5 Star pleasure. Thanks. Just "livin' the dream" at the time. We hung out at SQ for months and had over 60 hours of video to reduce to an hour and 30 minutes. On the job training.
@@rubydawn1 That is the way my dad rolls, everything he does in his life is that way. I’ve never known anyone else who tries such completely different endeavors, all interesting, all huge undertakings and they turn out wildly successful and appreciated, just like this. I’m very proud to say he is my dad. His motto is if it isn’t scary it’s not worth doing.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but people back then seemed to speak a lot more quietly, in measured tones. I almost find it soothing to listen to. Contrast that to the shrill, hyped-up barking on ads etc now.
I'm just old enough to know what you mean. Growing up in the mid 70s and 80s, my generation just barely got to experience some semblance of civility, especially in vocal tone and cadence as you mentioned.
1976 I was just starting high school. Getting ready to retire now. In 1977 went on a field trip to the Idaho State Pen. Definitely influenced my career choices.
@@tomweickmann6414 There are a few really old lifers who might well be there still. Crazy to think of a whole life ticking away in a place like that...
@@danny-li6io @Danny One of us appears to be confused... The Dour, Sour Pillsbury Doughboy, aka Newt Gingrich once described the PBS similarly to what you've just typed... But he was referring to the period before the late 1990's, you know like the PBS that many of us long for. (?????) "Leftist"?? There are automobile and jewelry ads on my local PBS affiliates nowadays!
The guy talking at 29:17 is Dale G. He is my Brother in law. He past away about two years ago. He worked in the Wardens office while he was in San Quentin. There were five brothers in that family, all their names started with a D. Four out of the five served time in one prison or another. The one that was closer to my age was Denis, him and I were buddies and did some traveling together. When he started crime again we went our separate ways. He went back to prison and stayed in for a long time. When he got out the last time I let him stay with me and his sister, my wife. He went back to college and got a degree in psychology and was doing pretty good but came down with cancer and died about a year ago. Today four out of the five brothers are dead. The only one that didn't go to prison was the youngest one. He lives about 40 miles from us and we see him off and on. They all lived a hard scrabble life and it took a toll on them.
This is a stunning piece of work. This is what a documentary is supposed to be. A document of a time and place, of real life, important issues, involving people and their experience. An experience many have strong opinions about but don't really know, understand, or could even conceive of on real actual personal level. No heavy handed voiceover, only sound and vision of the prison, the people incarcerated there and the people who keep them incarcerated. Both sides given the space and floor to speak in their own words about their own worlds. And rather than some absolute moral judgement slapped across every scene screaming about how the viewer should feel, about the convicts and their lives and criminal histories, about SQ and law enforcement, and criminal justice system in general. Instead left open for the viewer to make up their own mind, view and opinion, maybe even how they decide to use their vote. A piece of work that everyone involved should be proud to have made. Hopefully a new generation of documentarians and journalists learn from this and others like it. Thank you for uploading.
Thanks. We had no agenda going in. Spent a month or so there off and on. Editing was an adventure with so many ways it could have turned out. We had to get 60 hours down to 1:30.
Pretty sure all documentaries are of a time and place, with real people and real issues. Are the documentaries you usually watch animated and fictional? Those wouldn’t be documentaries bud… those were cartoons you were watching
@@bro-bh5kj yeah right, they were pretty violent in that prison everywhere... the point of the documentary is the story... documentaries now and most shows are for clicks, plays or a reaction.. storytelling is a lost art
👍🏻👍🏻, This was back when an overwhelming majority of investigative journalist actually did their job. They weren’t political activist, and private public relations personnel, working for a particular political party. Our medias broken in this country, and too many ppl are caught up, exactly where government/media (who are 1 in the same) need them, and that’s divided. None of this BS works, without a villain, and a hero. They need u too fear your neighbor, and depended upon our filthy rich politicians to save us!
@@Special_Tactics_Force_Unit If they can string a coherent sentence together at all. The current "commander in chief" can't even do that, for god's sake!
Yes, in these old documentaries, You can hear the education system of the old days even in the worst of these criminals just in the way they talk. You get alot more from these old documentaries.
Accept Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior and you will be saved. John 3:16 (share the good news of the gospel around the world!) Have a wonderful rest of your day/night everyone, may the LORD bless you all, and farewell! ,,,,.
Man those fella sure can sang!! I could sit and listen to them sing for days. That's straight from the heart and soul.....they could do so much and go so far with that gift they have!! Keep singing fellas.....mercy.
@@pedrocastro91226 just because it was in the 1970s doesn't automatically mean that they're dead now. some of them were probably in their 30s at that time so there's a pretty good chance that they're still alive
The best part of my childhood was when step dad was in the hole.. meant no visiting. Grew up every weekend at this dump.. I was thankful for the friends outside house we could stay at instead of going inside with my mom.. I saw the front gate at the beginning of this video and got a sick feeling in the bit of my stomach. 74-83.. @#$& SQ !
That's right here in Australia if you kill a kid. And are dumb enough to not go on protection, where all the scum are. Then the screws will turn there back so to speak . Why that kid killer gets dealt the same he dealt the kid
Yeah, after reading that I didn't want to hear anything his pos self had to say . People like him are the reason death sentences should be handed out and executed in the same day . All this twenty years on death row crap is pathetic , like Richard Ramirez for example died if old age before his execution as well as many others . The system is a joke , seriously a joke . After folks torture , torment and abuse their children victims after they are caught they are allowed to sit in a cell and sleep , wake up and enjoy the day for years and years when they are sentenced to death . Only to die of natural causes rather being fried or hanged like they truly deserve . It's beyond ridiculous that I cant even stand hearing it
Wow. I just realized that this documentary has Gregory Powell, who was one of "The Onion Field Killers" speaking. Thank you so much for uploading this movie!
Fuckin A. All I kept thinking when he was talking was goddam that’s a long neck. And in the Onion field book they describe him as having a long neck multiple times
@@johnd8755 Gregory Powell died in prison in 2012. I had some old cronies that did some time with him in San Quentin. Apparently, he was an avid tennis player and he would get mean if they wouldn't allow him to play tennis out on the yard (San Quentin has tennis courts). He was in good shape even in his later years. He was involved in two escape attempts in the late 60's, early 70's. But in the 2000's, when they started talking about a possible parole, he had become so institutionalized that he threatened that he would "make trouble" if they tried to parole him.
@@mrcoreynitro maybe, there are ppl falsely convicted all the time and as one of the COs said towards the end "every man in here's a convicted felon, but every man isnt a criminal" same applies now
I made a big mistake and paid the price being locked up. I will never put myself in position to be locked up again.....I learned my lesson it is NO JOKE being incarcerated.
Yep no matter what state your in either I know prisons in California are no joke but SC it str8 madness I wish ppl shed more light in how fucked up it is here..
@@merkcityboy834 I was locked up in Wayne county jail( Detroit) for 11 months before I went to prison in Michigan for 2 years. My experience was that the county jail in Detroit was far more f'ed up than prison. The whole experience was horrid...I learned my lesson. Been flying straight for 10 years no alcohol or drugs.
