inside the shoe are about 1,000 level-four prisoners, what boyle calls the worst of the worst. inmates that other wardens don t want or can t handle. dangerous gangs founded within the penal community. because of their gang leadership, they have the authority to authorize other people in the community to commit these types of crimes. and on that day two alleged gangs go to war. it s sunday, and it s raining. 200 shoe prisoners are released into b yard for exercise. boyle says that the entire prison is on edge dating back to a smaller racially charged riot six months earlier between two gangs, the southern hispanics and the black guerilla family. you could feel the tension. staff were particularly alert. and as it went on, the tension got more and more and more and more pronounced.
windowless cement cell with little human contact. inside the shoe are about 1,000 level-four prisoners, what boyle calls the worst of the worst. inmates that other wardens don t want or can t handle. dangerous gangs founded within the penal community. because of their gang leadership, they have the authority to authorize other people in the community to commit these types of crimes. and on that day two alleged gangs go to war. it s sunday, and it s raining. 200 shoe prisoners are released into b yard for exercise. boyle says that the entire prison is on edge dating back to a smaller racially charged riot six months earlier between two gangs, the southern hispanics and the black guerilla family. you could feel the tension. staff were particularly alert. as it went on, the tension got more and more and more pronounced. the pent-up tension finally erupts.
housing unit known as the shu, a prison within a prison. shu 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. inside the shu are about 1,000 level four prisoners, what boyle calls the worst of the worst. inmates that other wardens don t want or can t handle. dangerous gangs founded within the penal community. because of their gang leadership, they have the authority to authorize other people in the community or the prison to commit these types of crimes. and on that day, two alleged gangs go to war. it s sunday, and it s raining. 200 shu prisoners are released into b yard for exercise. boyle says that the entire prison is on edge dating back to a smaller racially charged riot six months earlier between two gangs, the southern hispanics and the black guerilla family.
level-four prisoners, what boyle calls the worst of the worst. inmates that other wardens don t want or can t handle. dangerous gangs founded within the penal community. because of their gang leadership, they have the authority to authorize other people in the community to commit these types of crimes. and on that day two alleged gangs go to war. it s sunday, and it s raining. 200 shoe prisoners are released into b yard for exercise. boyle says that the entire prison is on edge dating back to a smaller racially charged riot six months earlier between two gangs, the southern hispanics and the black guerilla family. you could feel the tension. staff were particularly alert. as it went on, the tension got more and more and more pronounced. the pent-up tension finally erupts.
february 23rd, 2000, crescent city, california. deep behind the redwood curtain is pelican bay state prison, one of the country s highest correctional security facilities, a super max 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. inside the shoe are about 1,000 level-four prisoners, what boyle calls the worst of the worst.