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This joint here ain't like the rest of them. when i first got here in '84, convicts used to run this joint. 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 a...

>> incredible as it may seem, officers at san quentin say that there's an attempted assault on their lives almost every day. >> they look for vulnerable spots. they look for times when you do let your guard down. >> this is death row. in fact, this is california's only male death row where the method of execution is lethal injection. this is where you'll find such vicious killers as richard ramirez, the so-called night stalker, and richard allen davis, the killer of polly klaas. today, the condemned population has grown to a staggering 581, well beyond san quentin's ability to handle them. thi...

This forced death row to expand into three additional cell blocks, never designed for such violent inmates. >> okay. we have one escort coming through. >> having worked at san quentin for 25 years, warden jeanne woodford understands the challenges that confront death row. >> as the number of condemned come in, it's just created a situation with this physical plant, with the open cell fronts, their ability to communicate with each other and pass on gang information just makes it very difficult to manage that population. >> the most sadistic death row inmates are isolated in the adjustment cente...

This is where reality sets in. >> you are going to the max, you know that, right? that guy there is a straight killing machine. you know what he's in here for? aggravated discharge of a firearm on four people. he's a frequent flyer, a regular here. >> there's a large number of inmates coming in, going out. it is kind of like a revolving door. they are coming in so many times they are building a prepair with a lot of our guys. >> drugs? you are staying here, man. as long as you're fair with the guys, they will earn a respect for you. that carries along that they can help you out later when you ...

For a unit called the investigative services unit. the inmates call us the goon squad. >> the specially trained officers assigned to these units are constantly working to intercept gang communications and disrupt plans for violence drug smuggling, and other elicit 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 pris...