A person has to have been inside to know what it is . You are right ... No joke . After being in 3 prisons in 2 states and multiple jails I finally matured enough to stop the madness in my mind .
@@josephchristopher5209 Your very correct. It took me 20 years, jobs, relationships, tons of money and finally incarceration to learn to change my ways. It's a good feeling not having to worry about cops and always looking over my shoulder now. Have been sober for almost 10 years and clear of any legal issues for 7 years. Hope the same for you sir👍
During the 1970s I was a keyboard player in a band based in California, and we were booked by the Hell's Angels to do a concert in San Quentin. San Quentin officials issued us a series of disclaimers including one that would absolve San Quentin of all responsibility should we be caught in the crossfire should an incident occur that required a response involving the use of firearms. It's quite conceivable that one or some of the men in this documentary were at that concert. That's quite a thought.
There are some well known and infamous prisoners in this archived 70's video. Some of these included here are Greg Ulas Powell, who was a well known cop killer that James Woods portrayed in the film called The Onion Field. Roger Dale Smith, better known as "Pin Cushion Smith" (because he was stabbed over 100 times during his long prison stints), who was also well known for his relationship in prison to Charles Manson. Garlan Barry, who was killed in San Quentin by Barry Mills, who would go on to become the national leader of the Aryan Brotherhood. Popeye Jackson, a prominent figure in the left wing Black communist movements popular in San Francisco at the time who was shot to death along with White school teacher and friend Sally Voye (who also died) on the streets in San Francisco in 1975. The killing of Popeye Jackson and Sally Voye to this day has never been solved, and had varying speculations ranging from that they were killed by police for their Marxist activity, to that they were killed by rival communist groups who killed him for being a police informer.
Even the prisoners back in the day have more substance and intellect than the fools we see on the streets. We have regressed and continue exponentially
We have regressed. Just about the time this was made things started to change for the worse. It's funny that most of these prisoners are much better spoke than 95 percent of guys in today, regardless of color. The more we've focused on education the last 40 years are underclass are much worse.
So true and so frightening. A lot of these prisoners used to read to get by but now a lot of people from poor neighbourhoods never bothered to learn to read and just watch videos that are easily available. Even modern day rap is straight garbage that doesn't teach anything apart from telling kids that drug dealing and being in a gang is what will make people respect you. It's gotten way out of hand but no one cares.
I spent three weeks in Q back in the day. 1973 I was moved to DVI (gladiator school) for the next 2 1/2 years and then released. I stayed out 10 years. Went back for 2 years and got out for good. It was all related to drug use. 5 times I was pinched for possession of narcotics. No other crimes involved, except for 2 minor petty thefts. I spent 4 1/2 years total for simply possessing something that the state deemed 'criminal'. In case you haven't guessed, I am a Libertarian. I believe all drugs should be legal.
Hey Bro, I feel you. Was your first crime a drug offense. My brother started his prison career at CYA in 68 at age 11, had a B number and went to DVI in 1975. He was a violent offender. At that time they sent violent YA babies to the Q and DVI. Just asking. Hope you are doing good these days.
It really pisses me off to hear the ones that are in prison for murder or child abuse complain about their living situation. They're lucky to be alive and if it was up to me they'd be housed in a 2 by 4 dog house. Big Babies!!!
Analog vs digital is the difference. It’s not that everyone spoke different… the recording devices had limited frames per second and audio limitations as well.
I could've sat & listened to those guys sing for hours.....they were so good!! It's amazing that something so beautiful & inspirational could come outta such a sad & vicious place. Idk if any of those guys are still alive, but I'd like to think that they finally did get released & went on to lead a good life. Sadly, that's probably not the case in most instances, but I'd like to believe that. What talent those guys have!!
Accept Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior and you will be saved. John 3:16 (share the good news of the gospel around the world!) Have a wonderful rest of your day/night everyone, may the LORD bless you all, and farewell! ,,.
I know an individual sitting on death row in San Quentin, a serial killer name Jerald Parker. I had known the individual for years and honestly didn't know he was a serial killer until DNA advanced to the point where it finally revealed who exactly what this individual was during the mid 90's.
Im subbed to a couple of prison genre channels. Ive noticed people that have been in call people an individual. Is that a prison thing? Im not being rude. Just thought id ask. TY
It was designed to be watched from a CRT screen, not a high definition one. You can't put todays viewing standards on something that was made almost 50 years ago! No one back then thought of resolution or bit rate. In fact the only concern people would of had back then was if the TV had colour or not.
@@BAGofTALENT It ACTUALLY looked better back then due to the type of display CRT. If you play old 8 bit Nintendo games on a modern HD display the game actually looks worse today than it did on an old television in the 80's. That's why many re-releases of classic games have options for filters to mimic old televisions.
And this was great quality.Our TV Reception in Australia in the 70s was very ordinary and we only had color T.V in 1975!!! AndColor T.V s cost best part of $1,000 back in 75,check it out!! Technology was super expensive,stereos cost many hundreds of dollars too. Cars were about $4,000 so buying a TV was like paying $10,000 today,no sh.t
I've done time, I find something so interesting in these old prisons, the singing, they are well spoken, the respect, very hard to find that in prison these days... Just a bunch of ignorance and attention seeking behavior. Thank you for posting this, amazing documentary...
AND HE WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT NOT TOUCHING HIS SON FOR OVER A YEAR....WHAT A DISGUSTING HUMAN....how the FU** do you think the parents of that 5 year old girl feel? Sickening
badger was here, as well as the baron, Kato Vargas, mike mulhern, doc holliday, mundo, boxer, alfie sosa, crazy horse...so many other guys in that life of attrition. its wild to imagine them as young men, walking the galleries...good men and bad, all together in the mix, coexisting and not. diverse and scary lives. so compelling, and also the worlds greatest cautionary tale.
Don't forget Mitch Smiley who has "HARD INTENTIONS" YT channel. He did 40 yrs from 70s to a couple yrs ago. If you haven't seen his channel you def wanna check it out.
@@littlea5111 he may have been. i think he was at corcoran in the 80s. one interesting thing though. the guy talking about anectine is [was, r.i.p] roger dale smith, aka pincushion, who acted as charles' secretary.
Fascinating!! Thought it was interesting when the guy who killed the CHP Officer complained about being on death row , saying that “I don’t believe anyone has a right to take a life.” Well , you did & apparently, it was premeditated & not an accident etc ....
Good guess but no. It's Gene Myrick who shot a CHP officer in 1969. Many years later that officer's son was stabbed to death while saving a young woman from a vicious street mugger. True story.
Well the first guy Gregory Powell that was talkin kidnapped two police officers and shot one and was sentenced to death row but then four years later California determined that death row was unconstitutional but the first guy yeah he's a piece of s***
This is an excellent documentary, exactly how it was in the 70s when I was there, hope a film maker will make an updated version, interviewing the new staff in the same position here, and of course us clowns(cons).
All these prisoners were so much more articulate and intelligent sounding back then. That's incredible to me the difference in the clownhats we see in there today. Thats just amazing to me.
