the link below leads to an award-winning video from the san francisco chronicle/sfgate.com. while scared straight programs have generally been shown to do more harm than good, this small tour takes a kindler, gentler approach as inmates tell their stories and actually listen to the boys if and when they choose to open up. in any case, the 9-minute video offers a brief inside view of the notorious prison and is worth a look.

as one of the inmate guides says: “welcome to the garbage can of society.”

www.sfgate.com/ZXB