L.A. has the largest jail system in the country.

You got people that been in jail just like one time and their life can't get nothing because of whatever mistake they made.

I stole some ground turkey because I wanted to feed my family. We was hungry.

Off the Block. Stories tracing the path from city block to cell block and back.

Find it now at kCRW.com or subscribe on iTunes.

From KCRW Santa Monica and KCRW.com, It's The Treatment.

Welcome to The Treatment. I'm Elvis Mitchell. You know, my guest has been in so many culture-changing moments from do the right thing to house party, bad boys to his TV show Martin that's easy

to forget that he's a great stand-up comedian we haven't seen him do that for a long time

run tell that was 2002 is that what that was I believe so yeah yeah probably his last stand-up movie

was run tell that but he's now got a new stand-up special on Showtime. Martin Lawrence is sitting across me.

It's a pleasure to have you sitting across me.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate it.

No, no.

But again, I'm sure a lot of people don't even think of you as being a stand-up

because between the bad boys' movies and the show, they think of you's more of an actor

than a comedian, don't they?

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. And that happens sometimes because my body of work in the movies and stuff like that.

But my stand-up is where it all started. You know, my stand-up is the reason why I'm here.

So, you know, and the reason why I was able to do all those movies is because of my stand-up.

Well, it's interesting because just watching you in the little prep thing in the special

...