. >> at california's san quentin state prison, we saw how sophisticated some inmate weaponry can be.his homemade pistol is known as a zip gun. >> this portion is filled with ground up matchheads. the two holes here, inmates insert a wick. the inmate takes a plunger, pokes shrapnel in the open end, pieces of metal, ground up zippers. when the target walks by the cell, be it an officer or an inmate, the inmate lights this, it goes down, strikes the match heads, basically acts like a firecracker and shoots the shrapnel out. >> the majority of inmate manufactured weapons or shanks are designed for slashing or stabbing. the ease with which lethal weapons are made is shocking. this san quentin inmate who goes by the name speedy agreed to show correctional staff and "lockup" cameras just how simple it can be. he starts by using a roll of toilet paper as a crude forge to melt plastic coffee cup lids. >> i'm making a weapon right now. melting this plastic down into a shape. what i'm doing is trying to get a wad of it to where i can -- i have something to work with. you know what i mean? what

at california's san quentin state prison.eath row is a quiet place where inmates are much more concerned with filing appeals than causing trouble. that's not the case here. [ alarm sounding ] >> me, myself, i consider every inmate in here a potential threat. >> our producer met two officers assigned to keep watch in the adjustment center, where san quentin's most violent death row inmates are housed. the daily grind here is bleak for both inmates and staff. >> mentality of most inmates in this unit is, i'm on death row, there's nothing you can do to me. if i assault you today, there's nothing you can do to me tomorrow. you can only kill me once. >> assaults are so common here, any contact with inmates even serving meals requires officers to suit up in full riot gear. >> but that doesn't stop them from gassing. which is where they throw a variety of substances, can be anything, urine, feces. >> any time you open the food port, there's an opening for that inmate to assault you. >> death row at san quentin is a really scary plac

. >> our cameras were at california san quentin state prison when officers received word that is 20-year-old inmate was suffering severe chest pains. >> the thing you have to realize about san quentin is that this is a -- this prison was built prior to the civil war and the cells are stacked five stories high. there are no elevators. so of course the emergency that we were covering, it was on the fifth floor. so not only did we have to haul our stuff up there, but so did the responding correctional officers. >> up on the firfth tier, officers tend to the inmate in his cell. >> you're going to have to take deep breaths. i know you might be in pain, but you have to try. >> moments later, paramedics arrive on the tier. >> the paramedics had to make the five-story climb as well. and it's difficult to respond right away because of that. but the bigger challenge, though, was getting the inmate out of his cell and back down all those stairs. >> hospital door. be advised. we have inmate on stretcher en route. >> the officers and paramedics did a really great job of getting him down using the handrai

. >> but we found a very different case of inmate creature bonding inside california's san quentin staterison. >> i'm mike miller is my real name. and the staff here call me bird man of san quentin. the first day i got here at san quentin, the birds seemed to have flocked to me for some reason. and i don't know, they probably think i'm the bird man of alcatraz. maybe they're mistaken because he had a shaved head, too. >> miller was serving an eight-year sentence for burglary when he proudly showed us his cell. a virtual shrine to his winged friends. >> ever since i've been here the birds just come up to me like they know me. you know, i got them landing on my shoulders and my hands. you know, different kinds of birds, not just pigeons. but i got the, you know, the different kinds of black birds like finch and the redwing. landing on me. i think the birds is a good way of releasing a lot of tension and anger. before i got arrested my girlfriend used to chase the birds away. she didn't want me around them. and so, when i'm in here i have a chance to mingle with the birds. and basically tha

. >> joseph de la cruz is a gang dropout, serving nine years for attempted murder at california san quentin state prison. when we first met him, authorities had just discovered that he had been assaulted inside his protective custody cell. >> this morning, you come out of your cell, we did a sweep to find out how many people stayed behind. you were discovered with injuries. and here's the medical report. >> despite obvious injuries, de la cruz refused to give correctional staff any information about the attack. >> we're trying to find out who -- i want to tell them what happened. >> any specific individuals you know are your enemies? >> no, sir. >> how about any prison weapons offenses? >> no, sir. >> do you belong to a gang? >> no, i don't. >> aside from what you're being accused of being a victim, are you involved in any other batteries in your history? >> no. >> due to this threat, you are deemed a threat to the safety and security of the institution, to staff and inmates. >> escort! >> without good information about what prompted the attack and whether this attack could lead to others t

. >> our first ever extended stay series was shot at california's fabled san quentin prison.e to more than 5,000. when we shot there, robert ayers was san quentin's warden. >> we are grossly overcrowded, which is just totally unacceptable for the inmates, and the staff. >> been here before? >> no. >> all right, come over here and stand on the fence right there. >> the incoming population at san quentin was relentless, with staff releasing 150 inmates each week, but welcoming in 350 new ones. >> let's go, gentlemen. let's go, let's go, let's go. clear the door. >> many of them wound up in the gym, which had been converted into a huge, overflow housing unit. >> when i first walked in to the dorm at san quentin, i was taken aback by how many people were packed into this small area. it was very loud. ♪ >> james, report to the office upstairs. >> there's always people talking, people yelling. some people in there were trying to read and some people in there were trying to sleep. so you'll have a big group of people having a conversation over here while a guy's trying to sleep over

