World’s Toughest Prisons: Bolivia, Mexico & Colombia | Behind Bars: Best Of | Free Documentary

Bolivia: San Pedro Prison [Music] laas Bolivia 3,700 m above sea level the highest seat of government in the world in the city in the Andes Mountain Gorge besides politics two things and two things only rule poverty and crime Bolivia is the second poorest country in South America the third largest cocaine producer in the world almost 50% of bolivians live below the poverty line those who are even poor and or criminals end up in laas in this place in San Pedro in the for court to Hell in a city within a city in the prison City perhaps the most unusual prison in the world and certainly one of the toughest this is San Pedro a prison where no guards dare Venture inside there are 20 of us and more than 2,000 of them behind those walls pure Anarchy a lawless place where only the strongest survive I am a murderer I killed a cop physical and psychological Insanity I'm afraid of losing myself here anything and everything is available in here we have all the drugs in here that you can get outside an absurd location between rapists pedophiles and drug addicts countless women and children this is San Pedro one of the toughest prisons in the world 7:00 in the morning hustle and bustle at the entrance of San Pedro although the prison city is considered hopelessly overcrowded new criminals wash up against prison Gates almost daily nobody goes in there voluntarily because everybody knows that hell awaits Behind These 18 M High walls Carlos gagos knows as well the reason for his incarceration armed robbery one at a time Carlos and the other arrivals file past to prison guards I'm kind of scared because I do not know what will happen to me although I've been in jail before I was never in here this is my first time here San Pedro is unlike any other prison in the world police officer iban kispe will be the last contact with any officials of the Bolivian executive for the newcomers for a long time after this it's every man for himself kpe is admitting 10 new prisoners today do you have any tattoos no tattoos be an indication of gang membership the police wants to at least know who comes in here Mara saladia Reigns in Bolivia one of the most dangerous and notorious gangs in the world with almost 100,000 members throughout Latin America final [Music] fingerprints and mug shots that's it police work is done from now on the prisoners take over my work is done here then he goes in there the delegados will take over they decide what happens to him the Lords of the prisons the so-called delegados rule Supreme in here everything anytime just a few more meters through a confusing tunnel system then it ends the area of influence of the Judiciary and police after that vigilantism rules the world's toughest prison without guards inside in San Pedro the prisoners are left entirely to themselves the state stays out of it unoccupied watchtowers no guards no police nothing instead prison bosses rise from the ranks of the prisoners murderers violent criminals and drug lords they govern the eight districts of San Pedro they make sure that the completely dilapidated prison town here in the middle of the city located in one of the best neighborhoods of laaz doesn't get completely out of hand within the walls inmates move about freely junkies rapists and riters all [Music] together it was back in 2002 that the government made the unusual decision to leave the prison and its inmates entirely to their own devices since then the inmates take care of everything themselves government sells this as a progressive and integrated system in reality this dirt poor country is just trying to save on Prison costs the state doesn't take care of anything anymore the government has cast San Pedro aside in plain terms the inmates take care of everything they cook their own meals they build the cells and try to keep the prison from falling apart completely patching up as best they can what is in deep disrepair a city within a City full of Outlaws women bring in the goods bread cocaine and building materials the prisoners rule Supreme inside and Kings among Thieves and murderers are the bosses they alone determine who gets what who lives where Within These Walls an absurd and tough microcosm abiding by its own rules and laws for this is San Pedro one of the toughest and most dangerous prisons in the world everybody knows it here then you guys know it Carlos knows it a little what should I say I'd have it easier someplace else this place this is just weird scary some of the other guys have already told me stories I kind of know what to expect [Music] this isn't the first time in prison for Carlos but it's the first time for him and Sedro on the outside he's a tough guy only time will tell how tough he really is on the inside within the walls of San Pedro a few meters more until that last gate the gate to hell the gate where police oversight ends and the rule of the delegados begins a free man when he came in once the door closes behind him Carlos is a free man no longer he is a prisoner of San Pedro a prison which no guard enters voluntarily the F the prisoners rule Behind Bars specifically the prison bosses the so-called delegados Victor Hugo Mendoza a name every newbie would do well to remember for he is the boss of all bosses here convicted of four murders he is the head of the delegados send over the disciplinas [Music] gather around and bring me the new guys Mendoza carefully takes in each newcomer as prison King he has the first word and he has the last word the new one here is only a prisoner when I decide he's a prisoner I explain the rules of conduct in this Penitentiary this helps avoid problems later on problems that may not only make the Newcomer's life difficult but could make his survival here impossible the delegados escort cardos in leading him up to the prison boss is this the new man it's him boss [Music] all right Lis Carlos austo listen