>> Sreenivasan: MANDATORY

MINIMUM SENTENCING AND THREE

STRIKES LEGISLATION, HAVE HELPED

AMERICAN PRISONS STAY FULL, EVEN

IF SOME PRISONERS INSIDE THEM

ARE DEEMED SUITABLE FOR RELEASE.

BUT EVER SINCE THE U.S. SUPREME

COURT RULED IN 2011 THAT

OVERCROWDING IN CALIFORNIA'S

PRISONS CONSTITUTED CRUEL AND

UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT, THE STATE

HAS BEEN REDUCING ITS PRISON

POPULATION.

THE SHIFT IS POSSIBLE IN PART

THROUGH A GREATER EMPHASIS ON

REHABILITATION AND A NEW

APPROACH TO PAROLE, AS NEWSHOUR

WEEKEND SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

JOANNE ELGART JENNINGS REPORTS.

THIS REPORT IS PART OF OUR

ONGOING SERIES ABOUT POVERTY AND

OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA, "CHASING

THE DREAM."

>> Reporter: AS THE SUN RISES

OVER SAN FRANCISCO BAY, THE

IMPOSING SAN QUENTIN STATE

PRISON COMES INTO VIEW.

BIRDS CHIRPING, WAVES LAPPING

AGAINST THE SHORE RIGHT OUTSIDE

THE PRISON GATE.

FILMMAKER TROY WILLIAMS IS

TRYING TO CAPTURE VIDEO OF THESE

CONTRASTING SCENES.

JUST FOUR YEARS AGO, HE SAW A

SIMILAR VIEW FROM INSIDE THE

PRISON WALLS.

>> BENEATH DEATH ROW IS THE

FIFTH TIER OF NORTH BLOCK AND

THERE'S A LITTLE SLIT IN THE

WINDOW THAT YOU CAN SEE OUT OF.

AND PRIOR TO PAROLING I WOULD GO

UP TO THAT TIER AND YOU CAN SEE

THESE TREES RIGHT HERE, AND

THAT WAS LIKE A SIMILAR FREEDOM,

I WOULD JUST GO SIT THERE AND

JUST LIKE DREAM ABOUT WHAT IT

WOULD BE LIKE TO BE CROSSING

THAT BRIDGE ON MY WAY HOME.

>> Reporter: WILLIAMS, NOW 51

YEARS OLD, HAD HIS FIRST BRUSH

WITH VIOLENCE WHEN HE WAS 13.

>> WHEN I WAS CONFRONTED BY SOME

GUYS IN THE GANG AT THE STORE

AND THEY CHASED ME AND THEY BEAT

ME UP.

THEY STOMPED ME OUT.

THAT WAS A TURNING POINT FOR MY

LIFE BECAUSE SOON THEREAFTER I

JOINED A GANG.

>> Reporter: AT 15, HE WAS

CONVICTED OF KILLING A RIVAL

GANG MEMBER.

HE SERVED SIX YEARS IN JUVENILE

HALL.

IN 1997, AT THE AGE OF 30,

WILLIAMS WAS SENTENCED TO SEVEN-

YEARS-TO-LIFE IN PRISON FOR

KIDNAPPING AND ROBBERY.

HE DIDN'T HOLD OUT MUCH HOPE OF

EVER BEING PAROLED.

>> I REMEMBER THE FEAR FROM THAT

DAY THAT LIKE I COULD ACTUALLY

JUST DIE IN HERE AND SPEND THE

REST OF MY LIFE IN HERE WITHOUT

EVER HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO

GO REPAIR SOME OF THE HARM THAT

I'VE CAUSED TO MY OWN COMMUNITY.

>> Reporter: AT SAN QUENTIN,

THEY'RE TRYING TO REPAIR SOME OF

THAT HARM.

THERE ARE MORE THAN 80 SELF HELP

GROUPS HERE.

ONE OF THEM IS THE VICTIM

OFFENDER EDUCATION GROUP IN

WHICH INMATES ARE MATCHED WITH

VICTIMS OF CRIMES SIMILAR TO THE

ONES THEY COMMITTED.

>> I REMEMBER SITTING ACROSS

FROM THIS LADY, AND I SAW HOW

FEAR PARALYZED HER LIFE.

