hear a lot of bad things about this penitentiary. kind of scary. because you're going to be here and you see how it is, like, maximum security and stuff like that. so i'm going to stay to myself, man. hope for the best. let me get up out of here. >> inmate walton and officer white make up the opposite ends of stateville. white will spend eight hours in his tower. once walton is processed into the system, he will join his fellow inmates who spend more than 20 hours of every day in their cells. the relationship between guards, inmates, and the prison they both inhabit is more than 75 years old. construction began here in 1916. and the prison opened in 1925. it differed from any other prison in the world. circular cell houses orbited around and connected via tunnels to a huge central dining hall. today one of the original cell houses remains, the only one of its kind in the country. stepping into it conjures up images of gladiators stepping into a coliseum. >> it's very beneficial because basically you can stand in one spot and get a visual of the who

@ñ >>> attitudes towards sex in male penitentiaries are complex.to the convict code, child molesters and rapists are reviled. but homosexuals can live freely in prison as long as they adhere to other parts of the code. mind your own business. and never show weakness. >> well, the boys seem to have no problem with their lovers. they love us. i mean we're like gold in here. we really are. there are very few of us. oh, please. maybe not for you. anyway, they treat us just like they treat anybody else. long as we give them their respect and don't cross those boundaries, we get treated just like anybody else. >> at california state prison corcoran we met three inmates living openly as homosexuals at what is considered one of the toughest and most violent prisons in the state. >> okay. if you could just state and spell your name for us. >> regina maiden. well, actually, reginald maiden. r-e-g-i-n-a-l-d. m-a-i-d-e-n. >> in this raw interview footage the three men discuss the possibility of attack and how they would respond. >> it's not being attacked. it'

. >> back at kentucky state penitentiary, randy haight made it clear. he's not as eager to face death as holton. but he's ready for it, nonetheless. >> i'm extremely sad for what i've done. it hurts me knowing that i went to the level that i went. and if there was any way possible for me to be healed or correct it, believe me, it would be done. it's an impossible situation not only for me but for everybody involved, you know? and i'm not saying that to get out of an execution or -- because like i said, i'd ready. if you want to kill me, let's go. i'm ready to go. but i think that i have something i can offer somebody. and i don't think it's really time for me to die. >>> due to mature subject matter, viewer discretion is advised. >>> msnbc takes you behind the walls of america's most notorious prisons to a world of chaos and danger, now the scenes you've never seen, "lockup: raw." >> every time we step into another prison we are amazed by the world that we enter. it's violent, it's loud, [ bleep ] -- very intimidating but through it all is a fascinating

the sex offender we met at iowa's anamosis state penitentiary has a different existence.ry morgan spends nearly every hour of every day inside a small protective custody cell where he never sees the sun. >> well, what happened is they accused me of killing a little girl back in 1994 and next thing i know i'm in prison and then there's people talking about a contract supposed to be out on me. >> morgan was convicted of kidnapping, raping and murdering a 9-year-old girl. he is serving life without the possibility of parole. >> there's been a lot of threats against me. it was a high profile crime at the time. and everybody in the system knew about it and they're trying to stand up and be some sort of righteous convict. i only rob banks or do drugs. i only sell crack to kids but this guy, he killed one, so now we're going to go and kill him. >> protective custody inmates like morgan are locked in their cells 23 hours a day to keep them from other inmates. >> it's claustrophobic being in a little cell 23 hours a day, but after a while you get used to it. what i miss most about

the walls of spring creek, natural beauty gives way to the harsh reality of a maximum security penitentiary. >> we're at the end of the road for the state of alaska department of corrections the worst behaved prisoners end up here. >> those who pose the greatest threat to other inmates and staff are segregated in house one, the lockdown unit. >> basically, minimum rights. minimum, they're in their cells for 23 hours a day. >> on the day we wanted to interview him, house one inmate, antonio robertson was in an especially foul mood. >> [ bleep ], [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. >> calm down. >> every one of you [ bleep ], [ bleep ], i'm going to start with, you guyed are [ bleep ]. we need more. what do you want to know? >> robertson, serving a 60-year sentence for murder has spent most of the last two years in house one. >> why are you in here? >> in house one. it's a long story. i refuse to let myself be assaulted and not fight back. >> robertson not only fights with other inmates. he fights with staff as well. >> i was disrespected. i decided to make the guys do a cell extraction. >> days before our