to me carefully these are the rules of this prison in this prison the inmates make the rules themselves and the most important thing here is above all else respect everybody listens to the deados in San Pedro there are a total of eight quarters the bosses decide who lives where once you are assigned your quarter it is impossible to change each quarter has a certain reputation one quarter houses the ones who rule the powerful and another quarter the fixers only if Carlos can scrape together enough money will he survive his sleeping area his food everything has a price tag on it totally intimidated by now the newcomer is too scared to ask any questions the delegados assess him according to his crime his age his sentence the boss gives the signal to take him away Carlos himself has no idea what is going to happen to him the delegados lead him down one of the many dark [Music] passages Luis Carlos agusto gigo is from now under the rule of the highest ranking criminal this is the last time we can film him a day later Carlos is not allowed to talk to us anymore his body is covered with bruises how it happened and why no one outside these walls will ever find out Sedro is probably the only prison in the world where the policeman and guards do not enter in fact the prison guards don't care what happens on the inside an easy way to get by he who sees nothing knows nothing the power of the police force here does not extend beyond a 4x4 M area the area where visitors come in show their IDs are security checked and escorted through the door into the actual prison area that's it police chief Christian sahin has been working here for 8 years now as chief of police he should have control of the entire prison but San Pedro is different the delegados let us know if something has happened in the prison they also determine the penalties for crimes we act as an executive power only sahz is pragmatic frighteningly so there are 20 of us and 2,000 of them 20 police officers for more than 2,000 prisoners we're powerless we can't do [Music] anything how helpless the police really are is documented by this video filmed in 2014 it shows one of the worst [Music] riots riots like that happen all the time all the police can do is watch and make sure the riots and unrest do not spread beyond the walls into the city they're just aren't enough of us the situation is intolerable this concept was established many years ago but at that time there were fewer prisoners and now circumstances have changed I think that this here will end very badly in the event of an emergency we can do nothing an absurd microcosm and a hopelessly outnumbered police chief power to the majority power to the prisoners especially the delegados all convicted felons their favorite hangout the parapet from which they can see over the entire prison area these men are respected and feared at the same time because when it comes down to it it is they who decide over life and death first and foremost Victor Ugo Mendoza who has climbed the ranks from a quadruple murderer to prison boss he rules through his delegados one of them Valentino mayori the distinguishing feature of delegado black track suits each delegado is responsible for one of the quarters if there are problems they are supposed to intervene but they also carry out administrative tasks of a certain kind [Music] every prisoner has an entrance fee to pay it's our job to get it yes it's true each prisoner pays to be here the prison bosses require a kind of protection money 150 bolivianos or $21 us a lot of money in a country where the average income is $630 a day that fee does not cover your sleeping area though Valentino himself lives on about 5 Square met he was arrested for marijuana trafficking he was a poted and still is not a problem in San Pedro drugs are everywhere anything you can get outside you can get it in here too the most popular drug by far pasta bazik de cocaine in its first stage it's smoked drugs one of the biggest problems of San Pedro especially one quarter they call the drugs quarter but honestly drugs are everywhere in San Pedro approximately 60% of the inmates are drug addicts they chew on cocoa leaves soaked in chemicals they sniff crack or pure cocaine smoke heroin or the infamous pasta bazik COC particularly popular because it's cheap a byproduct of cocaine manufacturer the dangerous thing about it in addition to psychosis and paranoia it suppresses hunger users either starve to death or go mad the obvious and outright drug dealing excessive consumption and the misery of drug addicts all this happens under the watchful eyes of the deli gathers nobody says anything in front of the camera but many claim it's the delegados who control the drug business here he who has the drugs has the power Sedro is a microcosm reflects the problem of the whole country experts estimate one in three bolivians regularly takes drugs 21 tons of cocaine alone were seized last year and nobody knows the exact figure or amount of cocaine that wasn't seized by law enforcement however experts estimate cocaine exports last year Rose from 290 to 420 tons 1 gam of cocaine costs you between $10 and $20 in lavas a country on a permanent High wired a land lost in drugs and crime a country that attracts adventurers from around the [Music] world like rier Blanco Alvarez called Blanco he's 38 years old and comes from a small Spanish village he's been in San Pedro for 7 years now like many foreign inside Bolivian prisons he is there for a drug related crime you get drugs on every corner in the P I'm here for drug smuggling I was pulled out by the police at the airport they found the drugs at the bottom of my suitcase 2 kilog of cocaine in Bolivia suspected drug abuse is enough to get you arrested according to Bolivian law the prosecutor does not not have to prove guilt the accused must prove his or her innocence often a futile exercise for Blanco anyway so he sits in San Pedro and knows exactly how drugs turn