00:00:00.640 - 00:00:38.330

mm hmm. You are about to witness a unique adventure in living. A special kind of living surrounded by a high wall and a locked gate in a moment. We will pass through that gate now wait a minute, wait a minute. Somebody's been seeing too many prison

00:00:38.330 - 00:01:21.710

movies, California prisons aren't like that. This is a state prison, this is san Quentin mm hmm. The California state prison at san Quentin the story you are about to see is true. The people are real The 8:00 Siren. The prison day begins san Francisco County Sheriff's

00:01:21.720 - 00:01:49.850

deputy arrives with a prison 47 counties in northern California. Send men convicted of felonies to the reception guidance center at San Quentin. This is a convict here at SAn Quentin. He'll be called an inmate. The commitment report tells his story. On november 17 1955 defendants held

00:01:49.850 - 00:02:06.910

up Garrett motors a used automobile establishment in san Francisco with a blank cartridge starter's pistol, defendant took a 1954 cadillac sedan on november 2nd three days later an officer of the san Francisco Police department saw the stolen automobile traveling at a high rate of speed. The

00:02:06.910 - 00:02:24.930

car was stopped and the defendant was taken into custody. His previous record goes back to his first arrest on October 21, 1951. His age at that time. 15 he's here to serve his sentence the exact length to be set later by the adult authority of California

00:02:24.970 - 00:02:54.210

within the limits prescribed by law five years to life. Mm hmm. The garden, beautiful and unexpected. First view inside the walls of san Quentin load of fish. Yeah business is booming business is always booming where they're going now they go to I. D. First. Oh yeah

00:02:54.220 - 00:03:08.740

for the prints and pictures. Hey those mug shots wow. Their mind looks like Jack the ripper. Yeah, I remember when I came in, what a half of You're in the joint five minutes. All nervous and wondering what's going to happen and they slap those funny coveralls

00:03:08.740 - 00:03:21.270

on you and run you around like a world away. The worst thing for me though was the way all the cons and the art eyeball you you know boy that shook me. Yeah, it shakes everybody. These kids will be swaggering and posing by the time they

00:03:21.270 - 00:03:45.130

make that fist trip across the big yard. It helps. Mm Some maybe that first day is a Gasser man. Anyway you look at it. Mm hmm. This is the west cell block. New inmates are housed here. Apart from the regular prison population for the next 60-90

00:03:45.130 - 00:04:05.200

days. For reception, guidance, processing. What brings a man to prison? Well as in any phase of mental health, there is no one simple answer that covers every case. It is known that 90% of these men have serious emotional disturbances. This is where it begins. Are we

00:04:05.200 - 00:04:19.980

allowed to talk Sure what made you think we couldn't. Well you never know the county jail. They make you get on the dummy at lockup. Well it ain't like that here. It used to be my first joke. The hacks walked around with steel tipped canes and

00:04:19.980 - 00:04:32.900

that belt you with it in a minute. What happens when you get out of line now? Well they jerk your privilege card for 30 days, No movies, no canteen, no library. But I can remember when they stood you in a little white spot for hours at

00:04:32.900 - 00:04:51.730

a time. And if that didn't get to you, there was always the whole bread and water. Right? But that was a long time ago in those days, retribution was the byword. Now it's rehabilitation tonight. The state has a new life in its hands. Is this one

00:04:51.730 - 00:05:09.610

of the criminal types they talk about? Or is this a boy with a serious mental problems. Will prison help him or will it teach him to be a professional criminal? His thoughts tumble over each other in confused misery tonight he is sure it was a stroke

00:05:09.610 - 00:05:26.720

of incredibly bad luck that he was caught and sent to san Quentin. Things look a little brighter in the morning. In the big yard. We over here, one resident saying to another over a scrabble game. What do you mean? Hoosegow ain't a word? What do you

00:05:26.720 - 00:05:45.960

think you are? Disneyland? The California State Department of corrections was established 13 years ago. It operates san Quentin and the seven other California prisons under the direction of Mr Richard a McGee. The department is responsible for confining prisoners but that's only part of it by using