. >>> at kentucky state penitentiary, some inmates can apprentice in an auto body shop. at rikers island jail, a bakery churns out nearly 90,000 loaves of bread per week while teaching inmates how to bake. in many of the prisons profiled on "lockup," inmates have opportunities to learn skills that can help them find work on the outside. but all too many spend their time honing skills more suitable to mayhem and murder. >> i stabbed an inmate 12 times over some dope in front of the chow hall. >> i took a knife and stabbed him with it three or four times until he was dead. and then i butchered him with it. >> you find a piece of metal or something, file it down on the concrete. it ain't got to be sharp, it's just got to have a point. put your handle on it and do what you need to do. >> "lockup" crews are regularly exposed to the tools of a deadly trade. >> every prison we film in, there's always a shank museum, a place where the authorities display all of the weapons that are confiscated by staff. homemade weapons the inmates have made from bed springs or melted down plast

>> this is the maximum security facility on level vi for the penitentiary of new mexico. pretty much houses the worst of the worst. these individuals are the worst of the worst within level vi and level vi is the worst within the whole state of new mexico. >> [ bleep ]. >> [ bleep ]. >> these individuals are housed, one per cell. they're escorted and restrained everywhere they go. in handcuffs or leg irons and belly chains. we do have two and three-man status individuals that are very violent. and they like to assault our staff. >> today we tag along with deputy warden joni brown on her way to deal with one of level vi's most notorious inmates. >> they have an inmate who is refusing to leave his cell. at this point they're going to go in and give him a directive to cuff up and come out. if not, then we're planning the use of force for cell extraction. >> turn around and be restrained. >> no. >> if you don't turn around and be restrained we'll have to forcibly remove you from your cell. are you going to come out? >> what's going to happen now? >> they're going to instruct

>> kenneth morgan, also known as peaches, was one of the more memorable inmates we met at the penitentiaryf new mexico. his life in prison is marked by a clear duality. >> hi, boys! >> he was an open, if not flamboyantly gay inmate living in general population. but when it came to adhering to the inmates code of conduct, he made it clear that he was no different than anyone else. during our shoot he had received one of his rare disciplinary write-ups for helping cover up a bloody fight between two other inmates. >> right here, this is peaches. looks like he's got the shirt that was taken from the inmate. looks like he was rubbing the floor right here. so that's one of my biggest issues right there. i want to show you the video. okay? so get over here. who is this? >> that's me? >> and what does it appear that you're doing right there? >> kicking the shirt. >> not cleaning up blood. or nothing like that? >> i just kicked it up. that's all i did. >> why would you do that? >> because i was actually way over here by my cubicle and i kicked it all the way around giving it to them, telling them

. >> well, i met him while i was working at the penitentiary, and he was one of my patients. he is a real smart one, smart alec, funny guy. i was too. i was feisty right back to him, and so we just started messing around, joking around like that. i think that's what our playfulness with each other is what got david and i to start a friendship. >> as the old saying goes, you can't help who you fall for. you know? >> david and i had known each other for seven months when we finally got caught. >> an officer came up to me and told me that he thought there was some impropriety going on within -- between david scritchfield and a nurse. okay? so what i did is i pulled up his information on the computer. i had a bunch of phone calls from the inmate. i started listening to the phone calls. the name paula came up. paula happened to be the nurse the officer told me about. >> they said that they recognized her voice on the telephone. we were communicating, you know, outside of the prison system. i didn't want to get her in any kind of trouble, but i couldn't stop communicating with her.