people into zombies for more than four years now he is afraid to venture outside of his cell better off alone than in Bad Company I've been living this way for years now I don't need anyone you don't see it right away but everyone just wants to steal from you they're like hey pal how are you while behind your back they rub you blind I'm My Own best friend next to Lita Blanco earns his money doing woodwork he sells Furniture to other inmates to somehow keep afloat San Pedro Blancos 24/7 night there until he gets out he lives in constant fear of being robbed or worse and is ready for anything I can defend myself I either use a spatula or some other tool if someone makes trouble then I just stab him that's it stabbings are a daily reality in San Pedro Blanco does not want to leave his four walls and he has found a solution for everything this is my toilet it takes way too long to get to the toilets and I don't go out at night he empties his toilet on the roof because he doesn't feel safe down below in the dark and dank corridors of San Pedro too many addicts too many aggressive people and in between this chaos of human despair children approximately 300 of them inmates of San Pedro may bring their families with them to prison but because their parents are occupied during the day trying to make ends meat earning money any way they can most of the children are left to their own devices one of the women who live here is Michelle bendus ortal her daughter escalet is only 5 months old and the youngest resident of San Pedro so far Michelle's husband Cesar is imprisoned for armed robbery Michelle is not a criminal lives here in San Pedro voluntarily Financial constraints and fear for her family have brought her here when my husband got arrested we had to give up our old apartment my husband decided that from now on we would live here together we're like his key Point his strength so he can survive here the family of three lives in a 6 square meter room it was really difficult to set everything up to make it comfortable for us this room looked completely different was full of trash we barely had space to walk around we have a pet rat and there are cockroaches we always have to pay attention that they don't bite my baby girl or go after her food the inmates of San Pedro cannot choose in which room they want to live they have to take what they can get Michelle has managed to make the small room habitable but the real danger lurk outside the mini apartment only a few women really look after their children in here they walk out there in the dark alleys all by themselves pretending like it's a normal street but this is a jail here there are way more dangers than outside Michelle lives here of her own free will but she is ashamed about her situation the only person who knows we are in prison is my mom the rest of my family and friends think we are on vacation Michelle sticks by her husband but the situation weighs heavily upon her despite being allowed to leave the prison twice a day for shopping and doctor visits she still feels like a captive innocent in jail so why do so many families live in San Pedro simple really yet complicated a woman living alone on the outside would barely be able to scrape through Bolivia has no social services so if you don't have money you starve on the inside within Prison Walls the families can at the very least stick together and don't have to pay rent for two places it is a high price to pay though because the children play amongst murderers and child abusers not that life is cheap on the inside who wants to survive in this cess pool of humanity needs food food and protection protection delegados provide and that does not come cheap everybody tries to get their hands on some cash some inmates who had a profession on the outside have an advantage they wash do repair work or bake but the weakest links the ones who have no skills are completely at the mercy of this tough hierarchy day after day these men have to scramble to scratch together a few pennies some of them work as Messengers the so-called Taxas they stand around at the entrance all day looking for those inmates who are EXP expecting visits from the outside the taitas deliver messages or search for the prisoners who are expecting visitors not an easy task in The Labyrinth of small dark passengers in San Pedro they don't earn much money too little to survive too much to die most of the inmates are poorer than they already were before they were convicted Michelle's husband Cesar fights every single day to keep his small family aoat it is not easy Money Rules daily life I came here with 10,000 pesos on the third day I only had 90 left cesa has to pay the delegados $100 per month for the 20 square fet he occupies with his family and if he doesn't pay his wife and baby are out on the streets of San Pedro cesa and his wife get by by baking and selling cupcakes a constant worry is keeping this small business going his biggest concern however is his wife and child it's very dangerous here so I can't let them out of my sight it gets even more dangerous here when it's a public holiday everybody drinks the last day of Carnival they did not respect the fact that I have a small child they attacked me with a knife and because I had the little one in my arms I could not defend myself I ran to the gate but there was no one there no policemen no security nothing and when I complained to the police the next day they reported me to the delegados the police just informs the delegados it couldn't have been worse for Tesa the delegados punish him for his betrayal what they consider betrayal they beat him up the reasoning nobody is to go to the police the delegado rule and decide what's right and what's wrong Valentino is one of the delegados who determines that Cesar's complained about the knife attack during Carnival was not justified during Carnival a lot of things happen you have to understand we all do our best and everyone has