Lockdown: Behind Bars

California's prison system is home to some of the nation's most dangerous inmates. They are threats to other inmates, officers, and even themselves.

In prisons across the country, violence is a constant threat. Survival amidst all this bloodshed is a daily struggle for everyone including seasoned police officers.

In the prison system, criminal choices sometimes run in the family. A violent gang leader in California serves prison with her aunt. A pair of murderous twins faces prison time.

Behind bars, inmates must quickly learn new rules or face the consequences. A first timer must quickly navigate a world filled with predators and prey.

In prisons across the country, officers and inmates are constantly at odds with each other. New officers try to learn the ropes while maintaining control over prison gangs.

Drugs, alcohol and other illegal substances run rampant throughout prisons. In Arizona, a new inmate is pressured to join a contraband ring whereas officers plan a cell raid in California.

In prisons around the country, human connections can sometimes be the difference between life and death. In Maryland, an unlikely friendship forms between two inmates.

The inmates who have committed horrible crimes have an opportunity to change their ways. The prisoners face a dilemma of leading a clean life or a brazen life of crime they've always known.