Rare glimpse inside Californian death row at the notorious San Quentin jail

PRISONERS sentenced to death await their fate in the Californian jail of San Quentin — where no inmates have been executed for nearly a decade.

The jail — which houses 725 condemned lags — is home to America's biggest death row, but after a federal judge put a halt to executions in the state of California in 2006, an $853,000 death chamber built in 2008 has never been used.

More inmates die from natural causes in jail than anything else Reuters

Lag is one of 725 housed at Californian jail Reuters

Some prisoners stick to the confines of their cell rather than exercising outside Reuters

Prison officials have allowed reporters a rare glimpse inside the jail for the first time since the ruling that the state's death penalty was unconstitutional.

Over 900 lags have been sentenced to death since 1978, but only 13 have been executed — yet more than 100 have died.

Sixty-nine inmates have died of natural causes and 24 have committed suicide.

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42-year-old Robert Galvan told SFGate: "We are just left on a shelf, and that’s worse than being executed because you’re just waiting to die."

Lags yelled at reporters from within their cells, screaming they were treated like 'cows and s***', and complained about the standards of food and hygiene.

Inmate Charles Case uses typewriter in his cell in prison's East Block Reuters

Execution chamber built in 2008 at the jail has never been used Reuters

San Quentin is home to America's biggest death row Reuters

While some prisoners choose to stay in their cells all the time, plenty others take to exercising outside.

Serial killer Wayne Ford says he rarely leaves his cell, not even to shower or exercise.

He told the Times: "I’ve lost the ability to enjoy being around other people."