00:05:45.960 - 00:06:02.870

treatment geared to the individual prisoner tries to help him find his problem and to change his attitude toward crime. Just doing time is not enough. It's what a man does with his time in prison that counts the reception, guidance diagnosis begins aptitude test scores fairly high

00:06:02.870 - 00:06:19.450

in all areas from his case file. We see that bob is a sensitive insecure youth who views the world as a rather threatening environment. He seems to be the product of a very insecure family background characterized by a rejecting father and overprotective mother. He's quiet and

00:06:19.450 - 00:06:38.880

well mannered but is easily influenced because of his strong need for acceptance. Mhm. Next questionnaires are sent to people who knew him well in his hometown, bob grew up with his family in san Francisco just off Van ness Avenue. A questionnaire goes to Richard Peterson who

00:06:38.880 - 00:06:53.630

was a close friend of bob's for several years. Rich what would you say caused bob to get into the trouble he's in today. Well at the time that I met bob, he was a pretty carefree guy. It's very likable though and it was not in the

00:06:53.630 - 00:07:07.750

least bit malicious bob. Didn't know the difference between right and wrong. He had a trend to stray with the breeze. I recall an instance when he came down to san Jose and we went out and we had a wonderful time. We went out to dinner to

00:07:07.750 - 00:07:22.270

a movie then he came back up to san Francisco and got mixed up with these oddballs. He was going around with a few days later was picked up on an auto theft charge. This I think is a good example of how bob got to where he

00:07:22.270 - 00:07:42.730

is now. This is lee Jamison, he knew bob through his work as parole officer with the California Youth authority. Mr Jamison, what do you feel are the basic causes of bob's trouble? There are no simple answers to the causes of delinquency when dealing with a boy

00:07:42.730 - 00:08:05.960

such as bomb. It might be his poor home environment or it might be his poor associates. He used to associate with other boys on parole who had quite an influence on him on occasions, his lack of a sense of responsibility. Ah It was quite poor as

00:08:05.960 - 00:08:24.320

an example. On one occasion he stole an automobile out here on the avenues and For 15 cents he ended up serving considerable time in the county jail. Ah I might add that Bob was committed to the youth authority when he was 19 years of age and

00:08:24.320 - 00:08:46.710

he was only with us a short period of time which makes it difficult to make a change with him at the reception guidance center. The clinical staff takes action on bob's case here are a psychologist, a correctional officer, a sociologist, a psychiatrist and a caseworker. Our

00:08:46.710 - 00:09:08.660

next case then is on robert. M He's 21 years old. He's here for armed robbery. I think you saw this man ed um sociological evaluation. Would you tell us something about him? It seems to be essentially a man who is very immature even for his years.

00:09:09.340 - 00:09:33.970

one of the most interesting factors about the case is this armed robbery which isn't at all in keeping with his past record. Of of course your recommendation then was for SAn Quentin with a medium custody. Yes that seems to be indicated the training recommendation was for

00:09:33.970 - 00:09:51.960

auto body and fender work and for a vocational program to allow him to earn money while in the institution. He has no outside resources. This could all be met at SAn Quentin would the SAn Quentin recommendation then go along with the feelings of custody on this?

00:09:52.840 - 00:10:13.410

Yes I think so. This conduct here has been good so far seems to be making a good adjustment, has no escape. He should be alright in medium custody situation. I see that dr Rogers didn't feel that psychiatric treatment was recommended at this time. You saw him

00:10:13.410 - 00:10:32.500

on psychological and this agrees with your feelings. So then we'll we'll go ahead with our recommendation of SAn Quentin on a medium custody basis. Hey man, what's going on here? It's a tour of the joint the all the shops show you what kind of work there

00:10:32.500 - 00:11:07.950

is to do. Well that's kind of cozy mm hmm. Okay. Yeah. Is this a juvenile man? The jute mill burned down. This is where they make our thread, they shouldn't have gone to all the trouble. What's he doing? He's making it smooth man, can't you see?

