Prison Auditorium News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Abandoned prison auditorium. >> the musical program was a great award winning thing because, in fact, we would have competition against other penitentiaries. and stateville was always number one. in here it's like a cage of awaiting execution because there's nothing for a man to do and no programs or nothing. you're just sitting here like a commodity. you know, a price tag on your forehead with nothing to do. >> rehabilitation, what's that? what's that? they erased that out of the dictionary here. there's no such thing as rehabilitation. it's about money. it's all about money. if they can keep...

>> gregory macon is serving 40 years for murder. he's been at stateville since 1985. he remembers when the prison had regular programs including theatrical and musical performances that used to take place here in the now long abandoned prison auditorium. >> the musical program was a great award winning thing because, in fact, we would have competition against other penitentiaries. and stateville was always number one. in here it's like a cage of awaiting execution because there's nothing for a man to do and no programs or nothing. you're just sitting here like a commodity. you know, a price ta...

>> remember, i said i want my complete sentences. you know i'll be watching. >> i know you do. >> okay. as they get old and as they get locked up and find out they are at a dead end, they do have a tendency to want to get an education because they feel that is an escape. >> are you ready for book two? >> yes. >> it's a brief escape. 90 days of classes passes quickly. for those inmates who've been here long enough to remember when things were different, the time feels especially hard. >> we had programs. we had college. we had activities. we had musical programs. >> gregory macon is serving 40 ...

They may leave the program after 90 days even if they continue to fail the test. >> remember, i said i want my complete sentences. you know i'll be watching. >> i know you do. >> okay. as they get old and as they get locked up and find out they are at a dead end, they do have a tendency to want to get an education because they feel that is an escape. >> are you ready for book two? >> yes. >> it's a brief escape. 90 days of classes passes quickly. for those inmates who've been here long enough to remember when things were different, the time feels especially hard. >> we had programs. we had col...

>> remember, i said i want my complete sentences. you know i'll be watching. >> i know you do. >> okay. as they get old and as they get locked up and find out they are at a dead end, they do have a tendency to want to get an education because they feel that is an escape. >> are you ready for book two? >> yes. >> it's a brief escape. 90 days of classes passes quickly. for those inmates who've been here long enough to remember when things were different, the time feels especially hard. >> we had programs. we had college. we had activities. we had musical programs. >> gregory macon is serving 40 ...