I SAW HOW THE FEAR OF HER BEING

ROBBED AT GUNPOINT LIKE ACTUALLY

FROZE HER.

I SAW HER, HOW SHE SORT OF

COWERED IN, RIGHT?

AND I CONNECTED THAT IN A WAY IN

WHICH I SAW HOW FEAR DROVE ME TO

COWER OUT.

SO THAT BRIDGED THE BIG

CONNECTION FOR ME ON HOW MY

ACTIONS HAD POTENTIALLY HARMED

THE VICTIMS OF MY CRIME.

>> Reporter: WILLIAMS ALSO

PARTICIPATED IN OTHER SELF-HELP

AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES,

EVERYTHING FROM RESTORATIVE

JUSTICE TO CREATIVE WRITING.

AND WHEN THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL

CAME TO SAN QUENTIN TO SHOOT A

REALITY TV SHOW, TROY WILLIAMS

WAS ONE OF NINE INMATES TAUGHT

TO SHOOT, EDIT, AND DIRECT THEIR

OWN VIDEOS.

>> SCENE 2, SHOT 4, TAKE 1,

ACTION!

>> I WANT TO TAKE OUR

EXPERIENCES AND TURN THEM INTO

SOMETHING POSITIVE.

I WANT TO TAKE THINGS THAT WE'VE

BEEN THROUGH AND PREVENT PEOPLE

WHO MAY BE IN THAT SCENARIO FROM

GOING THERE.

>> Reporter: OVER THE NEXT SEVEN

YEARS, WILLIAMS CREATED AN IN-

HOUSE PRISON TV NEWSCAST.

>> GOOD EVENING SAN QUENTIN.

I'M TROY WILLIAMS OUT HERE WITH

FATHER BOYLE.

>> Reporter: IT LATER MORPHED

INTO A LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO

PROGRAM.

>> RON EVERETT HAS BEEN

INCARCERATED ALMOST 31 YEARS.

EVERETT WAS ARRESTED SOON AFTER

THE BIRTH OF HIS SON.

>> Reporter: AFTER SERVING 18

YEARS, TROY WILLIAMS WAS

RELEASED ON PAROLE IN 2014.

IN 2016, HE RETURNED TO SAN

QUENTIN TO SPEAK AT A TED-X

EVENT INSIDE THE PRISON.

>> A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO I

WAS SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE WITH

MANY OF THE MEN IN THE ROOM

TODAY.

>> Reporter: THE EVENT WAS

DIRECTED, FILMED, AND EDITED BY

INMATES, INCLUDING BRIAN ASEY.

HE HAS SERVED 30 YEARS OF AN 83-

YEARS-TO LIFE SENTENCE FOR

KIDNAPPING AND RAPE.

>> SO TROY WILLIAMS WAS THE

PERSON WHO WAS EXTREMELY

INSTRUMENTAL IN MY CHANGE AND,

AND IN ME FINDING OUT WHO I AM

AS A PERSON.

HE REALLY TURNED THE LIGHT ON IN

MY HEAD ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT

WHAT I COULD DO, WHO I COULD BE.

>> Reporter: BILLIE MIZELL RUNS

SEVERAL SELF-HELP PROGRAMS

INSIDE SAN QUENTIN.

>> SO THE TRAUMA HEALING WORK

THAT WE DO IS DEFINITELY ROOTED

IN STORYTELLING BECAUSE IT TAKES

EMPATHY TO TELL SOMEONE ELSE'S

STORY.

AND SELF REFLECTION IS CRITICAL.

THERE ARE A LOT OF EXERCISES

THAT REALLY GO BACK THROUGH

ONE'S LIFE.

AND THAT IS, THAT IS HOW YOU

BUILD EMPATHY.

>> I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST STEP

IS BEING ABLE TO GRAPPLE WITH

WHAT YOU DID AND BE ABLE TO TELL

YOUR STORY AND HOW YOU'RE

DIFFERENT TODAY.

>> Reporter: JENNIFER SHAFFER IS

THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF

CALIFORNIA'S PAROLE BOARD.

DURING HER SEVEN YEAR TENURE,

THE BOARD HAS APPROVED MORE THAN

DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF INMATES FOR

PAROLE THAN IN THE PREVIOUS

SEVEN YEARS.