problem problems to deal with and when people drink during the holidays and somebody feels provoked tempers flare and can get out of hand an even more volatile topic surrounds that of the sex offenders they are considered fair game and Valentino speaks openly about what is done to them in there in the pool we drown the sex offenders they're beaten and then we dump them in there that's it during the day it is a kid's pool and at night a scene of gruesome vigilantism again and again inmates disappear or are found dead Within These Walls mostly sex offenders those sex offenders who managed to Sur survive are the dregs of San Pedro Society the scum they are responsible for performing the most menial tasks beating potatoes working in the kitchen cleaning up after everyone else scrubbing toilets and prison cells of the more powerful inmates one of them is ricado Sanchez he raped six girls right after he arrived at San Pedro the delegado sought him out since then Ricardo doesn't speak anymore to anybody he works from morning to night without earning a scent there are many just like him they know there is no tougher prison for sex offenders the delegat's rule of law hovers over them constantly final station s Pedro a state within a state a city within a city a different planet San Pedro vigilantism with its own rule of law luck of the draw rule of the dice drugs and Rule of the strongest the weak L those who don't comply disappear without a trace the ones with power rule [Music] just like Ronald Orna he's been in San Pedro for 8 years cop killer 12E sentence he knows his way around these walls and dark alleys and he knows how to survive in [Music] here respect is Paramount in a prison here when a new inmate comes in and wants to prove he as a tough guy wants to stand up to the others then he does not show the necessary respect to the established prisoners your reputation is directly related to your offense I am for example a murderer and that speaks for itself right who has committed what crime quickly makes the rounds since amedro here the rule applies the more severe the crime the greater The Prestige c k Rite ranks high in the hierarch 12:00 noon lunchtime Ronald always finds a place to sit and eat others don't even get enough to eat we are a lot of people in here almost 3,000 and many have their families with them everybody wants to eat but there isn't enough for all of them lunch is the only free meal in prison the only chance for the poorest among the inmates to eat anything the midday meal is financed by the state but there is never enough to feed everyone alternately rice with plantains or broth with chicken is on the menu each prisoner who has received his ration is listed by name those who are late go hungry there are no extras [Music] [Music] because the state supplies only one meal per day San Pedro has to take care of the rest each day women and relatives bring food with them to the prison and that's how drugs enter the prison as well the police does what it can but is completely overwhelmed those who have no relatives or other support on the outside died lose and sooner or later end up [Music] dead bronal usually has enough small change because he has connections to the top to the powerful in San Pedro I earn my money with a few services for the deleg earlier we had to strike out punish someone disciplinary action due to misconduct it's something we have to do it's common practice it went well though part of my routine hey seor move on we're having a a private talk here and that guy wants to EAS drop he has no manners that can't happen here not with me he gets in trouble with me for that kind of behavior holding one's ground demonstrating strength that's the only way to survive in here originally designed to house 600 prisoners in the meantime 3,000 are estimated to be here but no one knows the real numbers that's a problem because again and again people disappear and the police has no clue what's going on currently five inmates are officially listed as missing whether they are dead or have escaped the police doesn't [Music] know I have no idea what is going on in there they do what they want inside those walls we are not allowed to enter crazy and dangerous for any individual inmates like the Spaniard Blanco are left completely to their own devices he has been in San Pedro for seven years now and is too scared to leave his cell he knows too well that inmates regularly disappear Without a Trace in Bolivia's most notorious prison I had a German friend Stefan two years ago he suddenly disappeared the other said he committed suicide but who knows if that's true this is not like in Spain where you get your cell police everywhere and cameras here there's no one they throw you in here and then may God help you if Blanco is to be believed then you are truly at the mercy of San Pedro and its inmates I we have a lot of rapings here in this quarter a man abused another man's wife but more often men rape other men that's why I always sleep with one eye open and keep everything else closed sex and prostitution another huge issue in prison if you don't have a girlfriend or wife in here then you get someone from the outside and pay her but I don't want to and even if I did I don't have the money Blanco's time and prison in one of the toughest prisons in all of South America has left its toll people in Europe are very selfish I you don't realize it until you go to prison I'm not sad no I'm grateful that I was able to realize that and should I ever return to Spain then I can change and I will live better with less I will not be selfish I've sworn that to myself in here in Spain I saw poor people on the streets didn't interest me but here we're all extremely poor [Music] money rules the world especially in the small world of San Pedro corrupt through and through everybody needs money and everybody wants money you pay off people to keep their mouth shut especially when it comes to gambling it is not allowed