when we shot there, robert ayers was san quentin's warden. >> we are grossly overcrowded, which is justhe inmates, and the staff. >> been here before? >> no. >> all right, come over here and stand on the fence right there. >> the incoming population at san quentin was relentless, with staff releasing 150 inmates each week, but welcoming in 350 new ones. >> let's go, gentlemen. let's go, let's go, let's go. clear the door. >> many of them wound up in the gym, which had been converted into a huge, overflow housing unit. >> when i first walked in to the dorm at san quentin, i was taken aback by how many people were packed into this small area. it was very loud. ♪ >> james, report to the office upstairs. >> there's always people talking, people yelling. some people in there were trying to read and some people in there were trying to sleep. so you'll have a big group of people having a conversation over here while a guy's trying to sleep over here. most people would tie towels around their head to try to block out some of this noise. >> officers strive to maintain order in this potentially d