Also gotta think how many ppl got put away for 15 plus yrs just foe having weed in there pocket and now u can go to almost any corner and buy it in all kinds of forms smh.
The inmate talking about Anectine is Roger Dale "Pincushion" Smith. A very dangerous and the most stabbed inmate at that time in the California prison system. Prison friend of Charles Manson since their Death Row days. He was in the Protective Housing Unit with Manson in the 1990's. Pincushion died of cancer in prison in 2003.
Because he was a troublemaker and a rabble rouser who everyone hated and wanted to kill. He was also a bisexual booty bandit. And he had the reputation of being a snitch. He is the most stabbed inmate in California history. One time being stabbed 80 something times by three inmates because he made a remark to a high ranking Mexican mafia member that he did not like.
I remember my pastor reading letters from an ex church member ( Mar) who would ask for prayers because he was sentenced to life in prison for making bad decisions. The Pastor read of how when riots between rival groups would go down, Mar, was forced to take a side or else. Hell on earth is how he put it.
The prisoner was not the pastor; he was formerly a member of their church and the pastor was the one who read his (Mar, the former member) letters to the congregation.
Thank you VERY much for sharing this. GREAT WORK!. You got inside. Deep access. That wasn't easy. Kudos. Damn. San Quentin in the 60's. A jungle. I used to do some work in big prisons trying to teach guys who'd been down for a while how to not come back. I could relate to this. There's prisons within prisons. This is a good opportunity for people to see some reality. So kids? Don't go to prison. You're welcome.
The opposite is true, 6 corporations run 90% of the media in the US. They all push the same globalist agenda as do our schooling institutions that teach black is white, don't question authority, regurgitate marxist propaganda to pass. Consequently journalism is dead. Censorship of real journalist's work on the occult, martyrs, and political black mail is rampant. What we the people are left with is largely garbage that the cultural engineers want us to consume in the hopes we adopt the mentality of the lowest common denominator. An uneducated, uninformed, complainant individual is easier to control. They manufacture this today better than ever.
@@dantesanford7065 yeah the quality of old cellphone videos doesnt convert over time to newer devices.. i have videos from 08 that look like it was filmed on a toaster, sucks cause at the time it was clear footage
That because it cost a lot of $ for a camera and film then, also the time to film then edit it together. A lot of labor compared to today's point and click
This is what a documentary is supposed to be. Seriously. A documentary is supposed to live up to its name and "document" the subject, not present an agenda. The audience is supposed to learn from the documentary, but make their own conclusions and develop their own opinions on the topic. Nowadays, the world is awash in fake documentaries that have a political agenda and a limited, skewed POV that is meant to advance that agenda at the expense of truth. I blame Michael Moore's political screeds as distorting the public's idea of what a documentary is supposed to be. For the last generation who grew up with nothing but these "fake" documentaries, they idea of what a documentary is would quote different from mine, as I learned in my college FILM classes back in the 80's.
Your interview with "Pincushion" Smith is amazing. According to Edward Bunker, Smith was a true prison legend. Stabbed more than any other man, hence the nickname. Everybody hated him but nobody could kill him. Even the Aryan Brotherhood became tired of trying. "Pincushion" became close friend with Charles Manson and acted as the cult leaders selfdescribed press secretary. Amazing footage.
That was Jack's contribution. He knew of Roger. I wanted Greg Powell and others. Just neophytes going into a situation that we didn't really research or know about. We had amazing access and no one paid us much attention until we sold a "stabbing video" to CBS. On hindsight, I know that the access was more important than our 5 mins of fame.
If I got it right you were inside SQ filming late 1974. Popey Jackson was killed in 1975 and Garland Berry in 1977. When did you make the video we see here?
That sounds about right. I just posted the video for posterity. I wasn't expecting this much reaction. One of the problems with not having a plan, when I went in, is hours of video to edit. Many different views, as you can imagine, of what to leave in or take out.
I wish you would make another video. SQ, prison gangs etc. are a hobby of mine and I was startled to see Pincushion and BGF's Garland Berry. The latter was killed by the infamous Berry Mills from Aryan Brotherhood.
I was at San Quentin early 90s as an inmate I worked as a porter in East Block hole overflow and death row...After being out for years and seeing it in this video...Just made me feel so grateful to be where im at in life now
Ummm Wow. Thank you for posting. This was very fascinating to watch based on the time period it was filmed/documented (70’s). Was educational but also not the easiest to watch. I appreciated the rawness and inmate interviews.
That group is awesome it that lead singer has a serious voice...sad to see some that missed their calling but without a chance some never see their calling...sad their there because of choices.
I hired paolees for my business back in the day. One guy told me how he got off the bus at San Quentin to discover his father whom he hadn't seen in years. The lucky pair got to be cellies.
@@BroDude0 i feel like punching today's people in the face...such an annoying culture peole back than spoke much better because they went through. More shit..nothing better than experience.
Jesus Christ those picture's of the stabbed up victims with demented satanic gospel like music playing was creepy a.f. but i love these old documentaries. People we're so much more deeper mature back than yet much more darker and intense.
The paralytic drug described is never to be used without anesthetic. I think this is the same experience Gary Gilmore described in Executioner's Song. Prisons are notorious for experimenting on prisoners with all sorts of medications under the auspices of medical/academic professionals. The book Sentenced to Science covers informed (but misunderstood) consent given by prisoners.
Imagine that was the style and idea to give drugs to prisoners. Getting the consent? Lab rats and brain washers. In the end it just made that dude even more pissed off.
Man The Brothers at Da end singing....WOWH!! If they had only meet up on the outside...no doubt they would have a successful group. The lead singer has that MEMPHIS STAX Sound. Dem Brothers got Down. Dig???
And he used the hot radiator to make grilled cheese sandwiches 🥪 And he compromised: He wanted a women but he had to settle for jacking off into a Kleenex. Yes....it’s all about compromise!! Phil Leotardo
Anybody else notice how quite it is in that prison???? You watch any prison documentary nowadays,......you can't hear yourself think. Things have really changed in the D.O.C.. Jeez Lueeez.
It surprises me that every one of these guys remain calm while verbally expressing themselves. They don't over-use large words or anything. They all speak as if they're all very well read. I can't help but wonder if it is because they do a lot of reading while locked up that contributes to this.
Camera man usually looks for a personality to interview. They don’t want to interview someone not that bright. There are some crazy intelligent people in prison nonetheless.
Yes, they sure can! Their soul power completely dwarfs and triumphs over the soulless tools and robots who work for the penal system, and federal and state-level bureaucrats in general.
This really is the best prison video that I have ever seen!!! I'm at the part now is where talking that drug made him feel like he dying! Geez he is being so honest 💝😢🤣😭😂 thank you whoever made this
Gregory Ulas Powell, the well-spoken guy towards the beginning, kidnapped two LAPD cops and executed one in an onion field near Bakersfield, CA. Around the time that this was filmed, a book written about that event was being made into a movie.
The onion field killer(s). Was with the last one alive in 00/01 at Avenal SP. He ended up dieing on the yard due to medical personnel changing his heart medication. He was down for 38 years.
