Inside San Quentin’s Death Row | KQED Newsroom

one that is Robert Smith jr. I've been here since dawn doctor 93 definitely my name is Jarvis masters I've been in San Quentin for 35 years and I came here when I was 19 years old I've admitted to my crimes I confess a PUD guilty and and I've said from the outset that I deserved comprar punishment my name is Charles Smith 46 years old I've been convicted of four gang murders and I was sentenced to death step back away from Sam please I've been here 33 years at San Quentin 35 years since my arrest back in 1980 I was an evil person not another way to put it you know I didn't cure for other people's lives I was an adult and I chose to do what I did you damaged a lot of people when you do crimes like the ones I did robberies and how you take that back you know you don't you just acknowledge that you did something that hurted someone in it and it hurt you know and it tears you up too because you know that you're 19 years old and when you try not to make an excuse for it then that's where you really take it on a lot of pain and suffering there is such a thing as evil and some people are evil you think you're no longer you yes I'm no longer evil with what changed but flip the switch well my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior placed on my hopes and go out of pain reading study in the Bible trying to be a blessing in people's lives it is hard not to tell you know this draw I do stuff like this try to keep my mind trying to make friends in here that understand that this is the long journey no matter they innocent or they believe they're going to see they're not I'd like two friends here but most of our dead man coming up that experience mostly health issues couple suicides I don't think this should be a definite well if you think about it like you know you're killing someone because come on you know crime that they may have committed what make you different from the person that's I've heard of on the streets if you know if you know you're going to execute a person will make you different and guys eyes you ain't no difference a lot of people on death row who committed very serious crimes and everyone has been convicted of murder but as far as who actually gets the death penalty I think that seems arbitrary to me I don't think I've died here not because of just hope I just honestly believe in my spirit that I won't die for something out in committee well they take me now says that's good now with assuming it's God's will I expect to go to heaven after I died I can't live one way thinking I'm going to always get out and I can't live the other way thinking I'm always going to stay in somehow I have to find resolution with both all I can say that if you said me in here and you like basis being you know waiting to be executed yeah that's a threat you know you know at any time you know one show appellate you know all your petty rises up I can come get you an executor yes its way it's always on your mind so I was in the back of you here right

Channel: KQED News

Views: 1,883,272

Keywords: death row, san quentin, death penalty, death row inmate, prison life, prison stories, prison documentary

Id: JsSw0tjBEeM

Length: 5min 41sec (341 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 16 2016