Honor Blocks News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Now back to our msnbc special. >> reporter: for lifers david sweat and richard matt, the clinton correctional facility was not only home, it had become a comfortable one. part of the reason is that they lived close to each other in the prison's cosiest neighborhood the honor block. >> the liberties that they were given was definitely a detriment to the security. >> reporter: many prisons have honor blocks. at clinton, inmates like sweat and matt had more rec time. there were fewer guard checks and a lot of noise says jeffrey dumas. >> there's tvs going, movies, sports. cards, dominoes. you kno...

>> reporter: for lifers david sweat and richard matt, the clinton correctional facility was not only home, it had become a comfortable one. part of the reason is that they lived close to each other in the prison's cosiest neighborhood the honor block. >> the liberties that they were given was definitely a detriment to the security. >> reporter: many prisons have honor blocks. at clinton, inmates like sweat and matt had more rec time. there were fewer guard checks and a lot of noise says jeffrey dumas. >> there's tvs going, movies, sports. cards, dominoes. you know, they're either arguing or th...

Together. you may have heard of honor blocks. convicted killers enmatt and sweat, escaped from one in new york in june. honor block was shut down across the country the so called honor yard at california state prison has been turned into a unique place for those seeking self improvement during a life sentence. >> this is it. if you look around at my surrounds, which are a stones throw either way. this is it. this is all i have. what can i do with my life? what can i do in here? should i allow what i can't change to drive me crazy or should i just continue to help the people i can, contribute w...

Reason and we have to follow certain due process in order to start reading inmates' mail. >> understood. let's talk about the honor block, where richard matt ended up where you have a lot more sort of privilege to walk around the facility more freely more interaction with the guards and other staff at the prison there, more privileges on what you can take in and out of your cell ability to cook in your cell have a hot plate, et cetera et cetera. do you think that that should be reassessed for some of these people with very very serious convictions like murder convictions? >> well looking at th...

They should have never been in there. if a contractor is going to use a tool use it during the day and take it outside the prison wall. there's no excuse to have it inside. again, that's an administrative decision. on most of the changes, you don't see changes with the liberties of the inmates. new york state came out on wednesday and stated the honor blocks are not eliminated they are just suspended. they have already started to change their verbatim as far as what they are going to do against the liberties that the inmates have. that's very crucial to security. when you give these inmates th...