00:11:09.140 - 00:11:51.450

Mhm. Mhm. This is for me man. I like to mess around with cars. Do you think they'll let you? Well, I can't ask the man, can't I? Mm hmm, mm hmm. Hey, what's all this? This is the alley like I see it's an alley man. What's

00:11:51.450 - 00:12:09.920

in it? Machine shop here at san Quentin. A man can earn a journeyman's union card. In most of these trades. He settles down into the routine of prison life each morning it's school, he takes high school subjects towards the diploma. He did not receive a diploma

00:12:09.920 - 00:12:22.670

at continuation high School in san Francisco educational supervisor Bruce Russell shown here on the left says the average inmate is several years behind the man of the same age and I. Q. On the outside, only two men out of every 100 who come to san Quentin

00:12:22.680 - 00:12:40.020

have a high school education or better 1300 inmates are registered in day and night classes from 1st grade to college. Tell a man about the world about great minds and thought expose him to find writing in the deep experience of musical appreciation. Tell him the story

00:12:40.020 - 00:12:54.960

of his own country and you give him some of the tools he will need to adjust successfully to the world outside most men who come to prison do not know a specific trade or profession in the afternoon bob learns furniture making in one of san Quentin's

00:12:54.970 - 00:13:16.560

well equipped shops when he gets out he'll be able to go to a prospective employer and say this, I can do Yeah Bob finds that the prison is a community somewhat like any city of 4000 people. Mm hmm. There are services for Catholics, jews and Protestants

00:13:18.400 - 00:13:34.250

and local sports are followed avidly. The SAn Quentin pirates play many other Bay Area teams all home games of course and their pitching ability is evaluated by the staff artist of the SAN Quentin news and the news is the sensitively articulate voice of the inmates and

00:13:34.260 - 00:13:50.950

excellent newspaper, constantly editorializing against the movies that portray prisons is populated only with thug types monitoring out of one side of their mouth. There's an inmate council to review problems and to pass suggestions on to the warden, no staff member is present. There are charity drives

00:13:50.950 - 00:14:06.790

to which of the response is always good. Yes SAn Quentin is a lot like any community of 4000 people but with certain distinct differences in this Bastille by the bay. The sky above is a big rectangle and never quite meets the horizon. In this city of

00:14:06.790 - 00:14:33.220

shadows, the mole hill is always a mountain little things become important. Anything that diverts the mind from the normal routine is a shaft of light. Recreation is such a light and it's mental therapy comes in many forms although it's always crowded. You still can find some

00:14:33.220 - 00:15:08.830

room for brokenhearted lovers to cry there in their room and baby baby baby. New ideas in correction are constantly being tried in California prisons. One of these is group counseling. Jim. You're a new member in this class. And what we say in this room is to

00:15:08.830 - 00:15:27.760

be treated confidentially. Do you understand that? Yeah. Look like, like I was saying none of us were pros. We're all a bunch of amateurs. There's got to be something else besides the money and all this jazz running around writing checks and stealing cars and that stuff.

00:15:28.740 - 00:15:46.500

Look at Jack. Well, I don't know. Okay, writing checks. That's money. Money's identity. You can buy it recognition. That's the word, recognition. Identity. Maybe it is recognition. But I could buy it and I couldn't get it unless I did buy it. The only way I could

00:15:46.510 - 00:16:02.320

buy it, spending money in the right places. That's the thing. That doesn't make any difference whether it's checks or cars or pistol like bob. You're a pistol man. How about that? Yeah, but he stares the same thing. How do you feel when you go in there

00:16:02.320 - 00:16:17.810

with that with that gun? Here's the gun you're holding 30. It didn't seem as a check. What are you getting out of it bob. What kind of a kick does it bring it? Well, it hasn't brought me a hell of a life strictly monetary thing. I

00:16:17.820 - 00:16:34.290

just just monetary authority was the authority just at the time that you held a gun on this man or was it after you got away and had the money to spend and maybe buy a car, spend some money on a woman do something. Oh you did

