Count time.
Let's go.
let's go.
[dramatic music]
Ever since I started, I don't really have my own unit.
I, like, move a lot.
But since I'm always here in 3-8, it feels like my unit now.
They try to test me, but little by little,
they're learning how I work.
Count time.
Let's go.
You had all day to do that.
INMATE: No we didn't.
LILLY RODRIGUEZ: I've noticed how I've changed.
You're not.
You guys did have all day.
You're acting up.
When I first started here, everybody
thought I was quiet and shy.
Come on.
Count time.
I remember the first day I got there,
I thought to myself, what the hell did I get myself into?
[whistling]
[laughter]
But as time goes on, I see myself, like,
more confident than before.
Unit three, let's go.
Female present.
Sir, can you step out, please?
INMATE: Sure.
You're the lucky one today.
With all the gang activity in this facility.
I don't think any CO could let their guard down.
They're always finding new ways to hide
things, especially drugs.
OK, we have to go to the other part.
So I guess that's good enough for here.
A block please.
Shakedown.
Get out.
Oh, no.
Shake down.
AARON BELL: With the takedown and the SNM still going on,
It's more dangerous now than ever.
So the shakedowns are huge inside
of a correctional facility.
If the rookie officer overlooks something during a shakedown,
a knife, or a weapon, or a shank, obviously,
that can lead to a major--
major assault or murder.
[suspenseful music]
[indistinct radio chatter]
What is this?
That's not good.
Yeah, I put it here.
It was in six.
They had it all connected through his vent
to the next door vent.
They could probably pass things with this, especially
drugs, contraband, and weapons.
And that could be dangerous.
I do realize that there's people trying to smuggle things
and contraband and all that.
And that could be dangerous.
We just have to be vigilant.
Sorry.
One more time.
OFFICER: Lilly Rodriguez, she was an X factor for me.
AARON BELL: She's 4 foot 9, 5 foot 0, 100 pounds soaking wet.
She's a small-natured very young female.
Ultimately, I thought she was going to fail.
And she's proved all of us wrong here.
Keep your comments to yourself.
I guess, to prove everybody wrong.
I do get a lot of stuff, that I'm too
small, that I'm too girly girl.
But it does feel like I'm finding my voice.
JAVIER CAZARES: I still haven't experienced
much of what happens in this place,
like fights and things like that.
So I'm still trying to learn the ropes,
trying to figure out what to do.
I want to become that one CO that other COs
and inmates look at and they say,
this guy knows what he's doing.
He's straight.
As soon as you walk in, inmates know when
you're a rookie right away.
And all they do is just look at you,
just start trying to see how you are, try to read you.
Before this, I was working in we detail, their level twos.
But pod B is a pod known for the possible gang members.
Working with them as a total different thing.
AARON BELL: With all that's been going on with the SNM,
other gang members will use this opportunity
to create havoc and conduct assaults and incidences
within the units.
I honestly believe if it's not the SNM,
it's going to be somebody else.
JAVIER CAZARES: I've heard of stories of gangs
having hit on officers.
I've heard that if you ever do get
into an altercation with one of them,
it's not just going to be one of them.
They'll all jump in, and they'll get you.
It's pretty nerve wracking.
What's going on?
I can't leave it open.
They test rookies.
They start off with the little things,
telling you that they'll do this and that if you
do this for them.
I can't do that.
And once they see that they can get away
with the little things, that's when they
start going bigger and bigger.
[suspenseful music]
So as soon as I stepped in there,
I started trying to get everything
on as fast as I could.
I'm always up for a challenge.
I'm an adrenaline junkie.
I love just anything that has the word, danger in it
or something.
Are you going to use the same gas mask from training?
Those things sucked, man.
The moment that I put on that gas mask to try it on,
I smelled a little bit of the chemicals still on that mask.
And that's when the nerves kicked in more, and I was like,
whoa.
OK, it's time to get serious now.
OFFICER: If he doesn't refuse, if the complies,
then we'll escort him out.
If he refuses, then we'll clear out the pod,
we'll lock him in his cell, and then we'll bring you guys in.
JAVIER CAZARES: I've worked around the Sureños pods.
I've worked around the SNMers pods.
And they can be really, really dangerous.
They kill their own gang members.
What makes you think they're not going to do something to a CO?
[dramatic music]
AARON BELL: Change is happening within the gangs right now.
The job just became tougher and even more dangerous
because they know what's happening in the SNM.
The time is 10:45.
[speaking spanish]
In your head, you're having all these kinds
of scenarios going through.
What if the partner in front of you trips?
What if he's not ready?
What if he doesn't do his job right?
What if the person behind you-- it's something.
Something can always happen.