I’m impressed that one can try to take a turd and try to polish it, these killers will never change. They need to be together, prison is a self cleaning oven.
WTF - I had no idea people could get indeterminant sentences. Go to prison and we'll let you out when we feel like it? That's some expert level, well thought out, cruelty.
Gregory Powell is infamous in the Onion Field Killing. He and his accomplice kidnapped 2 police officers and killed one of them in an abandoned onion field.....James Woods played Powell in the movie version.
I am proud to say my dad made this documentary back in the day. It withstands the test of time! Way to go dad!
its an amazing documentary.
5 Star pleasure. Thanks. Just "livin' the dream" at the time. We hung out at SQ for months and had over 60 hours of video to reduce to an hour and 30 minutes. On the job training.
thought it was so well put together really enjoyed it he was ahead of his time.
@@rubydawn1 That is the way my dad rolls, everything he does in his life is that way. I’ve never known anyone else who tries such completely different endeavors, all interesting, all huge undertakings and they turn out wildly successful and appreciated, just like this. I’m very proud to say he is my dad. His motto is if it isn’t scary it’s not worth doing.
Nice job, Pep Pep!
When I get depressed I visit this video to show me it could be a lot worse.Excellent upload.
It's no longer like this in any cali prisons....its still dangerous...however it's a bunch of rats and pussys ass dropouts that go to the SNY YARDS.
Hello from Australia mate keep ya chin up bro
dude when you get depressed? DO SOMETHING POSITIVE!!!
don't watch this bummer trip again!! DUH!
On erytang
@@Mr.SpongeGlockAK47Pants heo yea
Correct me if I'm wrong, but people back then seemed to speak a lot more quietly, in measured tones. I almost find it soothing to listen to. Contrast that to the shrill, hyped-up barking on ads etc now.
I'm just old enough to know what you mean. Growing up in the mid 70s and 80s, my generation just barely got to experience some semblance of civility, especially in vocal tone and cadence as you mentioned.
@@seconds-kr5uj I have to agree now days all you is barking all talk and it's a trend not only black ppl but all race is now ignorant and ranting
It's basically because life was better back then. ):
Yeah I agree with you
Totally agree
Imagine being there when this was being recorded and still being there to this day 🤯
1976 I was just starting high school.
Getting ready to retire now.
In 1977 went on a field trip to the Idaho State Pen. Definitely influenced my career choices.
@@tomweickmann6414 There are a few really old lifers who might well be there still. Crazy to think of a whole life ticking away in a place like that...
I said the same thing until someone pointed out this was filmed 50 years ago, so most are probably deceased by now
That's what I was thinking bro
@@ptrekboxbreaks5198 I’m sure there’s a few 68. 69, 70 year olds in there. 18 is when they start sending offenders to prison.
One of best attributes of PBS in the 70's and 80's were the independently produced films and documentaries.
Indeed.
Fucking right!!!!
You mean as opposed to the leftist, state run media/ministry of propaganda films they show today? 😂
@@danny-li6io @Danny
One of us appears to be confused...
The Dour, Sour Pillsbury Doughboy, aka Newt Gingrich once described the PBS similarly to what you've just typed...
But he was referring to the period before the late 1990's, you know like the PBS that many of us long for. (?????)
"Leftist"?? There are automobile and jewelry ads on my local PBS affiliates nowadays!
@@danny-li6io Um... danny you do realize most of your rightwing brethren consider PBS "leftist"? They're watching Fox not PBS documentaries.
I just realized how much I really love my small apartment.
Me 2
I rather be homeless in the street eating from the garbage cans. At least I'm free.
Same
Bop bop boop bop
Difference is u get to get up and get out when u want, not when your told.
Having pets and a cat probably makes the time 1000x easier. Any type of affection and something to care for they can get does wonders.
Oh honey you look like a really nice fella hang tough pal and pet that pussycat. GOD BLESS. Philadelphia USA
@@MorganNGoodman lol its a freeze frame of Bruce Campbell from the Evil Dead movies
I love my dog
@@kazrules2007 good question? Probably donations though I'm guessing
There's a lot of good people in the world, if you can't find one......be one
OG Badger Heavy Hitters channel.
@@donuttime2507 Dude, it's a positive message and it's very true. Why the negativity? Does it offend you? If so, then why?
Good stuff man. Keep it positive
@@ajcristo4679 That would be awesome
@@donuttime2507 Not a problem
The guy talking at 29:17 is Dale G. He is my Brother in law. He past away about two years ago. He worked in the Wardens office while he was in San Quentin. There were five brothers in that family, all their names started with a D. Four out of the five served time in one prison or another. The one that was closer to my age was Denis, him and I were buddies and did some traveling together. When he started crime again we went our separate ways. He went back to prison and stayed in for a long time. When he got out the last time I let him stay with me and his sister, my wife. He went back to college and got a degree in psychology and was doing pretty good but came down with cancer and died about a year ago. Today four out of the five brothers are dead. The only one that didn't go to prison was the youngest one. He lives about 40 miles from us and we see him off and on. They all lived a hard scrabble life and it took a toll on them.
Ray I can only imagine the effects that it had on your wife bless both of you
Thank you, kind of you to say.
He seems camp ?
What do you mean he seems camp?
@@Charlieboy2680 he sounds very effeminate.
This is a stunning piece of work. This is what a documentary is supposed to be. A document of a time and place, of real life, important issues, involving people and their experience. An experience many have strong opinions about but don't really know, understand, or could even conceive of on real actual personal level.
No heavy handed voiceover, only sound and vision of the prison, the people incarcerated there and the people who keep them incarcerated. Both sides given the space and floor to speak in their own words about their own worlds.
And rather than some absolute moral judgement slapped across every scene screaming about how the viewer should feel, about the convicts and their lives and criminal histories, about SQ and law enforcement, and criminal justice system in general. Instead left open for the viewer to make up their own mind, view and opinion, maybe even how they decide to use their vote.
A piece of work that everyone involved should be proud to have made. Hopefully a new generation of documentarians and journalists learn from this and others like it. Thank you for uploading.
Thanks. We had no agenda going in. Spent a month or so there off and on. Editing was an adventure with so many ways it could have turned out. We had to get 60 hours down to 1:30.
Beautifully said!!!
Pretty sure all documentaries are of a time and place, with real people and real issues. Are the documentaries you usually watch animated and fictional? Those wouldn’t be documentaries bud… those were cartoons you were watching
This is so much more thoughtful and incisive than the shock/drama freakshow like productions Natgeo, the History channel or Netlflix churn out.
Haha you got that right man!
They hand picked the wussy type's for this it was the wussy old days
@@bro-bh5kj yeah right, they were pretty violent in that prison everywhere... the point of the documentary is the story... documentaries now and most shows are for clicks, plays or a reaction.. storytelling is a lost art
@@johnnycivello362 Seems independent media is usually the true benchmark.
Not really
👍🏻👍🏻, This was back when an overwhelming majority of investigative journalist actually did their job. They weren’t political activist, and private public relations personnel, working for a particular political party. Our medias broken in this country, and too many ppl are caught up, exactly where government/media (who are 1 in the same) need them, and that’s divided. None of this BS works, without a villain, and a hero. They need u too fear your neighbor, and depended upon our filthy rich politicians to save us!