00:16:34.300 - 00:16:47.200

for living? Oh, I'm not buying that. I don't go for that at all. What do you mean a living? You can make a living 1000 different ways. What kind of work did you do outside of my body and fender work for? How long? Dark? Oh, about

00:16:47.210 - 00:16:59.680

a year. That pays pretty good. What do you need for money? You've got body and fender. What is it? 2.5 $33 an hour. That's what the that's what the board's gonna ask him and I understand he's going pretty soon, aren't you? All right? They're going to

00:16:59.680 - 00:17:08.050

say you're a body fender man. You make $3 and a quarter an hour and you had to go out and steal to make a living for your family. What are you gonna tell them? Why aren't you going to do it when you go out again? You're

00:17:08.050 - 00:17:24.650

only a year and a half over two years. I've gained quite a bit programs here. What have you gained? I know, you know the words, We all know the words to say it. What? You know this myself actually confidence, you've got confidence that you won't go

00:17:24.650 - 00:17:39.380

out and pick up a pistol. I know I won't how do you know you won't as in any phase of mental health, it's good for a man to get his problems out in the open. There seems to be power in the opinions of those in the

00:17:39.380 - 00:17:59.600

same situation as ourselves. Most inmates seem to respond well to the therapy of group counseling. But the prison staff must never forget. There is a hardcore minority who will never respond to help an unstable fringe who may erupt at any moment with animal like violence. The

00:17:59.600 - 00:18:18.310

correctional officer was once called a guard with current emphasis on correction rather than just confinement. His job becomes more and more important. The correctional officer is carefully selected and thoroughly trained. He's closely supervised in his handling of inmates. Let's meet the key administrative men at SAn

00:18:18.310 - 00:18:40.110

Quentin louis H. Nelson, Associate warden for custody, Benjamin F bear, associate warden for classification and treatment warden Harley Oh teats who has a total of 23 years in correctional work warden. Teats. How effective is the san Quentin treatment program? In changing a man's attitude toward crime,

00:18:40.940 - 00:19:00.190

it would be difficult to measure exactly the effectiveness of the treatment program of California prison unless we were able to follow each man released throughout the balance of his life. We do know however that approximately two of each three men released on parole successfully complete their

00:19:00.190 - 00:19:20.740

required time. We believe that our program of training and treatment would be worthwhile. Even though we succeeded in making only one man out of 100 a law abiding contributing member of society. We're using every means at our command to help persons like the subject here to

00:19:20.740 - 00:19:40.980

prepare themselves for such a useful life. It takes talent to do time. Well, weeks turn into months and months blur into years, 18 months later bob served his minimum time for a parole hearing. And this is the big day an interview with the adult authority. This

00:19:40.980 - 00:19:59.250

six man board is appointed by the governor for staggered terms. The adult authority has two basic jobs. One the setting of sentences under the indeterminate sentence law the second granting paroles. Where and when advisable. The present chairman of the adult authority is Fred Kinsley with 20

00:19:59.250 - 00:20:18.440

years in parole work. Er Vist W Lester was deputy chief of police in Los Angeles when he received his appointment, James D Tatty was chosen from the field of labor relations for the adult authority. C. J. Fitz Harris was associate warden at San Quentin and has

00:20:18.440 - 00:20:34.000

been in correction work for more than 20 years. Everette porter is a veteran criminal lawyer and clinton T. Duffy brings his years of experience as warden of san Quentin to the adult authority. These men traveled to all state prisons where they meet in panels of two

00:20:34.000 - 00:20:54.950

members to hear individual cases. Boy bob in your opinion. Did you attempt to solve your problems for robbery? I thought I was taking authority in my own hands at the time, sir? I felt that we were using a gun to solve my problems. I wouldn't be

00:20:55.070 - 00:21:09.840

losing face or pride would have been using the gun instead of a check or something else. I felt that I would be an authority there instead of like a check check case where you I'm going to pass the check and we have to wait for him

00:21:09.840 - 00:21:26.150

to bring you the money. The case of the gun. Why? He brings you the money and no problems. He has to do that. Well, bob, you haven't told us what your problems are? Why would you want to take a gun and take money away from people?

