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Richard Allen Davis, Polly Klaas' killer, is housed in the area of San Quentin designated for its most brutal murderers, awaiting the conclusion of appeals that go through the California Supreme Court and federal courts.

Even inside the prison, where crimes against children are seen as especially loathsome, some inmates feel that the state is not moving quickly enough against Davis, officials said.

"Any inmate that gets a chance will try to kill him," Lt. Michael Barker, who runs the most-violent inmate area, said during only the second visit by journalists in 36 years.

Also hated because he helped prompt California to toughen sentences for repeat offenders, Davis was attacked by an arriving inmate a year and a half ago, Barker said.

DECADES AWAITING DEATH

Past history suggests it could be another decade or more before the death penalty truly threatens Davis. "It's not unusual for a man to be in here 20 years before an execution sentence is carried out," said San Quentin warden Jill Brown.

The last man executed, Stephen Wayne Anderson, had been on death row for 20 years before his 2002 death. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (news - web sites), the average time nationwide between sentencing and execution from 1977 to 2002 was just over 10 years with a total of 820 prisoners executed.

"The reason that it takes so long (in California) is that as a society we've made the correct choice. If we're going to kill somebody, we better be goddamn sure that the person actually did it and that he received a fair trial," said Steve Fama at the Prison Law Office which represents inmates.

Some of California's most notorious murderers are not on death row. Charles Manson and Robert Kennedy's assassin Sirhan Sirhan saw their death sentences commuted to life in prison after court decisions cleared death row in the 1970s.

Several inmates interviewed at San Quentin, which opened in 1852, said they hoped their sentences too would be overturned.

"Maybe I'll get a new trial and get out of here," said one prisoner who has been on death row since 1989.

James Robinson, who has been on death row more than a decade, said the accused with money such as O.J. Simpson or Scott Peterson (news - web sites) -- now on trial on double-murder charges -- stood a much better chance to avoid death than the poor.

"If you're not poor, you're pretty much going to be getting out," he said, speaking from behind bars.

State officials say lawyers are reluctant to take on death penalty appeals cases which slows the process, perhaps deliberately so because some oppose the death penalty. Overall, however, Californians support capital punishment with a Field poll in March finding 68 percent in favor and 26 percent against.