library. A and D yard inmates live in cell housing units while yards B, C and Minimum reside in dorm housing units. In addition to holding a job at the prison, mainline inmates are eligible for education and reentry programs. Inmates housed in the Reception Center (RC) typically spend two to three months at North Kern before being transferred to another prison. They stay behind the electrical fence and, if approved, may help run support services. North Kern has four cellblocks with each cellblock having its own yard. All cells are doubled bunked. Most RC inmates are custody level four inmates and reside in cells. A few lower custody RC inmates that stay in dorms. Overcrowding is a day-to-day reality, hence the double bunked cells. The sewage system was also not built for such a large population, leading to periodic toxic spills. A grinder and a backup sewage system were installed a few years after the prison opened to crush the excess trash and help the sewage system run more efficiently. Three fences surround North Kern i.e. two razor wire fences with an electric fence in the middle. Several towers are stationed around the prison to reinforce the fence line. Programs North Kern offers a variety of programs to the inmates. Since most inmates coming into prison do not have a high school education, GED classes are offered. As of 2013, North Kern offers no vocational training programs. Incidents North Kern has experienced frequent racial tension. The two preeminent gangs are the Sureños and the Paisas (Mexican nationals). On October 1, 2007, an inmate escaped from the institution. The inmate, 29-year-old Abelardo Morales, was reported missing from the Level I yard of the prison at 9:17 p.m. Morales was serving a one-year, six-month term for manufacture and sales of narcotics, and possession of a weapon. On the night of April 21, 2015, a guard walking a yard at North Kern State Prison was struck by gunfire, which penetrated his stab-proof vest. He was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Authorities believe the gunman was outside the prison walls when the shots were fired. Visitation The number of visitation hours for which each inmate is eligible depends on his security and custody level. Inmates with few infractions are allowed to have visits more often and longer. The mainline inmates are allowed to have human contact visits as well as conjugal