Behind Bars

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Synopsis

Another chance to see the BAFTA award winning presenter travelling to northern California to visit America's notorious San Quentin State Prison.

Built in 1852, San Quentin is one of America's oldest prisons and suffers from chronic overcrowding. Although famous for its death row the prison's main task is to house a transient population of 3,000 murderers, sexual predators and small-time criminals.

Louis spends two weeks with these inmates and quickly discovers that they inhabit a strange world within a world with its own rules and its own brutal code of conduct.

He meets amongst others David Silva who is serving 521 years and 11 life sentences and is locked down for 23 hours a day. Silva's crimes as he describes them 'would never be forgotten' and he talks of how he faces up to the prospect of never leaving prison.

Louis meets Deborah and Rob a transgender couple who live like husband and wife and how Deborah feels that after 20 years of continual offending, San Quentin now feels like home.

Credits

Presenter

Louis Theroux

Director

Stuart Cabb

Producer

Stuart Cabb

Broadcasts

1. Sun 13 Jan 2008
   21:10
   BBC Two (England, Wales only)
2. Thu 24 Jan 2008
   23:20
   BBC Two (England, Northern Ireland only)
3. Thu 24 Jan 2008
   23:50
   BBC Two (Wales only)
4. Wed 13 Feb 2008
   01:45
   BBC One (except Scotland)
5. Sun 15 Jun 2008
   22:00
   BBC Two
6. Wed 17 Dec 2008
   23:20
   BBC Two (except Wales)
7. Wed 17 Dec 2008
   23:30
   BBC Two (Wales only)