but if it makes the delegado money then even gambling and prostitution are allowed [Music] cell phones are not allowed here either but you see them everywhere and you can use them too if you bribe the right [Music] people money exchanges hands in the visitors area too you want a cop to leave the room so you can have a private conversation you need money Whoever has the right status can even play football in s Pedro Bard the cop killer is respected and has a reputation as a tough guy the system works for [Applause] him he has his finances under control and does lead a reasonably tolerable life in this unusual prison nothing is free in here everything costs money everything has to be purchased everything has to be paid for like this coke one simply needs money cop killer Ronald lives in the penos quarter not a luxurious area of San Pedro but significantly better than the drug quarter for example where aggressive crimes are pervasive [Music] although ronal maintains good relations with the delegados he still has to pay rent I sleep over there there are inmates who have their own cell but here there are five of us you know what I say to each his own about six square me for five grown men no privacy at all but this sleeping area is still considered one of the better ones and therefore costs money like everything else we pay three pesos per day we pay what we have to pay if you don't pay up you have the delegados on your back and in a place where you always run into somebody no one wants to risk that San Pedro is hopelessly overcrowded the size of a football field the prison was originally meant for 600 inmates in the meantime it's up to 3,000 and the greater the demand for place to sleep the higher the price for a roof over your heads but the people who wash up on these Shores usually have barely enough money to stay afloat most of the money passes his hands Victor Ugo Mendoza prison boss Control San Pedro to accommodate all of his underlings he wants to enlarge the prison and is planning a new building I have to ensure that we get new material we are looking for donations there are people out there that help us they donate money bricks and cement so we can build this house not one cent for the new building is coming from the Bolivian government the government has abandoned San Pedro and implemented a bold social project in 2002 a prison without guards inmates managing it themselves the result a completely dilapidated prison many of the houses here are over 100 years old in danger of collapse and only makeshift repairs are possible most of the cells or do it yourself because of lack of space those who cannot afford a place to live sleep between dirt and garbage in one of the many dark passages four-time murderer mendosa is the only one who can change anything he is not only prison boss but building contractor as [Music] well I am not only proud I am glad that I and my comrades were able to implement our project a project that sounds quite absurd upon closer inspection because mendosa's new prison building once finished will be only 10 cm lower than the actual Prison Walls since there is an observation tower from there they control us there is CCT TV so they have the outer walls under control empty surveillance towers and unguarded walls at her 10 cm High hug menoa plays dumb he knows exactly what he can say and what he prefers to keep to himself it would perhaps be too much to say that I feel like a king but up here I feel free I feel the windmore up here you can feel the freedom down there among all those people it is ominous and depressing Ugo Mendoza looks at his little kingdom as it appears to continue to grow because this is Sedro and laas one of the toughest prisons in South America a prison in which no guards or police officers dare enter who ends up behind those bars is completely at the mercy of the ruling prisoners and their order of conduct a prison boss who together with his posy controls the entire prison the prison where people disappear where others lock themselves in out of fear where a small group of people control everything where you either pay up or go to the dogs a prison where drugs are ubiquitous and in the middle of this Quagmire the innocent children are on their own this is San Pedro a city within a city a world unto itself with its own rule of law how will it go on Prison boss Ugo Victor Mendoza wants to continue to preside over the nearly 3,000 prisoners his new building will probably be finished in year but it is really only a drop in the bucket because Sedro is overcrowded six-fold the police huddled in their small office are resigned to the harsh realities they expect things to get worse before they get better and so their jobs remain as dangerous as ever if they want to escape they can we do our best but we can't have our eyes on everyone we just can't monitor everything cop killer Ronald Ora doesn't need to escape after 12 years in different prisons he could soon be a free man when I'm out of here I'm sitting down with my family to dinner at home with my wife my children my nephews and nieces we eat ceviche that I have prepared by myself Cesar has about four more years ahead of him but he has had relapses and doesn't think he can make it on his own we need support the people who get out of here are extremely poor what are they going to do go out and steal again many get out on Friday and are back inside by Monday and Blanco to be honest he is on the verge of losing his mind I'm afraid of losing myself completely in here there will be nothing left of me I want to get out of here but I do not think I will ever return to Spain [Music] Bolivia laaz San Pedro the city in a city a state within a state and definitely one of the toughest and most notorious prisons on the planet Mexico: El Hongo Baja California in northern Mexico the Mexican underworld is concentrated here right on the American Border the cartels fight over this drug and arms Corridor in no man's land