The media are absolutely toxic, bought and paid for by politicians. Journalism is dead.
great comment
Absolute truth!! 👍
The good old days....and I’m only 40. Never again will you see investigative journalism like this.
Fox and cnn. All the same.
It's amazing to me how well-spoken and articulate prison inmates were back then compared to now.
That's everyone. Everyone talks like a fucking troglodyte now
@@Special_Tactics_Force_Unit If they can string a coherent sentence together at all. The current "commander in chief" can't even do that, for god's sake!
I agree...
It also makes my BUTTHOLE wet
@@brettbanta2100 ⬆️ dumbest most ignorant comment ever. Stay in your bedroom playing magic the gathering you fu%$in virgin.
@@JerzredCBS Must've struck a cord you fucking imbecile ( look that up if you don't know what that means...)
As an ex prison guard in ca, this is one of the best documentaries ever filmed about the ca prison system.
Thanks!
The singers voices give me the shivers. Wow! That is what I call deep heart feeling ole school gospel singing.
I like these older documentaries. 🤜🏼🤛🏼
Me too
With you on that..
Yes, in these old documentaries, You can hear the education system of the old days even in the worst of these criminals just in the way they talk. You get alot more from these old documentaries.
Generation gets sorrier and sorrier.
Accept Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior and you will be saved. John 3:16 (share the good news of the gospel around the world!) Have a wonderful rest of your day/night everyone, may the LORD bless you all, and farewell!
,,,,.
Man those fella sure can sang!! I could sit and listen to them sing for days. That's straight from the heart and soul.....they could do so much and go so far with that gift they have!! Keep singing fellas.....mercy.
They are dead now, the film is from the 1970s
@@pedrocastro91226 just because it was in the 1970s doesn't automatically mean that they're dead now. some of them were probably in their 30s at that time so there's a pretty good chance that they're still alive
Good go to prison then
@@dask1516 lmao
Yowza dem sum good sangers ri chair! Really clown?
The best part of my childhood was when step dad was in the hole.. meant no visiting. Grew up every weekend at this dump.. I was thankful for the friends outside house we could stay at instead of going inside with my mom.. I saw the front gate at the beginning of this video and got a sick feeling in the bit of my stomach. 74-83.. @#$& SQ !
I feel your pain. That gate is an imposing
My friend has same chil6feelings about Sing Sing
I get u x
What was he in for?
Sorry brother.
Wow. That was one of the best docs I seen on prison. Raw. Real. Chilling. Great work. 👍
Really made me sick hearing the guy whine about not touching his son for over a year when hes in there for KILLING A 5 YEAR OLD GIRL!!
They didn't get to San Quinntin for stealing candy bar
That's right here in Australia if you kill a kid. And are dumb enough to not go on protection, where all the scum are. Then the screws will turn there back so to speak . Why that kid killer gets dealt the same he dealt the kid
Yeah, after reading that I didn't want to hear anything his pos self had to say . People like him are the reason death sentences should be handed out and executed in the same day . All this twenty years on death row crap is pathetic , like Richard Ramirez for example died if old age before his execution as well as many others . The system is a joke , seriously a joke . After folks torture , torment and abuse their children victims after they are caught they are allowed to sit in a cell and sleep , wake up and enjoy the day for years and years when they are sentenced to death . Only to die of natural causes rather being fried or hanged like they truly deserve . It's beyond ridiculous that I cant even stand hearing it
Wow. I just realized that this documentary has Gregory Powell, who was one of "The Onion Field Killers" speaking. Thank you so much for uploading this movie!
Fuckin A. All I kept thinking when he was talking was goddam that’s a long neck. And in the Onion field book they describe him as having a long neck multiple times
@@johnd8755 Gregory Powell died in prison in 2012. I had some old cronies that did some time with him in San Quentin. Apparently, he was an avid tennis player and he would get mean if they wouldn't allow him to play tennis out on the yard (San Quentin has tennis courts). He was in good shape even in his later years. He was involved in two escape attempts in the late 60's, early 70's. But in the 2000's, when they started talking about a possible parole, he had become so institutionalized that he threatened that he would "make trouble" if they tried to parole him.
I had to look him up
Cool
Thank you for this incredible opportunity to see history of prisons.
The world of prison is no joke! Cherish your freedom always and never take it for granted as well!
i know i cant be free i let that lonsome wistle blow my
They committed crime they're where they belong.
@@mrcoreynitro did the crime, now they’re doing the time.
@@mrcoreynitro maybe, there are ppl falsely convicted all the time and as one of the COs said towards the end "every man in here's a convicted felon, but every man isnt a criminal" same applies now
@@kristiskinner8542
Happens…but it’s rare. Don’t believe the BS that it “happens all the time.”
I made a big mistake and paid the price being locked up. I will never put myself in position to be locked up again.....I learned my lesson it is NO JOKE being incarcerated.
Helpful u doing better for yourslf🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂
Yep no matter what state your in either I know prisons in California are no joke but SC it str8 madness I wish ppl shed more light in how fucked up it is here..
@@merkcityboy834 I was locked up in Wayne county jail( Detroit) for 11 months before I went to prison in Michigan for 2 years. My experience was that the county jail in Detroit was far more f'ed up than prison. The whole experience was horrid...I learned my lesson. Been flying straight for 10 years no alcohol or drugs.
A person has to have been inside to know what it is . You are right ... No joke . After being in 3 prisons in 2 states and multiple jails I finally matured enough to stop the madness in my mind .
@@josephchristopher5209 Your very correct. It took me 20 years, jobs, relationships, tons of money and finally incarceration to learn to change my ways. It's a good feeling not having to worry about cops and always looking over my shoulder now. Have been sober for almost 10 years and clear of any legal issues for 7 years. Hope the same for you sir👍
During the 1970s I was a keyboard player in a band based in California, and we were booked by the Hell's Angels to do a concert in San Quentin. San Quentin officials issued us a series of disclaimers including one that would absolve San Quentin of all responsibility should we be caught in the crossfire should an incident occur that required a response involving the use of firearms. It's quite conceivable that one or some of the men in this documentary were at that concert. That's quite a thought.
What was the name of the band?
Frankie Miller Band
Did y'all play jailhouse rock?! Haha
@@davidperez5089 Hehe!!
@@weavethehawk nowadays the tune in question would be-prison sex by Tool hahahaha however it might hit some ugly chords with prisoners!
There are some well known and infamous prisoners in this archived 70's video. Some of these included here are Greg Ulas Powell, who was a well known cop killer that James Woods portrayed in the film called The Onion Field. Roger Dale Smith, better known as "Pin Cushion Smith" (because he was stabbed over 100 times during his long prison stints), who was also well known for his relationship in prison to Charles Manson. Garlan Barry, who was killed in San Quentin by Barry Mills, who would go on to become the national leader of the Aryan Brotherhood. Popeye Jackson, a prominent figure in the left wing Black communist movements popular in San Francisco at the time who was shot to death along with White school teacher and friend Sally Voye (who also died) on the streets in San Francisco in 1975. The killing of Popeye Jackson and Sally Voye to this day has never been solved, and had varying speculations ranging from that they were killed by police for their Marxist activity, to that they were killed by rival communist groups who killed him for being a police informer.