. >> we met phillip in san quentin prison in california.nd he really stood out as this young kid in a very hardcore old-school prison. his life was at a pretty precarious point, but he also remained sort of optimistic. >> from the second i got in trouble to this moment in time, i know god put me in this cell for a reason. whatever it is, i don't know at this time. maybe it was just to give me time to realize what i was doing. or who knows? maybe there's something inside this time that i'm going to do that's going to put me into perspective and make he realize stuff. i don't know. but i'm in here for a reason other for than the crime that i did, that god has a plan for me. i'll be all right. i'm going to make it. >> you're moving my head that way. >> i'm not moving it, you're moving it. >> i said i want a nice little haircut and he gives me a bald head. >> kirkpatrick rejected the lessons he had learned from his biological family at a very young age. that's when all his problems began. >> my mom gave me the best advice that she could. everyt

. >> san quentin prison houses some of california's most dangerous inmates. a program aims to transform lives. we go behind bars and into the classroom. >> metal bars, sterile cells, locked doors, mundane, sighfulling, uninspiring, but just behind the main yard, down an alley lined with barbed wire, class is in session. >> arguments for and against imperialism. >> u.s. history, taught by an instructor from the university of california at davis. it's a demanding work load chai challenges, stimulates and ignites the mind of some of california's most hardened criminals. >> and who are they talking? >> the cock of the united states. >> ok, so good. >> 16 years into a sense of 36 years to life, he is working toward his associate degree. hutchinson is learning about imperialism and much more at san quentin's prison university project. >> it has shown me that i do have the ability to learn, to succeed and be a better human being. >> this is the only on site higher education program in any california prison. 330 are enrolled and 200 are on the wait list. instructors

. >> san quentin in california is one of the biggest prisons in the country and has now cited a new program to help rehabilitate inmates. those taking part say it gives them hope and a sense of self worth. >> in a world of strict curfews and locked doors and life sentences, this prison campus is a window to a new life. many san quentin inmates are taking college level courses from instructors at top universities. >> arguments for and against imperialism. >> correction experts say it's a much needed tool against repeated arrests and graduates from this program like james houston say it's a lifeline and a miracle. >> i felt like with all the tools i gained how important education was, taking on life skill classes, becoming leadership in a group there, i felt like i had a purpose, and this became my passion. >> it's this new confidence in himself and his life that houston hopes over students will also gain from this program, a perspective he says will help keep communities safer. tonight, we'll hear more from houston and from inmates currently enrolled in the program, as well as from the woman

before the execution date, the california supreme court denied our request for a stay of the execution and for the chance to file further appeals in kevin's case. >> san quentinr to a new cell adjacent to the death chamber. cooper was about to become a dead man walking. we stop arthritis pain, so you don't have to stop. tylenol® 8hr arthritis pain has two layers of pain relief. the first is fast. the second lasts all day. we give you your day back. what you do with it is up to you. tylenol®. ♪ ♪ the beautiful sound of customers making the most of their united flight. power, wi-fi, and streaming entertainment. that's... seize the journey friendly. ♪ ♪ >>> just hours before his midnight execution on february 10, 2004, kevin cooper was strip searched and dressed for the death chamber. but cooper steadfastly refused to assist in his own execution. defiantly, he had begun a hunger strike the week before. as midnight approached, a crowd of several hundred demonstrators gathered outside the prison walls. >> we say hell no to death row. >> lawyers were going to attend. the family members were going to attend the execution. finally the family was going to have justice

when we visited san quentin state prison, we discovered how committed some of the 5,000 inmates were to their workouts. the state of californiaghts from the rec yard for security reasons, but that didn't deter anyone from lifting. >> it's weights. >> yeah? >> that's how we work out. we got water bags. >> how much does it weigh? >> about 30 pounds. >> not very much. >> there it is. >> some of the challenges of working out in prison aren't only about the access to the equipment you have or don't have, but it's also the kind of restrictions you have. oftentimes these prisons go on lockdown and people are kept in their cells or housing units for long periods of time and not really allowed out. but they still always find a way to work out. >> this is about 55 or 60 pounds. >> and in a world where fist fights are all too real, many inmates incorporate shadow boxing into their workouts. but jamie, a former jujitsu instructor doing time at indiana state prison went beyond just punching air. >> this is a makeshift punching bag since we're in our cell 23-plus blankets a day. i took a wool blanket, whatever you need. some people put a b