visited riker's back in 1999, when the commissioner of the new york department of correction was bernard kerik. his get-tough on crime policies have continued today. the new york city department of corrections says the result is a remarkable 90% decrease in violence at riker's, which has led to a substantial reduction in the inmate population. five years later, our cameras went back inside rikers to see how this once infamous jail has re-invented itself. >> i've got friends here. i have acquaintances. you don't come here to make friends. >> i know i should have at least 80 something arrests, close to 100 arrests, and i've been here at least about 30 or 40 times. >> it is not a pleasant living space. we're not comfortable. we make ourselves feel comfortable to ease the fact that we're in jail. >> the inmates call rikers the rock. the penal colony. iraq island. the guards call it the meanest precinct in america. welcome to rikers island jail. >> it is easy to get cut up, stabbed, murdered, raped. all type of things you have to deal with in here. if everybody's thinking that this is all good, thi

units could kill you i just think everybody should become very human right now let me move to bernard kerik the former new york city police commissioner who spent three years in jail for tax evasion and lying to federal authorities and was nominated by george bush to be homeland security chief after the events of nine eleven sat down with matt lauer for his first interview since being released from jail in that interview kerik talked about just how broken america's usual prison systems are take a look. first time nonviolent offenses low level drug offenses the system is supposed to help them not destroy the at the core of your argument here is that these minimum mandatory federal sentences. are not doing what they intended to do. you know what when i came into the system i did and we allies. cynical old feel the weight of it if you look you know i had no idea. that four or five grams of cocaine which is what that nickel weighs five. you could be sentenced to ten years in prison i was with. sentenced to ten years in prison for five grams of cocaine that's insane that's and said you know so h

clearer skin is possible. >>> we're back now at 7:41 with a today exclusive with bernard kerik.ew york city police commissioner is speaking about what he sees as the failure of the prison system and he joins us exclusively live this morning. good morning. it's nice to see you. >> good morning. >> you spoke out on friday after being out of the public eye for three or three and a half years and you talked about your time behind bars and that it opened your eyes. were you nervous about the response you would get to speaking out? >> in a way. people look at me as one of the nation's top law enforcement officers or looked at me that way. for me to come out and say there's things wrong within the system there's people skeptical and they're concerned about that. >> you have been hearing that over the weekend, haven't you? >> the response has been crazy. major, major response. >> let's listen to some of the things people are saying on twitter. respect for bernie kerik speaking against mandatory minimu minimums. you were raising the issue of our time. but there were other opinions. this

. >> we will interview bernard kerik live tomorrow morning.er this. [ yodeling plays ] [ hans ] toaster strudel! [ angelic music plays ] don't overthink it. [ hans ] warm, flakey, gooey. toaster strudel! wears off. [ female announcer ] stop searching and start repairing. eucerin professional repair moisturizes while actually repairing very dry skin. the end of trial and error has arrived. try a free sample at eucerinus.com. >>> we're back. thanks to all of you for discussion this morning. that is all for today. we'll be back next week. now celebrating our 66th anniversary. if it's sunday, it's "meet the press." anniversary. if it's sunday, it's "meet the press." >>> a very good afternoon to you. i'm richard lui. today we're the both the end and the beginning of the race. >> this election will say a lot about virginia's future and about the country's future. >> two states, two races, what virginia and new jersey tell us about the path the parties are taking. plus -- >> i think government is inherently ingltep tchlinept. >> obama care is failing

bernard kerik is a law enforcement legend in new york.ead of the notorious rikers island jail, he ran one of the largest jails in the country, and he's credited with turning it around. kerik went on to lead the new york city police department during 9/11, and with his career on the rise in 2004, then president george w. bush nominated him to be secretary of homeland security, but that came to an abrupt halt when kerik pled guilty to tax evasion and lying to the white house. he served three years in a federal minimum security prison in maryland, and he was released back in may. we spoke to kerik exclusively earlier this week, just days after his home confinement ended, and i began by asking how he's doing. >> i feel pretty good. it's all a transition. it's a pretty intense transition to come home. >> talk to me a little bit about daily life. what was it like for you? >> there isn't much you can do in prison. my daily life consisted of reading. i think i read over 300 books while i was there. i did a lot of writing. i exercised a lot. >> yo

. >> bernard kerik will join matt in a live interview on monday and talk about the decisions that landed him in prison. if you have a question for kerik tweet us using the #kerik on "today." still to come, another public official, under suspicion. toronto's mayor remains defiant as he faces a drug accusation. we are back in a moment but, first, this is "today." defiant as he faces a drug [ female announcer ] now you can turn pillsbury crescents into an easy dinner with crescent dogs. just separate, add hot dogs, cheese, roll 'em up, and bake. lookin' hot, c-dog. pillsbury crescents. make dinner pop. [ hans ] toaster strudel! [ angelic music plays ] don't overthink it. [ hans ] warm, flakey, gooey. toaster strudel! ♪ >>> still to come on "today," it's an interesting pairing. a man, his cat, and a bike. they are riding through one of america's busiest cities. >> is there a punch line to this? >> later. i want to make you stick around for this. >>> harrison ford on his new science fi [ male announcer ] it is more than just a new car... more than a new interior lighting system. ♪ it is more