. >>> nestled at the base of the rocky mountains, colorado state penitentiary was built to house thet violent and disruptive inmates. it gives new meaning to the words hard time. >> we decided that csp could not be a place where inmates could get comfortable and make a life for themselves. we had to treat them differently. >> colorado state isn't just any maximum security prison. it's a super max facility. inmates here are considered a constant threat and are confined to single-person cells 23 hours a day. >> i was astounded by how sterile and stark and what tough time it would be to serve in that particular prison. i think that would be the hardest time possible. >> many of the inmates we spoke to agreed. they say the isolation is too much. >> i've been here a long time. i've seen a lot of guys, seen them snap, you know? any given day they can snap. >> 23 hours a day you're locked down. you come out for five hours a week. essentially it's just another cell. it's a dead room with a pull-up bar. there's one small window. everywhere you go, handcuffed, handcuffed to go in the shower. y

. >>> the day we arrived at colorado state penitentiary, a super max prison at the base of the rocky mountains, we found a sterile, austere environment, steel doors behind which inmates are locked up 23 hours a day, but despite his surroundings, inmate shawn shields was in high spirits. when he sat down with us, he was eager to help our producer get the interview underway. >> quiet on the set, you boneheads. let's roll tape. >> then he calmly told us how he got 16 years added to the original sentence of 12 for robbery. >> me and another inmate had an altercation. i manipulated the door so that it would not latch completely, and when he came out to walk, i came down after him, and proceeded to stab him. >> why? was it because you guys weren't getting along? >> it was just a verbal altercation. >> does it happen a lot in here? >> there is a lot of verbal altercations between people. you have to understand there are 16 men living together behind closed doors with stress, animosity towards one another in some cases, and it is not always a pleasant place to be. >> when inmates erupt, no o

>>> the penitentiary of new mexico houses both low-level and maximum security inmates.he most dangerous and notorious are held in level six. >> you want to make me look like the monster. i've been here over 2 1/2 years. i never did nothing. i don't disrespect nobody. i don't cause no problems or nothing. but just because i'm small and i'm able to slip the handcuffs anytime i want, i'm a problem. i got locked up when i was about 10 1/2. i got grand theft auto. i've been to probably over 30 prisons. probably around 20 in florida. six or seven in oklahoma. three here. i don't get in trouble. i don't disrespect anybody. cops come to my door. i'm always yes, sir, no, sir. yes, ma'am, no, ma'am. i don't disrespect nobody. you know? i've made my mistakes and did some stupid stuff when i was young. but hurt somebody to where they went to the hospital and ended up dying later on, you know, but never been charged with murder. a lot of people, like, the first thing they think about me is they think about somebody like macgyver or something. because i stabbed somebody with some jol

we work together. >> our visit to the anamosa state penitentiary in iowa led us to a memorable pair ofchael and brad love whose lifelong allegiance drove them to kill. >> growing up i wanted to be him, you know. he was almost four years older than me. i see him running around drinking. breaking into stuff. doing whatever he is doing. i'm like i want to be like him. that's my big brother. that's my idol. so i kind of followed in the same footsteps. >> but as the love brothers revealed to our crew, those footsteps led down a bloody path that ended at a holiday party in the trailer park. >> christmas night, 1992, me and my brother went to a party with what we thought were friends. but they tried to rob us. take the liquor that we brought. >> they started beating me up. four of them. >> they hurt brad. i couldn't let them get away with that. they threatened his life. and i just couldn't handle that. so we left went to my trailer. i got a shotgun. my brother got a knife. machete. we went back out there and did what we did. >> i remember mike standing there he had the gun pointed at the door

. >> inmates who become disruptive or violent at the penitentiary of new mexico are transferred to the lockup units in level v or vi. the trouble is, once inside, their behavior doesn't always improve. a lesson rookie amy lee is learning the hard way. >> i went upstairs to ask joseph if he wanted to go to the shower. he told me to take his next door neighbor. i said, no, it's your turn right now, so we're going to go. he said, no, i'm not going right now. i said, okay, so at this point, you're refusing. we later went up with a sergeant and he used choice words, calling me a tramp. >> i snapped at her, yelled at her. and she got her little feelings hurt. if she don't -- if her feelings are gonna go get hurt, go work at a damn church. >> this is what's going to happen. we will pull him out, all right? you're going to -- you can just hang out in there. and we'll bring him to you. >> okay. >> it's time, joe. >> how come she's got to be sitting across from me like that? >> what's all this, joe? have a seat. >> why does she have to be sitting across from me like that? >> because she's a memb

