but in 1980, pnm was site of one of the deadliest u.s.rison riots where inmates killed 33 of their own. >> jumped off february. almost by accident. big thing i couldn't get out of my head is they actually did it. we actually took the place over. >> james whittington survived the riot to return to the old main facility to show our producers what he witnessed. >> 27 years ago when i got up out of here. i didn't think i would ever see it again. leadership of the inmates decided hey, you know, this control center is takable. there was a huge industrial fire extinguisher that used to sit on one of these walls on hooks. three individuals lifted that industrial fire extinguisher off and said work on this window right here. the window began to give in. all three of these windows were taken out. >> once they broke that, they had access to the entire facility. they had full control. >> this is where it all turned bad after they busted up and got their hands on the dope. >> there's different kinds of psychotic drugs and whatever. and everybody was t

. >> and we talked to one of pnm's most unpredictable inmates. >> stabbed him in the chest.the first thing out of his mouth was "why?" >>> the level vi at pnm is full of inmates who will not only target prison staff but anyone else they have access to. >> i got 20 years for the district attorney getting stabbed in a courtroom. >> we do many, what we call prison cases, either assaults on other inmates, murders on other inmates, assaults on staff, on correctional officers. and so his cases were part of my caseload. in this particular case, mr. steele was charged with battery on a correctional officer. >> about 90% of the staff they get working here are the people who got picked on in school. they come over here, and now it's payback time. they think that badge gives them power. that badge is only an illusion of power. that power can be stripped and taken away in a moment's notice. >> mr. steele was accused of throwing a cup full of urine on the correctional officer. >> i decided to be my own lawyer. i wanted to act pro se. i wanted to ask my own questions. i wanted to do my ow

. >> today, blanco continues to test the patience of pnm officers, refusing to return a prison issued razor after shaving. >> he has a razor in his cell. i'm not going to play games with him. >> you're not five years old. >> i'm asking you man to man. are we doing this? >> you have to extract him. gas him, put him back in medical. put him in medical for another 72 hours. >> are you going to give me the razor? i'm giving you a direct order, give me that razor. >> okay, no. >> it takes a toll on everybody. we're down here dealing with this guy every day when we could be doing our job doing other things. we have opportunities to relinquish the razor. if he doesn't do it and then we will set up an extraction team and go in there. >> luckily for everyone involved, blanco gives up the razor. >> hear me out though. >> listen. i'm listening. >> [ bleep ] it's over [ bleep ] i am getting [ bleep ] >> i understand that, kevin. he claims it's all over and done with. he's going to start from scratch. for now it's okay. i believe he's going to be in medical at least for the rest of the night. that