Do you have a timestamp on pin cushion?
Definitely some major players here. Thanks for this.
Super interesting
@@timeghost82 1:01:00 Greg Ulas Powell the cop killer
@@timeghost82 15:08 talking about the medication he was given and 1:09:45 talking about attempts at his life, killing 7 people by age 27
Right you that's plenty
Even the prisoners back in the day have more substance and intellect than the fools we see on the streets. We have regressed and continue exponentially
We have regressed. Just about the time this was made things started to change for the worse. It's funny that most of these prisoners are much better spoke than 95 percent of guys in today, regardless of color. The more we've focused on education the last 40 years are underclass are much worse.
So true and so frightening. A lot of these prisoners used to read to get by but now a lot of people from poor neighbourhoods never bothered to learn to read and just watch videos that are easily available. Even modern day rap is straight garbage that doesn't teach anything apart from telling kids that drug dealing and being in a gang is what will make people respect you.
It's gotten way out of hand but no one cares.
Not true they are a bunch of felons that think they have everything figured out.
@@50centgotshot9times I care.
Not we speak for yourself
I spent three weeks in Q back in the day. 1973 I was moved to DVI (gladiator school) for the next 2 1/2 years and then released. I stayed out 10 years. Went back for 2 years and got out for good. It was all related to drug use. 5 times I was pinched for possession of narcotics. No other crimes involved, except for 2 minor petty thefts. I spent 4 1/2 years total for simply possessing something that the state deemed 'criminal'. In case you haven't guessed, I am a Libertarian. I believe all drugs should be legal.
Hey Bro, I feel you. Was your first crime a drug offense. My brother started his prison career at CYA in 68 at age 11, had a B number and went to DVI in 1975. He was a violent offender. At that time they sent violent YA babies to the Q and DVI. Just asking. Hope you are doing good these days.
Love from Scotland bro 💙 🏴 keep up the good work ok 👍
I just realized how much i love my sleeping bag and cheap malt liquor as long as I'm a Free bird....
It really pisses me off to hear the ones that are in prison for murder or child abuse complain about their living situation. They're lucky to be alive and if it was up to me they'd be housed in a 2 by 4 dog house. Big Babies!!!
Agree with you 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮
This is first class, by any standards.
Anictine sounds like a violation of the hippocratic oath. Do no harm
I wish they did documentaries like this now....this is 100 times better than National Geographic with their dramatic voice overs and music
Still better than any episode of Lockup!!
Definitely. None of the sensationalism..no scripted "formula"
Those are some great singers. I could listen to them all day.
Thought the same.
Singin ragtime!
Agree. Those guys sounded great! I wish there was an extended clip of their songs
All you have to do is get yourself booked in to Saint Quentin and your dream comes true!🤷🏽♂️
@@danielgonzales5502 😂
Everyone spoke differently back then...I can't explain it but I like it more.
Analog vs digital is the difference. It’s not that everyone spoke different… the recording devices had limited frames per second and audio limitations as well.
That is beautiful spirited singing.
I could've sat & listened to those guys sing for hours.....they were so good!! It's amazing that something so beautiful & inspirational could come outta such a sad & vicious place. Idk if any of those guys are still alive, but I'd like to think that they finally did get released & went on to lead a good life. Sadly, that's probably not the case in most instances, but I'd like to believe that. What talent those guys have!!
A great piece of history
50.00
The world over the years has change but San Quentin will always be the same with violence and dark times within the walls........
Accept Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior and you will be saved. John 3:16 (share the good news of the gospel around the world!) Have a wonderful rest of your day/night everyone, may the LORD bless you all, and farewell!
,,.
@@1CT1 Thank you, Ellis. May God bless you for standing up for Him.
I know an individual sitting on death row in San Quentin, a serial killer name Jerald Parker. I had known the individual for years and honestly didn't know he was a serial killer until DNA advanced to the point where it finally revealed who exactly what this individual was during the mid 90's.
Im subbed to a couple of prison genre channels. Ive noticed people that have been in call people an individual. Is that a prison thing? Im not being rude. Just thought id ask. TY
it's hard to believe that watching things in this quality of video used to be a normal thing .
It hurts my eyes.
It was designed to be watched from a CRT screen, not a high definition one. You can't put todays viewing standards on something that was made almost 50 years ago! No one back then thought of resolution or bit rate. In fact the only concern people would of had back then was if the TV had colour or not.
@@jonwayne70 that's the exact point I am making, I'm not saying it should of been better I'm pointing out that this was normal back then
@@BAGofTALENT
It ACTUALLY looked better back then due to the type of display CRT. If you play old 8 bit Nintendo games on a modern HD display the game actually looks worse today than it did on an old television in the 80's. That's why many re-releases of classic games have options for filters to mimic old televisions.
And this was great quality.Our TV Reception in Australia in the 70s was very ordinary and we only had color T.V in 1975!!! AndColor T.V s cost best part of $1,000 back in 75,check it out!! Technology was super expensive,stereos cost many hundreds of dollars too.
Cars were about $4,000 so buying a TV was like paying $10,000 today,no sh.t
I've done time, I find something so interesting in these old prisons, the singing, they are well spoken, the respect, very hard to find that in prison these days... Just a bunch of ignorance and attention seeking behavior.
Thank you for posting this, amazing documentary...
To hear comments about how antiquated the facility was in the late 70s, only to know it's still up and running in 2023, is beyond dumbfounding.
This is very close to the real experience, which can not be told, only experienced.
Damn that's deep..
No thanks
its amazing to see how much hasn't changed. The same problems you hear in modern prison documentaries are echoed here.
actually these are echoed in today's joint but this era of doin time is absolutely different and Petty. not a lot of real Convicts anylonger.
Would be interesting to see them do this again during the present time, I spent a bit of time there in East Block ( the hole ) over 20 years ago.
I think it would break our hearts. I wonder what how the brains of prisoners of today have become even more deteriorated.
@@dalpaengi I doubt there is any convicts left, just inmates
I hope you were a good boy lol
@@nicolaking1205 😂 yeah that’s where they put the good boys
@@corpsefather7914 lol as long as lessons have been learned, that's the point 🥰
Documentary Release Date
( October 12th - 1976 )..
Gregory Ulas Powell Died August 12th 2012.. ( Prostate Cancer ).. Aged 79..
All da Best Folks..
The guy at 1:03:13 in prison for stabbing to death a 5yr old... hope he never got out
AND HE WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT NOT TOUCHING HIS SON FOR OVER A YEAR....WHAT A DISGUSTING HUMAN....how the FU** do you think the parents of that 5 year old girl feel? Sickening
@@ptrekboxbreaks5198 I hate it when inmates like that complain about anything
Spot on bro 👏
That Anectine story just blew my mind!
