. >> chris samuelson, originally convicted of weapons possession, has spent two of his four years atn in the shoe. >> you got to have a strong mind to be back here for a number of years like i have been, you know? but it's broken people back here. but, hey, you know, all i can do is just keep going. >> the stress of working in this environment has mandated that officers never work the hole for more than two months at a time. >> this is a shoe housing unit exercise yard. it's where the inmates come out to get their prescribed exercise daily. and of course, at times that their favorite exercise is probably fighting. >> these shoe yards were the site of the notorious gladiator fights of the mid 1990s. when we first filmed here in 2000, the unit was still recovering from that scandal. at the time, officers were keeping known gang rivals apart to cut down on inmate assaults, but it wasn't all that effective. >> in the olden days, it was more guys trying to kill each other, but we still have those. >> whenever violence broke out, the control tower went into a well-rehearsed routine, as see