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To death. >> in indiana, all kids sentenced as adults are incarcerated in the youth unit inside the massive wabash compound with adults kept in neighboring cell blocks. the young offenders are isolated from their adult counterparts and rarely leave their own cell block. >> this is like your whole life. i've spent five months and counting. if they would have let me out then, that would have been enough wakeup call for the rest of my life. >> once a youth offender turns 18, they're transitioned out of the youth unit and into the adult population. either here or at one of indiana's 21 other adult...

Officers assigned to these units are constantly working to intercept gang communications drug smuggling, and prevent illicit activities. another one of their functions is to validate an inmate's gang affiliation. >> you need three identifiers to validate a gang member. tattoos, known association with another gang member, admission and if they are a validated gang member, they are shipped off to one of three prisons throughout the state. >> those three prisons contain california's most restrictive cell blocks. they're known as security housing units or the shu. one is located at pelican bay. >>...

The man runs this joint now. what i mean by the man is the system. >> we run the prison. we have the towers. we have the fences. and we keep control of the inmates. >> to crack down on contraband and violence, usp instituted a policy of controlled movement. no two cell blocks are ever in the same common areas at the same time. >> things are changing over there. this place now, it's that new mentality with get tough on crime. it's kind of working, man, because, you know, they don't mess around no more, man. they want to build more prisons. they want to keep us down. and they're doing it. >> the...

Fingerprinted. >> starting with your right thumb, roll your fingers. >> eating. >> in an effort to avoid violent confrontations later, every inmate is evaluated and classified according to his history of violence outside and inside the penal system. >> enemies? >> none. >> gang-banger? >> share a cell with another man, no problem? >> it's all right with me. >> okay. thank you. >> as long as you're compatible. >> i wish we could make that call for you. you'll find out when you get to the house. thank you. >> flores. >> once evaluated the newcomers are placed in one of san quentin's four cell bl...

At its best, this is an inefficient design. officers are always having to climb stairs. >> where are the elevators? >> we're the elevators. a human elevator. >> but at its worst, the design of san quentin's cell blocks expose officers to inmate assault. >> with the age of the building, the way it's set up, almost anything you do, you're in direct contact with the inmates. >> hey how are you doing? >> when it's time for the inmates to go to the showers or the dining hall, an entire tier is released simultaneously. and astonishingly only two officers are assigned to orchestrate it. >> fifth tier...