically form an arc to protect the camera crew and well do a tactical retreat out of the pod and secure the door. >> these women do not get this classification because they went to bible study. these are women that have caused some serious crimes. i sometimes think people dont take female offenders ...