though not deadly, wood block rounds can leave a lasting impression as we discovered at the kern valley state prison in california. >> shot the [ bleep ]. >> no. i don't remember getting shot. i don't even know if i got shot. >> we often talk to corrections officers about the nonlethal weapons they use but it's not often we end up actually seeing what those weapons do. and such was the case with george johns. this was something that happened just the night before. we were lucky to talk to him. >> escort. >> during our shoot at kern valley, inmate george johns, serving eight years for being involved in a high speed chase while on parole, started a fight in the cafeteria, and was hit in the head by a wooden block. we met him the following morning. >> tell me the story. tell me what happened. >> i had a personal problem and i ran over and handled it and i didn't make it all of the way. i was in the chow hall eating, you know i just got irritated and finally decided i don't like this guy. so i'm going to bite him. that's it. >> next thing you remember? >> they're dragging me out. telling me

the debate. >> reporter: tucked between oil fields in central california's kern valley is the taft correctional institution. craig apker has been the warden for the past three years. >> i simply want to run and be part of the best prison ever. >> reporter: taft is a low- security prison that has dorm- style housing, a medical unit, and offers prisoners high school equivalency classes and work- training programs. warden apker asked us not to record video for security reasons, but he allowed us to take these photos-- later reviewed and cleared by a prison official. >> it really comes down to how we operate our institutions. do we have mngful programs? do we have a respectful relationship with the inmates? >> reporter: on the surface, taft looks a lot like the more than 100 facilities overseen by the federal bureau of prisons. but this one is operated by a private, for-profit company: management and training corporation, or m.t.c. as with all privately-run federal prisons, taft has two bureau of prison monitors on site to enforce compliance with federal guidelines. before starting his job with m.t