with Savage violence the bloody consequence countless murders kidnappings and torture thousands of soldiers and police officers take part in the fight against the Naros every day but in a vicious circle of corruption and violence the situation is more dangerous than ever as a check on the drug war the worst criminals are banished to the desert to the middle of nowhere to the dreaded Maximum Security Prison elongo a high-tech Fortress designed according to American Standards the only prison in all of Mexico where bribery is useless fences over 10 ft High countless video cameras the inmates here must obey the law of the guards there's nothing here no drugs no tobacco the government's in charge but resistance stirs within the prisoners got out of their cells ripped the legs off the tables and chairs and attacked us with these homemade weapons cartel Killers drug bosses child molesters serving sentences of up to 70 years the inmates have nothing left to lose we can't always win that doesn't means we have to stop from fting them a daily struggle for survival the hardest thing is not knowing what will happen each day in a prison for the toughest criminals in the country it only takes one spark to light the powder cake 11:30 a.m. shift change in the maximum security bunker starting now 26-year-old par will spend 24 hours Behind These Walls the command center has to give its approval each time the gate is open no one enters elongo without consent this is a super Maximum Security [Music] Prison everyone is subject to the same search procedure no exceptions nothing is allowed through the security check no cell phones cigarettes or food each new shift Demands a major effort from the 26-year-old guard when I first started working here I was afraid of the prisoners but you get used to it over [Music] time I can deal with it better now entrance into the high-tech bunker requires a fingerprint and Iris scan the first stop the weapon store room hi I'd like a gas canister and a baton please live ammunition is only allowed on the watchtowers and outside the Prison Walls inside the guards protect themselves from rebellious prisoners with tear gas and batons a necessity elongo is one of the biggest prisons in Mexico and one of the most notorious the gigantic complex consists of three security zones elongo one houses 3,000 prisoners of all kinds murderers rapists drug dealers next door elongo 2 has about 600 inmates who require the next highest security level gang members and Rebels are housed separately in F block elongo 3 tops them all its nearly 300 prisoners are among the most dangerous criminals in the whole country the new shift begins in elongo 2 along with 20 other guards Parra has to keep the unruly prisoners under control in the 5 years in which he's worked at the prison he has already experienced a major Riot the cell door was open and the prisoners got out of their cell they ripped the legs off the tables and chairs and attacked us with these homemade weapons honestly I was scared but you've got to control your feelings you have to keep your impulses in check the guards only managed to put down the riot with the help of the police and the military so check 76 inmates in one room under observation 24 hours a day privacy none at all nevertheless the prisoners find ways to escape the watch of the authorities there are blind spots here places with no cameras so we have to go into the cells to check whether any prisoners are lying there injured for example the inmates know where the cameras don't reach and that's where they go to resolve their problems that's why par is checking the washing areas many prisoners can't deal with a prison's strict rules the result they lash out violently at others or themselves today however he doesn't find anything Francisco a prisoner knows these problems well he's been here for 8 years The Best Is Not to cause any problems or start a fight with other prisoners I just want to do my time if you touch other people's stuff you'll get in trouble and usually into a fight see nothing hear nothing say nothing this is already the 32-year-old's fifth time in prison this time for drug dealing and stealing guns in Uno however he's gotten clean for the first time the hard way the guards are in control there's nothing here no drugs no tobacco the government's in charge they're the bosses not us poverty and lack of opportunity Drive many Mexicans to drug addiction but in the maximum security stronghold in the desert it's nearly impossible to get access to drugs sensors cameras cell phone Jammers the prison resembles a high-tech Fortress Sharp Shooters on 15 watchtowers make sure around the clock that nothing comes in or [Music] out those who try end up in the notorious F block isolation and monotony the punishment for everyone who causes problems in the prison two prisoners per cell at the most but even that doesn't prevent many from rebelling against the system once a day guards like par have to check if everything's okay [Music] what are you doing I'm just making a list of what I want to buy in the store Gabrielle has been behind bars for 15 years the last 10 in the special housing unit nevertheless the prisoner is still in active contact with others oh it's my mail my mail um we sent Ma through um through other floors other parts we have ways to communicate either sign language or dilet we have fic words that cars can't understand cabriel is not supposed to have contact to other prisoners a couple years ago he was one of the main people behind the riot they consider as dangerous to other people the way we think the way we think the um we influenc a lot of people to think a certain way like us and they consider us a dangerous to them Gabrielle is from Los Angeles he's a member of a Hispanic gang called ble Street he was in prison for crimes he committed as part of the gang I'm here for kidnapping for kidnapping which that was committed in 2003 that was 15 years ago yes my sentence