Inmate so eloquent, I totally thought that was a doctor talking about the drug until it zoomed out and I seen the cuffs.
badger was here, as well as the baron, Kato Vargas, mike mulhern, doc holliday, mundo, boxer, alfie sosa, crazy horse...so many other guys in that life of attrition. its wild to imagine them as young men, walking the galleries...good men and bad, all together in the mix, coexisting and not. diverse and scary lives. so compelling, and also the worlds greatest cautionary tale.
Don't forget Mitch Smiley who has "HARD INTENTIONS" YT channel. He did 40 yrs from 70s to a couple yrs ago. If you haven't seen his channel you def wanna check it out.
Plus Doug the thug Orr! Also is this where Kato Vargas threw someone off a tier for glaring at him?
@@JMD215 I know about mitch smiley. still watch his wednesday night lives! hes a great creator and his art is amazing.
Was Manson here too at this time ?
@@littlea5111 he may have been. i think he was at corcoran in the 80s.
one interesting thing though. the guy talking about anectine is [was, r.i.p] roger dale smith, aka pincushion, who acted as charles' secretary.
Fascinating!! Thought it was interesting when the guy who killed the CHP Officer complained about being on death row , saying that “I don’t believe anyone has a right to take a life.” Well , you did & apparently, it was premeditated & not an accident etc ....
T. Milly was that Bobby Davis?
Good guess but no. It's Gene Myrick who shot a CHP officer in 1969. Many years later that officer's son was stabbed to death while saving a young woman from a vicious street mugger. True story.
Well the first guy Gregory Powell that was talkin kidnapped two police officers and shot one and was sentenced to death row but then four years later California determined that death row was unconstitutional but the first guy yeah he's a piece of s***
L
@@martinkasler7518 Myrick died of a heart attack in prison in 2006.
This is an excellent documentary, exactly how it was in the 70s when I was there, hope a film maker will make an updated version, interviewing the new staff in the same position here, and of course us clowns(cons).
The notorious san Quentin. Very well done documentary, showing life on all sides in this place from inmates to guards etc. This is a good insight. 👊🏾💯
All these prisoners were so much more articulate and intelligent sounding back then. That's incredible to me the difference in the clownhats we see in there today. Thats just amazing to me.
Maybe they chose these particular prisoners because of their level of intellect, and how articulate they would be on film.
The guy who was in the hole for 8 year’s Was extremely intelligent. I believe he could have been a lawyer. Had he not murdered 7 men.
As much as I hate to admit with agreeing with you I have to agree with you there’s a big difference these criminals are def higher end
Also gotta think how many ppl got put away for 15 plus yrs just foe having weed in there pocket and now u can go to almost any corner and buy it in all kinds of forms smh.
I totally agree
The inmate talking about Anectine is Roger Dale "Pincushion" Smith. A very dangerous and the most stabbed inmate at that time in the California prison system. Prison friend of Charles Manson since their Death Row days. He was in the Protective Housing Unit with Manson in the 1990's. Pincushion died of cancer in prison in 2003.
Why was he in PC?
Because he was a troublemaker and a rabble rouser who everyone hated and wanted to kill. He was also a bisexual booty bandit. And he had the reputation of being a snitch. He is the most stabbed inmate in California history. One time being stabbed 80 something times by three inmates because he made a remark to a high ranking Mexican mafia member that he did not like.
@@shanecamozzi4494 thx
Looks like a nice place....to never visit.
I remember my pastor reading letters from an ex church member ( Mar) who would ask for prayers because he was sentenced to life in prison for making bad decisions. The Pastor read of how when riots between rival groups would go down, Mar, was forced to take a side or else. Hell on earth is how he put it.
A pastor got life in prison? Hmmm for what?
@@ptrekboxbreaks5198 go hosting sleep overs
The prisoner was not the pastor; he was formerly a member of their church and the pastor was the one who read his (Mar, the former member) letters to the congregation.
Holy shit that song those guys are singing at 8:00ish is awesome! What surprising talent they had great harmony together
They used to get busy back in the day with the vocal chops if I’m not mistaking I think Motown recorded The Escorts from inside
they had all day for years to get it right.
Thank you VERY much for sharing this. GREAT WORK!. You got inside. Deep access. That wasn't easy. Kudos. Damn. San Quentin in the 60's. A jungle. I used to do some work in big prisons trying to teach guys who'd been down for a while how to not come back. I could relate to this. There's prisons within prisons. This is a good opportunity for people to see some reality. So kids? Don't go to prison. You're welcome.
This is about the closest that I ever want to get to the inside of a prison...very interesting upload!
these documentaries were made in a time where not just anyone/entity can pick up a camera and start filming
That’s hella true and often unthought of. Great point.
The opposite is true, 6 corporations run 90% of the media in the US. They all push the same globalist agenda as do our schooling institutions that teach black is white, don't question authority, regurgitate marxist propaganda to pass. Consequently journalism is dead. Censorship of real journalist's work on the occult, martyrs, and political black mail is rampant. What we the people are left with is largely garbage that the cultural engineers want us to consume in the hopes we adopt the mentality of the lowest common denominator. An uneducated, uninformed, complainant individual is easier to control. They manufacture this today better than ever.
You could if you had a camera. This was 1976. Even 35 mm still color film was expensive. Cellphone video still blows my mind.
@@dantesanford7065 yeah the quality of old cellphone videos doesnt convert over time to newer devices.. i have videos from 08 that look like it was filmed on a toaster, sucks cause at the time it was clear footage
That because it cost a lot of $ for a camera and film then, also the time to film then edit it together. A lot of labor compared to today's point and click
This is what a documentary is supposed to be. Seriously. A documentary is supposed to live up to its name and "document" the subject, not present an agenda. The audience is supposed to learn from the documentary, but make their own conclusions and develop their own opinions on the topic.
Nowadays, the world is awash in fake documentaries that have a political agenda and a limited, skewed POV that is meant to advance that agenda at the expense of truth. I blame Michael Moore's political screeds as distorting the public's idea of what a documentary is supposed to be. For the last generation who grew up with nothing but these "fake" documentaries, they idea of what a documentary is would quote different from mine, as I learned in my college FILM classes back in the 80's.
Your interview with "Pincushion" Smith is amazing. According to Edward Bunker, Smith was a true prison legend. Stabbed more than any other man, hence the nickname. Everybody hated him but nobody could kill him. Even the Aryan Brotherhood became tired of trying. "Pincushion" became close friend with Charles Manson and acted as the cult leaders selfdescribed press secretary. Amazing footage.
That was Jack's contribution. He knew of Roger. I wanted Greg Powell and others. Just neophytes going into a situation that we didn't really research or know about. We had amazing access and no one paid us much attention until we sold a "stabbing video" to CBS. On hindsight, I know that the access was more important than our 5 mins of fame.
If I got it right you were inside SQ filming late 1974. Popey Jackson was killed in 1975 and Garland Berry in 1977. When did you make the video we see here?
That sounds about right. I just posted the video for posterity. I wasn't expecting this much reaction. One of the problems with not having a plan, when I went in, is hours of video to edit. Many different views, as you can imagine, of what to leave in or take out.
