i've been to the penitentiary >>> jeffy washington has been in and out of the criminal justice system for the past 24 years. one of the fast-growing group behind bars. older prisoners. >> and the last thing i want to do is come back and see it. >> reporter: there's about 250,000 prisoners over 50 in the u.s. thanks to stricter laws. many have been imprisoned for a long title. when they are released, they are at a unique disadvantage. the world they are entering is different to the one they left. here. >> reporter: that's as good as cold to you. >> that's as good as cold. it's called a prescription. leaving out, stay alive and free. >> reporter: jeffrey is in a block, the re-entry pod. the first of its kind, it helps inmates re-enter the real world. >> repeat offenders is not something that you are able to stop overnight. it requires tension. >> reporter: san francisco's sheriff's office helped to launch the programme. and says at the time the u.s. criminal justice system lacked a mechanism to prepare the growing number of older offenders like jeffrey washington for re-entry. >> when y