prison as gang members unleash a blood thirsty attack. >> the thing that was so extraordinary is that the rifles didn't stop them. >> february 23rd, 2000, crescent city, california. deep behind the redwood curtain is pelican bay state prison, one of the country's highest security correctional facilities, a supermax prison, housing some of the most dangerous and violent criminals. teda boyle is a retired lieutenant from pelican bay. she was a watch commander on the day of the riot. >> the kind of people that were there were guilty of some of the most heinous crimes. murder, strong-armed robbery, rape. >> within the 275-acre penitentiary is the security housing unit known as the shoe. a prison within a prison. shoe inmates spend about 22 hours of every day in solitary confinement. locked up in an 8 x 10 windowless cement cell with little human contact.