. >> in the heart of new york city is one of the country's most notorious jails, riker's island. its history has been filled with violence, its facilities overcrowded and deadly. we first visited riker's back in 1999, when the commissioner of the new york department of correction was bernard kerik. his get-tough on crime policies have continued today. the new york city department of corrections says the result is a remarkable 90% decrease in violence at riker's, which has led to a substantial reduction in the inmate population. five years later, our cameras went back inside rikers to see how this once infamous jail has re-invented itself. >> i've got friends here. i have acquaintances. you don't come here to make friends. >> i know i should have at least 80 something arrests, close to 100 arrests, and i've been here at least about 30 or 40 times. >> it is not a pleasant living space. we're not comfortable. we make ourselves feel comfortable to ease the fact that we're in jail. >> the inmates call rikers the rock. the penal colony. iraq island. the guards call it the meanest precin

why rikers island? this notorious jail. why talk to these guys specifically?are the guys that i want to write the book for. i wanted to write the book not because i think i'm a fatherhood expert or anything like that, but i wanted it to be inspirational to young men growing up without fathers in their home and single parent households who are always hurt, tell the negative statistics about how you're going to end up in jail or in prison or a dropout or something like that and tell them that they don't have to go that way. now, these men in rikers, they've made mistakes. but they can correct them. and i want to show them different men in all walks of life. what i want to show them in the book show them who made the right decisions. christopher made the right decisions and john wallace, we all go there and we all talk to them about making the right choices in life. and how it is possible no matter what situation you come from. >> let me jump in and say, we saw an e-mail from one of the new york department correction official they send out letters and letters to

great of you to stop by and talk about befo rikers island, what kind of message you want to get bothpresent in your lives growing up? >>away at the age of lin florida. had to travel back and forth with present but heat a young age. are divorced whenwas about in fup in a single parent a relationship with my mother. my mother raised me okay. whisland? jail. why talk to these guys spec that i want to write the book for. i wanted to write the book not because i think i'm a fatherhood ex but i wanted it to be growing up without fathers in their home and single parent tell the negative statistics about how you're going to end up in jail or in prison or a dropout or something like that and tell them that they don't have to go that way. now, these men in rikers, they've made mistakes. but they can correct them. and i want to show them different men in all walks of life. what i want to made the right decisions. christopher made the right all go there and we all talk to them about making the right choices in ible no matter what situation you come from. >> let me jump in and say, we saw an e-ma

she spent four months on rikers island and then we see what happens going forward. very interesting. >> dr. phil starts tomorrow at 4:00. don't miss it. and come back and visit us this evening at 7:00 p.m.

bacardi chasers ♪ ♪ chasing me all over town ♪ 'cause he knows i'm wasted ♪ ♪ facing time again on rikers island♪ and i won't get out hey. (music continues playing) hey! what? hi. where is it? where's what? the cocaine you stole from burroughs. he said that? (gasps) he's a liar. i didn't steal any cocaine. i wear to god, cho. i would never steal co-- summer, don't do this. ugh. (chuckles) (whispers) okay, fine. (sighs) i lied. but you got to admit, i kinda fooled you. i had you a little bit fooled. give it to me. no. it's no big deal. tookie just thinks he's dangerous. i've been beaten far worse for a lot less. give it to me! fine. be that way. look, i'm sorry. you know, i... i know i've been bad. it's just... i've been so bored. and this was such a rush. summer, i had to stop myself from hurting him badly. i could have killed him. you understand me? god... that's kind of hot. what's the hell is wrong with you? you're really messed up, you know that?! well, duh! like you're not?! no! what are you doing?! stop it! are you nuts?! that's mine! i worked for it, cho! i'm a cop! how did you think this

once an inmate has completed the program and left rikers island, fresh start offers job and school placementnce its inception, 1,500 men have completed fresh start. the "new york times" reports that of the inmates who take part in the program, 90% do not return to jail within the year. cost to the city? $5,000 per participant. many people come together to make fresh start possible, but liz gains is the program life blood and driving force. as she told us, to be effective in this work you have to spend time in jail to listen to what people need. it's not a job you can do behind a desk. for getting out from behind that desk and for making a difference to those who so many would just as soon forget, liz gains is our foot soldier of the week. that is our show today. thank you to my guests, thanks to you at home for watching. see you tomorrow morning 10:00 a.m. eastern. coming up right now, "weekends with alex witt." back from rough economic times. employees are being forced to do more with less. and the need for capable leaders is greater than ever. when you see these problems do you take a step

and six months behind bars with time served after four months on rei rikers island. >> the family isl clients. how did this case fall apart? >> this case involved $100 of wiretapping. millions of dollars of police resources. and the prosecution walked away with one count of promoting prostitution. definitely not a win for the prosecution. >> criminal defense attorney alison triessl said that the case came down to one piece of crucial evidence, her alleged client list. otherwise known as the little black book. >> it seemed that the big win for the prosecution was this black book that was talked about, possibly involving names of politicians and financiers. every high-powered new york people. but, at the end of the day, they never got their hands on that black book. >> but she's not out of the woods yet. she warned gristina she could face deportation. >> she's worried about being deported. let's face it, she has a green card, she's been here 27 years. she'll take whatever legal steps needed to avoid that. >> the judge in this case said yesterday that gristina will be sentenced november