IN 2008, THE CALIFORNIA SUPREME

COURT RULED THAT AN INMATE CAN

ONLY BE DEEMED "UNSUITABLE FOR

PAROLE" IF HE OR SHE "POSES A

CURRENT THREAT TO PUBLIC

SAFETY."

>> THE SUPREME COURT BASICALLY

SAID THAT WE COULD NO LONGER

DENY SOMEBODY BASED SOLELY ON

THE SIGNIFICANCE OR THE SEVERITY

OF THEIR CRIME, SO INSTEAD OF

ASKING SOMEBODY MERELY WHAT DID

YOU DO, NOW WE WERE ASKING WHO

WERE YOU THEN, WHO ARE YOU TODAY

AND WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

>> I'M TROY WILLIAMS.

I DID 18 YEARS.

I'VE BEEN HOME THREE AND A HALF.

>> Reporter: INSIDE THE ALAMEDA

COUNTY PAROLE OFFICE, A GROUP OF

FORMER LIFERS ARE GATHERED FOR A

MONTHLY SUPPORT MEETING.

>> MY NAME IS EDWARDS.

I'VE BEEN IN PRISON FOR 40 YEARS

AND EIGHT MONTHS.

>> I'VE JUST BEEN OUT A WEEK

TODAY.

I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU

KNOW, EVERYBODY'S BEEN CALLING

ME.

THEY WANT TO SEE ME.

I GOT GRANDCHILDREN I'VE NEVER

MET; GREAT GRANDCHILDREN I'VE

NEVER MET.

>> I KNOW YOU'RE ANXIOUS TO SEE

YOUR FAMILY AND FAMILY MEANS THE

WORLD.

YOU WERE AWAY 40 YEARS.

BUT EVERYTHING IS A PROCESS AND

IT TAKES TIME.

>> Reporter: WILLIAMS REMINDS

HIS FELLOW PAROLEES TO KEEP

THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE.

>> I WAS DRIVING ABOUT TWO

MONTHS AGO.

IT WAS RAINING.

I'M IN A SUIT, I'M FRESH, I HIT

TIRE ON THE FLAT, IT'S RAINING,

POURING DOWN RAINING.

I JUMPED OUT THE CAR.

I'M FRUSTRATED, RIGHT?

AND THEN I STARTED LAUGHING TO

MYSELF LIKE, YOU TRIPPING.

FIRST I'M LIKE, MAN, I GOT A

FLAT TIRE.

AND THEN I STARTED THINKING, I'M

LIKE, I'M STARTING LAUGHING.

I'M LIKE, MAN, I GET TO HAVE A

FLAT TIRE AND I CAN PAY FOR IT.

RIGHT, SO IT'S PERSPECTIVE.

>> Reporter: TROY WILLIAMS OFTEN

RETURNS TO THE SAN QUENTIN GATE

TO GREET FRIENDS AS THEY ARE

RELEASED FROM PRISON.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU ON THIS SIDE,

MAN.

WHEN I CAME TO PRISON, I WAS A

GANGBANGER, BUT FOR THE AMOUNT

OF PROGRAMS, THE AMOUNT OF

THINGS THAT I WAS ABLE TO

PARTICIPATE IN, I WOULDN'T BE

WHO I AM TODAY.

>> Reporter: HE SAYS ALL

PRISONERS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO

THE TYPE OF EDUCATION AND

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING HE HAD.

>> THE QUESTION SOCIETY HAS TO

ASK THEMSELVES IS, WHO DO YOU

WANT COMING HOME?

DO YOU WANT THE SAME INDIVIDUAL

WHO WENT TO PRISON, COMING HOME?

OR DO YOU WANT SOMEBODY THAT HAS

HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON

THEMSELVES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT

LED THEM DOWN THAT PATH IN THE

FIRST PLACE?

>> Sreenivasan: THIS PAST

SUMMER, TROY WILLIAMS WAS

AWARDED A SOROS JUSTICE

FELLOWSHIP.

IT IS PROVIDING SEED MONEY FOR

HIM TO REALIZE HIS DREAM, TO

CREATE A MULTIMEDIA PLATFORM FOR

FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE TO

PRODUCE AND TELL THEIR OWN

STORIES.

AND THIS WEEK, WILLIAMS WAS

DISCHARGED FROM PAROLE.