I wish you would make another video. SQ, prison gangs etc. are a hobby of mine and I was startled to see Pincushion and BGF's Garland Berry. The latter was killed by the infamous Berry Mills from Aryan Brotherhood.
Martin Kasler where do you get your information? I would love to have your knowledge
8 Years .. 7 Months .. 14 Days in the Hole.. Geez Louise.. Value my Freedom like I value my Life..
Loved When Johnnie Cash Sang at San Quentin.. February 24th - 1969..
Dam Folks in the Audience probably Still There..
Damn fine documentary 👍. Thanks man.
Freedom should NEVER BE OVERRATED.
That correct 🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭🍮🍭🍭🍭🍭🍮
I was at San Quentin early 90s as an inmate I worked as a porter in East Block hole overflow and death row...After being out for years and seeing it in this video...Just made me feel so grateful to be where im at in life now
Good on you, cheers.
Man please tell a story about your time there..
Please don't spoil us with your lies
Them brothas were really getting down! Godamn that was some soul 🎼
Now everybody thinks they can rap- and they cant lol
@@kristiskinner8542 hahaha i sing oldies too. Love it. I can actually rap pretty good but gave it up as i got older. Lol
just think, this was 40 odd years ago and some of these people are still locked up in that same place
Ummm Wow. Thank you for posting. This was very fascinating to watch based on the time period it was filmed/documented (70’s). Was educational but also not the easiest to watch. I appreciated the rawness and inmate interviews.
Great documentary. Most all have excuses why they're there.
That group is awesome it that lead singer has a serious voice...sad to see some that missed their calling but without a chance some never see their calling...sad their there because of choices.
I hired paolees for my business back in the day. One guy told me how he got off the bus at San Quentin to discover his father whom he hadn't seen in years. The lucky pair got to be cellies.
So wholesome.
People talked much better back then
*spoke
@@Saturn-Matrix dammit man! Spoke..
I got you i agree they spoke like myself...today which blows my mind...makes me feel like I'm in the wrong timeline..
@@BroDude0 i feel like punching today's people in the face...such an annoying culture peole back than spoke much better because they went through. More shit..nothing better than experience.
@@thearbiter6350 ppl today are watered down versions of them mist living of a by gone era..
Jesus Christ those picture's of the stabbed up victims with demented satanic gospel like music playing was creepy a.f. but i love these old documentaries. People we're so much more deeper mature back than yet much more darker and intense.
The paralytic drug described is never to be used without anesthetic. I think this is the same experience Gary Gilmore described in Executioner's Song. Prisons are notorious for experimenting on prisoners with all sorts of medications under the auspices of medical/academic professionals. The book Sentenced to Science covers informed (but misunderstood) consent given by prisoners.
Scariest drug that i have ever heard of
Imagine that was the style and idea to give drugs to prisoners. Getting the consent? Lab rats and brain washers. In the end it just made that dude even more pissed off.
Most of these people lived in situations most would commit suicide to stop the pain.
No, I was forced into solitary. You do anything to live. Anything. You'll suprise yourself. Believe you me
love it yes vintage!!
Craziest thing to Me is there’s people in there from when this video was Filmed until Now in 2023 -
Anectine is a paralytic- used during surgeries and more extensive medical procedures. They use it when they intubate ppl, or used to anyway
Man The Brothers at Da end singing....WOWH!! If they had only meet up on the outside...no doubt they would have a successful group. The lead singer has that MEMPHIS STAX Sound. Dem Brothers got Down. Dig???
The year I graduated from high school. ♥️💐
The cat in West block did 20 years in the can without a peep. The cat wanted meow mix but he comprimised and ate prison scraps and rats.
And he used the hot radiator to make grilled cheese sandwiches 🥪
And he compromised: He wanted a women but he had to settle for jacking off into a Kleenex.
Yes....it’s all about compromise!! Phil Leotardo
Is that you Phil!??
Stfu🤣🤣
Yes! He also turned into a house once
His nickname was The Cat of Iran
San Quentin you've been living hell to me
You've hosted me since 1963, I've seen 'em come and go and I've seen 'em die
@@bshaun (Guarded not Hosted)
and long ago I stopped asking why..
Anybody else notice how quite it is in that prison???? You watch any prison documentary nowadays,......you can't hear yourself think. Things have really changed in the D.O.C.. Jeez Lueeez.
It surprises me that every one of these guys remain calm while verbally expressing themselves. They don't over-use large words or anything. They all speak as if they're all very well read. I can't help but wonder if it is because they do a lot of reading while locked up that contributes to this.
ummmmm there were only 23 prisoners out of 3463 that could put a complete sentence together....
Camera man usually looks for a personality to interview. They don’t want to interview someone not that bright. There are some crazy intelligent people in prison nonetheless.
@@fucketaboutit I'm sure they had time to interview all the prisoners
@@eddilovee thanks for comment and the insight. That makes a lot of sense.
Those guys can sing. Just tremendously soulful.
Self Righteous Jerk so true ! Reminds me of Donny Hathaway’s soulfulness! I wanted to hear more
Yes, they sure can! Their soul power completely dwarfs and triumphs over the soulless tools and robots who work for the penal system, and federal and state-level bureaucrats in general.
*_And they can run from lions really fast too!_*
INDEED!!! I hope they got out, got a recording contract, and got their lives together!
This really is the best prison video that I have ever seen!!! I'm at the part now is where talking that drug made him feel like he dying! Geez he is being so honest 💝😢🤣😭😂 thank you whoever made this
I visited the Wyoming State prison and it took me months to get over the horrible feelings from being in there.
Creeping up on 1 million views! Congrats 👏🏽👏🏽
Thanks. Just put it up for posterity. Never imagined it would have so many views. At the time "Just Livin' the Dream"😎
I was locked up in Albion State Correctional facility. It was a gladiator camp. I saw three killed with my own eyes. People died almost every week.
Damnit, what did the cat do to get time in the Q ??
Not sure exactly .I just assumed he was a bad cat 🐈
Don't you know ? He was an infamous cat burglar.
Gregory Ulas Powell, the well-spoken guy towards the beginning, kidnapped two LAPD cops and executed one in an onion field near Bakersfield, CA. Around the time that this was filmed, a book written about that event was being made into a movie.
I think he is the guy that Jordan Peterson met while working at SQ
The onion field killer(s). Was with the last one alive in 00/01 at Avenal SP. He ended up dieing on the yard due to medical personnel changing his heart medication. He was down for 38 years.
Wow
It was Ted Danson killed in onion field, then I see he is a doctor in a sitcom Becker???
I’m impressed that one can try to take a turd and try to polish it, these killers will never change. They need to be together, prison is a self cleaning oven.
At the very end that group singing was at the sounded as good as the best R&B from the 60's and 70's!!!😮
thank you for sharing this
WTF - I had no idea people could get indeterminant sentences. Go to prison and we'll let you out when we feel like it? That's some expert level, well thought out, cruelty.
Gregory Powell is infamous in the Onion Field Killing. He and his accomplice kidnapped 2 police officers and killed one of them in an abandoned onion field.....James Woods played Powell in the movie version.