Even with all the training, nothing
can prepare you for when you're in the actual moment.
AARON BELL: Sometimes the best thing on an extraction team
is showing up.
That's what we call the show of force.
Sometimes when you can nip it in the bud and show force,
you're not putting officers in harm's way.
And you're not potentially hurting somebody.
That was my first almost extraction.
It was pretty nerve wracking.
I was both disappointed and relieved that the extraction
was called off.
I wanted to do the extraction, so I could learn something
different, so I can experience something new,
so I could experience pretty much the use of force.
But I was also relieved because the inmate complied.
It's an easy day.
We all get to go home, and nobody gets hurt.
I wanted to go through the whole thing, but my time will come.
All I ask is just keep [bleep] my hallway clear.
Is that hard?
[rapping]
Over at a level.
[yelling]
I'm going to snatch this [bleep] up.
I got approval to lock all these doors down if you don't
clear this [bleep] hallway.
Clear it out.
They're supposed to be out of the hallways.
They're not supposed to be out talking other than using
restrooms, taking a shower.
You'll be able to see it on TV.
You know the rules.
Dude, clear the hallway.
Clear the [bleep] hallway.
I'll ask you nicely twice.
After that, I'm going to [bleep] raise my voice.
So get the [bleep] out of here.
[bleep]
[bleep] you.
You ain't hard, mother [bleep].
Don't blow up.
He's just upset because I called him out, yelled at him.
I probably embarrassed him in front of his peers.
But this is prison.
There's rules that need to be followed.
Take off the badge.
Let's go.
Let's go talk.
Get off the phone call.
Get off your phone call.
[bleep] Get off your phone call.
I'm talking.
Don't [bleep]--
This is your first law of order, second law of order,
third law of order.
Get off your phone. - [bleep].
Get off your phone.
I swear to god, you hang up my [bleep] phone call,
it's going to be on.
What are you going to do? Let's go.
Let's go.
Get off your [bleep].
Get off your [bleep] phone.
[bleep] phone.
Get off your [bleep] phone.
Let's go outside right now.
Let's go outside. Let's go outside.
Let's go talk. Let's go.
Let's go.
Go outside now.
Go outside right now.
I've talked to you several times.
I'm talking to you.
INMATE: He's in my face disrespecting me.
I showed you guys nothing but the utmost [bleep] respect.
You guys never had a problem with me.
And when he's trying to talk to me like I'm a [bleep] child--
When I got to tell you over [bleep]..
I'm not talking to you like that at all.
Tell me and see what I'm about.
They'll tell you.
You know what I'm saying?
It don't matter, dude.
I told him to come talk to me, man.
It don't matter.
That's his family on the phone that he's talking to.
We pay for that [bleep].
Well, that sucks.
[dramatic music]
Let's clear it out.
What?
[bleep] you.
Come on out here.
People. - You want respect?
Give us respect.
You're a rookie, ese.
I talk to people with respect.
I'm waiting for you. Finish up.
[laughter]
Finish up.
The guy, I mean, I don't know if he's just doing this for fun
or trying to make a career out of it.
If he's trying to make a career out of it,
it's going down the drain immediately.
INMATE: You obviously have no skills
whatsoever in handling inmates.
I'm going to talk to your superior.
I don't have to talk to you. - Yeah, you do.
INMATE: I've been doing this for six years.
I know.
This guy's got everybody all worked
up for nothing, for nothing.
Because I'm doing my job, dude?
If someone's being disrespectful to you,
how many times are you going to take it?
Exactly.
I'm giving you guys, like, three or four.
It was wrong to me for cussing, I'll admit that.
But you know what?
I'm sorry that I'm not one of these officers
that you're just going to punk and talk [bleep] to.
I am not. You got the wrong guy.
So where are we going with this, chief?
Look, all I'm saying is be a little bit more respectful,
granted that he's new or he's been here 20 years.
To them, respect is a different thing.
They want someone to kiss their butt.
And that's just not me.
I'm just trying to keep the hallways clear, man,
and they're like, well, you need to [bleep]
learn how to talk to people.
And I was like, dude, I'm only going to talk to you
nicely three or four times.
After that, I'm going to get pissed off.
There's certain things that we can't do here.
We just have to kind of watch what we're saying.
They think that you don't know what you're doing.
And all it is is because they see you as new.
They don't like the fact that you're more assertive
and you're doing your job.
They don't like that.
Well, that's because they're not used to it, man.
Exactly. That's what I'm saying.
Take a step back.
Be a little bit more respectful.
Yes, sir.
Lieutenant Rodriguez did tell me that I
was a little aggressive with the inmates,
so I'll make a couple of changes.
[bleep]