go to a federal penitentiary if you don't do it. >> neil: that is scary i ri. >> got to listen. >> dagen, don't you think part of the emergency here howard dean is trying to push the president sooner rather than later. you and i love big government. we're big fans of what you are doing and what you are amassing. get it out to charles' pointed if you like all these wonderful things, it is in your interest to pay more for it? >> part of that. i think the republicans can take away what howard dean is saying, as well. it's your choice -- spend or cut hire taxes. you like the fact that you have all this medicare that you get all these services, well, the american people are going to have to pay more for that. that is your choice. if you laid out the argument that way, i think at least you would be able to make an honest decision. i am willing to give this up. i am willing to give this up. we would be able to cut spending in the way we haven't been. >> neil: the irony in all of this when push comes to shove, this is everything that romney said. when he talked about the 47%, you talk about the

go to a federal penitentiary if you don't do it. >> neil: that is scary i ri. >> got to listen. >> dagen, don't you think part of the emergency here howard dean is trying to push the president sooner rather than later. you and i love big government. we're big fans of what you are doing and what you are amassing. get it out to charles' pointed if you like all these wonderful things, it is in your interest to pay more for it? >> part of that. i think the republicans can take away what howard dean is saying, as well. it's your choice -- spend or cut hire taxes. you like the fact that you have all this medicare that you get all these services, well, the american people are going to have to pay more for that. that is your choice. if you laid out the argument that way, i think at least you would be able to make an honest decision. i am willing to give this up. i am willing to give this up. we would be able to cut spending in the way we haven't been. >> neil: the irony in all of this when push comes to shove, this is everything that romney said. when he talked about the 47%, you talk about the

he was transferred to this medium security penitentiary, where he has a lot more freedom to roam aroundare no cells here. the men live in dormitories. there are also no college programs at all. i'm sure 99 out of 100 prisoners would rather be here than at eastern, huh? this is a much easier, freer atmosphere. >> it depends on how you determine--define freedom. while at bard, i learned that freedom was something much different than just a physicality, a space of physical existence. freedom had a lot do with your ability to think. freedom had a lot to do with your ability to communicate with others, to see the world in a different view. >> if you had a choice, would you go back to that maximum security prison at eastern tomorrow if you could? >> i would go right after this interview. if they packed me up and tell me, "let's go," i would go just to continue my education. i miss the bard program tremendously. >> he also missed seeing some of his fellow student inmates graduate. most of them hope to continue their studies in prison towards more advanced degrees. there's no longer a lot of pu

we've got the federal penitentiary, and we're going to be pushed around by government and happening a long time and it's going to keep happening. >> yeehaw, that's scary! >> i've got him, i've got it. and dagen, do you think the that part of the message here is that howard dean is trying to push the president sooner ther than later? get it out there. you and i both love big government. we're big fans of what you're doing and amassing, and get it out there to charles' point that if you like the would you feel things, it's in your interest. everybody, to pay more for it? >> part of that, i think, that the republicans can take a-- take away from what howard dean is saying, as well, in the sense of like, okay, it's your choice. cut spending or higher taxesment you want infrastructure spending then you have to pay more in gas taxes, you like the fact that you have all of this medicare, that you get all of these services? well, the american people are going to have to pay more for that, that is your choice and you laid out the argument that way, i think at least we would be able to make an

carolina senator lindsey graham is threatening to hold up the confirmation for the picks of the penitentiary govern -- pentagon and cis. >>> today the white house will get more input on how to crackdown on gun violence. vice president joe biden will travel to philadelphia for a roundtable discussion on gun safety. law enforcement agents will be a part of that meeting. so will congressional leaders from pennsylvania as well as deputy attorney general james cole. the vice president has been the obama administration's point person for the debate over gun control in recent weeks. >>> a local church is robbed from comfort and joy. how thieves left a congregation in the cold. that's straight ahead. >>> just in time for valentine's day. your chance to get in on mrs. carter's world tour. >>> cold and wet at 4:37. an update on your [ male announcer ] want to make a great car interior? stop looking at car interiors. get inspired by other stuff. yep. yep. ok. sure. why not? woah. touchscreens. put that in your dash. now, luxury stuff. make your seats like that. that thing has wifi, why doesn't your car

