i'm john seigenthaler. >> due to mature and graphic subject matter viewer discretion is advised. you are about to become a witness. >> they couldn't possibly have known what hit them, killers blast into a private home terrorizing and torturing everyone they encounter. >> what a contrast to see people having such a good time and then just like that -- >> each of them were shot at least twice in the back of the neck. just plain execution. it is likely one of the most violent murders you will ever witness. >> he doesn't know it. the camera is up. >> and the disturbing story this videotape tells is troublingly not unique. >> they figure a person at home is at their weakest. they're not expecting it. >> usually the victims are rendered helpless, they're bound, oftentimes they're beaten unconscious. there's very little evidence left at the crime scene and there are hardly any witnesses ever. >> how safe are we in our own homes? captured on camera, eyewitness to murder. we'd all like to think that our homes are ou

i'm john seigenthaler >>> taking it to the streets. let's play "hardball." >>> good evening. i'm chris matthews down in washington. leading off tonight, the whole world is watching the occupy wall street protesters who have been gathering across the country aren't necessarily looking for a leader. but a leader may be looking for them. you can be sure the organizers don't want to be co-opted by any political party, even the democrats. but you can be just as sure that the democrats are desperate to ride that wave of energy and enthusiasm. if there's a tea party on the left, you may be looking at it. also, mass hysteria. republican scott brown is fighting hard to change the subject after taking a personal shot at rival elizabeth warren's physical appearance. this is just the start of what's going to be the most in-your-face senate race in the country. plus, waiting for superman. or superwoman. chris christie said no. so did sarah palin. rick perry's losing supporters. and rick santorum is hoping to be the guy who picks them up and becomes the big-name conservative in the race. w

i'm john seigenthaler. >>> due to mature subject matter, viewer discretion is advised. there are 2 million people behind bars in america. we open the gates. "lockup." >> you never know who's out here to get you. >> i'm not supposed to be here. >> everything builds. it's constant pressure. >> there are times where the hair stands up on the back of your neck. >> what's the worst they can do to me? >> i was signing. that's how i communicate with the men. >> i didn't realize what i was doing. >> i chose to be executed by firing squad. >> you stick with your gangs, who you know and where you're safe. >> all i'm trying to do is survive. >> over the past 20 years, america's get tough on crime policies have forced an evolution in the way prisons operate. with fewer resources and an ever-growing inmate population, institutions must constantly adapt to deal with the growing threats of violence and gangs before they rage out of control. we're about to take you inside utah state prison, the largest m mum security facility in the state with nearly 4,000 inmates. more than 400 of who

for msnbc investigates, i'm john seigenthaler. >> do you want to explain to me why i should not put you in prison? >> you were tired when i gave you a five-year prison sentence before? >> a drug addicted mother asks a judge to keep her out of prison. >> tell my dude look for someone who has class ral. >> just brought in on drug charges, a young man attempts to make bail. while another awaits sentencing for an unthinkable crime. >> a young lady was assaulted. drug behind the library. beaten within an inch of her life and brutally raped. >> if it was a crime to be in love then i'm guilty because i'm in love with you. >> he seeks a lover and a benefactor. >> scary is not the word but gives you the creeps. [ laughter ] ♪ >>> with an average of 361 days of sunshine per year, life in tampa, florida would seem like paradise. but crime knows no geographical bounds. on any given day, the two sprawling facilities that make up tampa's hillsborough county jail system house 3,000 men and women. >> the hands should be on the wall. >> most only stand accused of crime and are awaiting trial. others are

i'm john seigenthaler. >>> you are about to become a witness. >> chances are, every robber knows he or she is being taped. >> we asked them what the difference was? >> cameras do catch and help convict criminals every day. >> it's a silent witness. it will not run and high or get a different perspective, and it tell us what it saw from its perspective and it's very unbiased. >> you will look at dozens of crimes from a security camera's point of view, and see it the way the cops do. >> frequently what happens is people panic. >> you will witness a new wrinkle in surveillance. it's not just a camera, but it's a person watching. >> speaking specifically to the men outside the door. you will not receive any further warning. the police will be dispatched and you will be arrested and cited for press passing. >> it has become a standard piece of security for businesses across the country. the number of crimes caught on tape is staggering, and as a result, law enforcement has learned more from watching and studying them, which is what we are going to do right now. ♪ in ohio, she is working the

i'm john seigenthaler. >>> due to mature subject matter, viewer discretion is advised. >>> there are 2 million people behind bars in america. we open the gates. "lockup." ♪ 15 to life, doing 15 to life ♪ ♪ you've got the browns and the whites against the blacks ♪ ♪ the first rule of the game is to watch your back ♪ ♪ it's either kill or be ♪ ♪ killed if you're scared ♪ ♪ then make a knife ♪ ♪ and the next mother [ muted ] will ♪ find me some steel lay in a strap ♪ ♪ like a mercenary death trap ♪ ♪ because if i got to do time ♪ ♪ i would rather do it like a real mother [ muted ] ♪ >> who is going to stab who? who's going to kill who? who's going to beat who bad? >> guys stomping each other on the head, knocking each other unconscious. >> what we got over here, anything? >> escort! >> you have to join a gang. you have no choice. ♪ 15 to life ♪ ♪ doing 15 to life ♪ ♪ 15 to life ♪ ♪ 15 to life ♪ ♪ doing 15 to life ♪ doing 15 to life. that's it. >> in an isolated part of california's central valley is corcoran state prison, one of the state's largest maximum security institutions, housing