joining me is bernard kerik. mr.kerik later served as new york's police commissioner, a position he held on 9/11. he was nominated to be secretary of homeland security, in 2009 he pled guilty to tax fraud and other charges and served three years in federal prison. thanks for being with us. >> thanks john. >> let me start with this question and sort of get this out of the way. there may be people who watch this and say what sort of credibility does bernard kerik have when he's gone to prison and served in a federal prison to talk about this issue? >> when i took over at rykers as the first deputy, over a six year period, i reduced violence by 93% and took from it one of the worst jails in the nation to an international model. of safety and security. >> in fact an iron hand at rykers island drastically reduces violence. that was in 1999. what did you do to reduce violence at rykers? >> most importantly it was accountability. it was accountability, it was leadership it was getting the staff the resources they needed, th

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