what happened was present was meant to be a humane reform were people in penitentiaries could repentdidn't turn out that they learned anything and they just networked with other criminal convicts and came back out. we have to move towards making prison something other than a warehouse in criminal process about something other than plea bargain deals, but about declaring what's right and wrong in finding a way people can do something to say they pay their debt to society can't pay their debt to the den. and then come back into society. >> host: you currently teach law at the university of pennsylvania and criminology as well and director of the university supreme court clinic. what's your practical experience? guest cohost a federal prosecutor in new york city and i thought every kind of case. i thought people who are sorry for what they done and wanted a chance to make amends and the system did do anything to encourage it. i saw people angry and in denial and the system didn't confront them or make them dress up to they've done. i saw a good welding professionals who take it for gran

works as an advisor to the minister of the penitentiary system and used to be classmates with saakashvili she believes the astonishing number of prisoners in georgia during his reign was to a large extent personally driven. which is what he had often been joked at in school he directed his revenge against his former classmates when he became president most of them were either stripped of their businesses are put to prison in his presidency we've had twenty five thousand people in jail. shocking video of prisoner abuse in georgia in jails went viral and effectively diminished the president's party support by more than a half inch lost both election and control over the country it's not yet known where the second city will face prosecution of that was a torture allegations for two hundred political prisoners a change of power a man with a chance to walk free because saakashvili will formally remain as georgia's president until october. powers have already been transferred to the prime minister if anybody has already declared a national wide amnesty of political prisoners but experts say the

works as an advisor to the minister of the penitentiary system and used to be classmates with saakashvili she believes the astonishing number of prisoners in georgia during his reign was to a large extent personally driven. he had often been joked out in school he directed his revenge against his former classmates when he became president most of them were either stripped of their businesses are put to prison in his presidency we've had twenty five thousand people in jail. shocking video of prisoner abuse in georgian jails went viral and effectively diminished the president's party support by more than a half inch lost both election and control over the country it's not yet known where the second city will face prosecution of the british legation for two hundred political prisoners the change of power meant the chance to walk free because like us we will for many remain as georgia's president until october but he's already been transferred to the prime minister has already declared a national wide amnesty of political prisoners but experts say there is socialisation may take several more

works as an advisor to the minister of the penitentiary system and used to be classmates with saakashvili she believes the astonishing number of prisoners in georgia during his reign was to a large extent personally driven. which is what he had often been joked at in school he directed his revenge against his former classmates when he became president most of them were either stripped of their businesses are put to prison in his presidency we've had twenty five thousand people in jail. weeks before last year's parliamentary vote news of a successful counterterrorism operation in eastern georgia made headlines eleven suspected militants from russia's north caucasus were killed but some said the whole thing was a hoax to discredit russia and in fact the slain men were georgians. first of all their weapons were american made second not. one of them fired off a single shot but it's not all the uniforms of the so-called fighters were brand new this was saakashvili plan he has sent his guys across the border into russia and then had them shot by the georgian police this was a set up just to fra

works as an advisor to the minister of the penitentiary system and used to be classmates with saakashvili she believes the astonishing number of prisoners in georgia during his reign was to a large extent personally driven. he had often been joked out in school he directed his revenge against his former classmates when he became president most of them were either stripped of their businesses are put to prison in his presidency we've had twenty five thousand people in jail. weeks before last year's parliamentary vote news of a successful counterterrorism operation in eastern georgia made headlines eleven suspected militants from russia's north caucasus were killed but some said the whole thing was a hoax to discredit russia and in fact the slain men were georgians. first of all their weapons were american made second not. one of them fired off a single shot but not all the uniforms of the so-called fighters were brand new this was saakashvili plan has sent his guys across the border into russia and then had them shot by the georgian police this was a set up just to frame russia shortly aft