was 33 years and a half yes that's my sentence original sentence but to be honest with you um this living incriminating but I really don't care right now um I'm in the country where it's kind of corrupted so money talks and I'll be out pretty soon I already did more more than enough time so I'll be out soon yes confident statements for a man who has only seen the world from inside a jail for the last 15 years his cellmate Gilbert is also from La he hasn't set foot outside the Prison Walls for 16 years the one bright spot a barred window with a view of the yard solitary confinement means isolation but Gilbert knows how to get by using a homemade sling he trades food with the inmates on the floor below we have to do it without without them seen us so it's not allow usually if I get caught they'll probably take uh take uh two weeks from a yard for me and uh I I I won't go out for nothing for 2 weeks I I'll be here myself he's willing to take his chances on the outside he experienced and did much bloodier things I'm here for for uh working with the cartels in Mexico trying to uh get get all the territories and and the methods of the Mexican drug cartels are gruesome in 2017 more than 19,000 murders were committed by the mafia all I can tell you is that after after so many after so many things you do you you you forget you stop counting that's the way it is I mean at first is it's just you just do it for the money it's nothing personal and then after that is just like any like if it's a normal thing just for the how do you say adrenal adrenaline it's just for thetive and and it's easy to get away with it here in Mexico I'm only here for for guns Four Guns so I was one of the lucky persons Gilbert is only doing time for arms dealing not for murder it's no Rarity in Mexico only 2% of violent crimes ever get solved that means 98 out of 100 murderers and kidnappers get away with it 2: p.m. time to go to the yard once a week the prisoners in F block are allowed to spend time in small groups in would be Freedom the only diversion from their monotonous daily routine the inmates now have 2 hours to make telephone calls and go shopping cash is forbidden in the prison payments are made via fingerprint money can be paid into the prisoners accounts by wire transfer or in cash on visiting day a maxim of $65 per week in this way the prison director hopes to prevent extortion and Corruption the only contact to the outside world the telephone in the yard family news is the top priority my daughter my daughter is on those priorities first this is sh how's she doing Grio three daughters all live in Los Angeles tomorrow is a big day his youngest daughter is coming to visit for the first time in 14 years Gabrielle clarifies the final details of their meeting after that he takes care of some business all right if the direct no answer on Gabrielle also makes phone calls on behalf of others they use hand signals to communicate with each other an act of kindness or calculation whatever I can assist him with whatever is to my to my reach if besides doing my that's my priority if I can help him out where other people call so I do that maybe take a month only 2 hours of Freedom per week that's part of the concept in elongo one of the most secure prisons in the world the prisoners in F block are lucky there's one section in the prison where the inmates see even less daylight elongo 3 houses the worst criminals in all of Mexico it's super maximum security organized crime cartel bosses corrupt government officials the prisoners here could jeopardize the safety of the entire country this man is the warden of evil Commander Carlos Vaso he's been in charge of elongo 3 for several years in that time he's experienced many dangerous situations the most recent attack an inmate wounded him with a knife the hardest thing is not knowing what would happen what to expect you always depends on the mood of the prisoners no two days are alike shift change the commander is aware of the constantly lurking danger that's why the guards work in teams being careful is the most important thing the moment you feel too secure the prisoners could pounce one minute of inattentiveness could cost the commander his life each day the guards in elongo 3 have to settle disputes or separate prisoners no wonder each 10x 15t cell is shared by up to six criminals today is the annual eye exam that means civilians in the super max Wing an additional challenge for the commander the prisoners can literally smell how tense the guards are the prisoners can get rebellious when there are too few guards that's why we have to put handcuffs on them in order to control their [Music] movements a few years ago there was an escape attempt but it failed miserably the prisoners are under minute observation walls over 10 ft High non-stop surveillance the prison was even recognized by the American government for its high security standards in Mexico elongo is considered the model prison par excellance that's why the inmates of elongo 3 use every opportunity to escape the dull monotony of their cells [Music] a little sun is nice we like it it gives us a bit more freedom carlosz has been in the Maximum Security Prison for more than 16 years for his crime he's serving a 25-year sentence [Music] [Applause] [Music] in prison Carlos doesn't need to fear that someone will take revenge on the outside things are different his victim's relatives are just waiting for him to be set free [Music] again it may be true but I'm Not Afraid thought about it but I'm not scared I believe in God he protects me from my enemies and if not then I'll bite the grass again as we prisoners say but I can't imagine I'd have problems after getting out if the situation does arise however then I have to stand up straight and take the bull by the horns for many of the inmates life has become a dangerous game of chance and the daily routine in prison is not for everyone there are also people who can't handle