Restraining Dangerous Criminals | National Geographic

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violence is a constant threat amongst
the gangs and when it happens no one can
stay out of the fray February 23rd 2000
California’s Pelican Bay facility as if
on a signal the yard erupts 9:38 am
Hispanic gangs attack a rival
african-american gang 200 inmates plunge
into a bloody battle from steel but
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officers fire tear gas and rubber
bullets into the crowds with little
effect
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the riot lasts half an hour
when it’s over 15 inmates have been shot
one is dead and in astonishing 89 knives
are confiscated for 30 minutes a
maximum-security prison suffered an
explosion of violence but it was
contained the prison did its job the job
it was designed to do the structures
main objective is containment and
control of violence here in Sacramento
the prison has three self-contained
chamber like facilities called a B and C
walls rise 16 feet high
keeping inmates in separate parts of the
prison
inside are more subdivisions housing
units have three blocks separated by
concrete walls in the center is a
control room where guards have a
complete 180-degree view of 120 cells
and more than 200 inmates cell doors
open by remote control allowing guards
to direct inmate movements reducing
opportunities for violence but while the
structure was built for maximum control
inmates continually invent ways of
defining