Inner Hallway, connecting multiple pods of cells, Pelican Bay SHU

Credit: Monica Lam, Center for Investigative Reporting

Exercise Yard, Pelican Bay SHU

Credit: Monica Lam, Center for Investigative Reporting

Todd Ashker, 2014

Credit: Courtesy of Todd Ashker

George Jackson, San Quentin, circa 1970

Credit: From the Freedom Archives collection, photographer unknown.

Violent Deaths in the California Department of Corrections, 1970-1990

Credit: Statistics compiled by the author from a combination of publicly available documents and archival reports. Raw numbers and specific sources available upon request.

Aerial shot of the Security Management Unit I, Florence, Arizona

Credit: © Christopher Gielen, Untitled Arizona XV, from Hidden Sites: A Guide to the American Supermax System, courtesy of Jovis Verlag, Berlin

Aerial shot of Pelican Bay State Prison: the x-shaped structure towards the top of the image is the SHU, and the buildings arranged in semi-circles in the foreground are general population units and administrative buildings

Credit: Jelson 25 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0t

Prisoner's drawing of a SHU pod

Credit: Drawing by Arturo Mendoza

Example of a prisoner drawing that could be used to "validate" a prisoner as a gang member

Credit: Drawing by Arturo Mendoza

Example of a prisoner drawing that could be used to "validate" a prisoner as a gang member

Credit: Drawing by Arturo Mendoza

Cell, Pelican Bay SHU

Credit: Monica Lam, Center for Investigative Reporting

Prisoner's diagram of a SHU cell

Credit: Drawing by Frank Alejandrez