00:21:27.820 - 00:21:49.500

Well, at the time I thought I'd but our resources more or less. I didn't have any money. I lost my job. My wife wasn't working. So I give up the problem. There was more or less living. Wasn't there another way out? I suppose so soon. Yes.

00:21:49.820 - 00:22:09.110

I could probably found help from other social services out there, but I didn't go to them. I felt too much pride in myself to go there and I thought it would be lowering myself at that time to seek help from somewhere else bob. Do you think

00:22:09.110 - 00:22:28.620

you will have any problems at all when you're released from the institution this time, I don't believe I will, sir. No. You don't anticipate any. I don't think I could handle. Well now the inference is that you will have some problems. But you think you can

00:22:28.620 - 00:22:48.300

have what in your opinion, will be the most difficult problem that you will face in the work phase, possibly getting a job. But I think that that will be handled before I leave here in the process of working at the work that out. You said you

00:22:48.300 - 00:23:16.900

would be able to handle your problems in the free world. Tell us how you do this. Uh confidence in myself more than anything. I have attained that here in SAn Quentin since I've been here, the various institutions, institution, facilities made available to me. I've used quite

00:23:16.900 - 00:23:31.770

a bit of that. Will you be able to do it all by yourself. No, sir. I'm going to have quite a bit of help from home, my family and there's many people that will go out, go out and help me. The probing continues. These men use

00:23:31.770 - 00:23:46.490

their years of experience and training in criminology and human nature in trying to determine what changes might have taken place in the heart of a man he talks a good game? They have to decide if it's the real thing. A thorough review is made of his

00:23:46.490 - 00:24:10.960

progress Using material from four independent sources. Mhm. Is there anything else that you would like to say to us? No, sir. Not at this time. That'll be all then thank you, sir. What are your impressions of this young man Everette? Well, Clint, I feel that he

00:24:10.960 - 00:24:36.170

is well intentioned. This is indicated by his participation in the intensive treatment program here in the institution. It's also indicated by his work record and his attendance at school. There is some doubt in my mind, however, as to whether he understands what has caused him to

00:24:36.170 - 00:24:57.040

get into trouble from time to time. I don't believe he has sufficient insight into his his emotional instability. I'm a little bit uncomfortable on that score. What is your thinking? It's about the same way Everette. He is a young man, he's just 21 years old. He

00:24:57.050 - 00:25:17.890

is in here on the fairly serious crime, a crime of violence. One with a gun. He is attempting to get into the deep emotional conflicts that he witnessed and participated in on the outside. And I think that another year of this training and treatment here at

00:25:17.890 - 00:25:36.260

san Quentin will do him a whole lot of good. I suggest we see him again. I agree with you a year later bob comes before the adult authority again this time they feel he's ready to go out. As parole preparation concludes the parole officer reminds Bob

00:25:36.260 - 00:25:53.770

that he'll still be serving his time while on parole. He will report his progress to a parole office every 30 days. The officer will check on Bob's progress through visits to his home and work, there goes another one hitting the streets. Look at the way you

00:25:53.770 - 00:26:15.420

walk, cocky confidence. He thinks he's got it made well, hasn't he? Not yet. That long walk is only the beginning, man. I know I've been there. Yeah, sure. But times change. So do people. We're not that quick. He'll be back. He's got to do a couple

00:26:15.420 - 00:26:52.410

of more jokes before it gets too long. No man, you're talking 20 years ago. You're talking iron canes and jute mill dust. It ain't like that. Not anymore. It ain't a lot of them make it these days. Mm

00:26:52.410 - 00:27:12.850

hmm. Although it's always crowded. You still can find some room for brokenhearted lovers to cry that in their room. And there's so lonely baby. This the lonely baby.