prison we all have to get through it but those people aren't here in the cells they're somewhere else housed in a separate cell block the prisoners here are only in from murder and kidnapping violence among inmates no Rarity indeed it's the order of the day elongo has murderers rapists and drug smugglers who shrink from absolutely nothing that's why some prisoners have to be kept apart the cell block for homosexuals about 20 men live here kept separate from all the other their inmates to protect them from [Music] attack at 59 Francis names is one of the oldest Prisoners the former psychiatrist was arrested by the police with five kilog of meth since then he calls this cell his poultry home know I've been here for seven years and don't have any problems thank God I'm okay the guards tell me what to do do this don't do that but they're good to me even if the guards don't bully the homosexual inmates Mexico is split in this regard prejudices are strong among the broader population and especially among the prisoners that's why no one else is present and Francis goes out into the yard a gay man in a prison full of men it's a blessing and a curse first at the same [Music] time so far Francis has been lucky in 2 days he has a long awaited hearing it will decide whether he'll be released 2 years [Music] early hopefully the judge will do the right thing the prospect of seeing his adopted son and Grandson again soon overwhelms the 59-year-old he's had no contact with them since he started serving his sentence Francis places all his hopes in the judge's decision his future is uncertain 700 p.m. the prisoners are sent back to their cells time to shut the doors the guards have to check that every prisoner is present about 2,000 in total officer par is among the guards at work in elongo too [Music] [Music] line up hands behind your backs you know what to do to help the guards keep a clear overview each prisoner is entered into the system by his fingerprints name sentence time served the system leaves no room for loopholes we have to count the prisoners every day we use a special system the machine reads the inmates fingerprints and Compares them with the database if a prisoner isn't in the cell but rather in the infirmary then we have to get his fingerprint from there otherwise the system reports a problem but so far no one's ever been missing so far no one has managed to escape from Mexico's most secure prison but that doesn't mean the situation will stay that way the mood among the prisoners can change in a Flash I'm not really afraid it's more that I'm nervous you're here with so many inmates in one cell and you know each one has done something terrible that's why par is glad to leave leave the cell block behind him for a while in elongo 3 the guards have their most difficult task ahead of them a cell raid at night in the prison while the inmates are in bed the special Commando prepares for its Mission the first group searches the cells you know the procedure understood the guards have got a tip drugs have supposedly been stashed in two cells the inmates in elonga 3 so dangerous that even the highly trained special unit only dares to go in with an absolute numeric Advantage all the prisoners have to leave the cell the tone is severe no objections are tolerated [Music] the atmosphere in the group sellers tense if the guards do indeed find drugs or weapons there will be a drastic penalty to pay a sentence extension of up to 25 years Galos lives in one of the cells under [Music] suspicion it's unpleasant I don't have anything to hide but it's unpleasant whether that's true remains to be seen the search party proceeds every nook is unsparingly searched backup is waiting outside the cell the special K9 unit despite the excitement the dog handler Sandra knows she can depend on her four-legged colleague's nose the dogs are trained to stay calm in stressful situations like these means that fast movements loud noise when someone slams a door open or shuts or drops something that stuff doesn't bother them it's important for the dogs to be calm before the actual search begins Sandra's search dog is one of 20 that support the guards in the search for drugs over time the prisoners come up with the sneakiest hiding places the inmates can hide things in bed back at the wall or in these holes here search here even in the scratches on the wall or in the toilet if the dog lays its ears back it's found something the dogs raised the alarm very rarely but the guards still have to follow up on every tip no exceptions we've searched two cells and found nothing false alarm neither dog nor guards have found anything the special Commando withdraws that also means that the security barriers have worked elongo prison is and Remains the maximum security bunker par ex salons [Music] F block preventive detention once a week Gabrielle and his cellmate get to go out into the yard the other six days of the week the cell door stays closed it wasn't always like that we had the power we had them on their Thum weu this do obey us but things change like a can't always win the government but you can that doesn't means we have to stop from fighting them I miss having my cell phone I miss having my TV I miss a lot of things that missed Freedom we we had keys we had our own keys to ourselves I miss those times bribery is the order of the Day in Mexico politics bureaucracy the military corruption infiltrates all layers of society like a cancer [Music] even though we're behind bars we still have strong connections with people out there they help us out when we need it I'm just a simple prisoner willing um doing my time so the more corrupt the better for me within the Prison Walls however the wardens wage a fierce war against corruption Carlos the commander knows what to expect honestly the people currently in charge of the prison are not corrupt but if a guard becomes corrupt it's difficult then he's got consequences to fear either you get prosecuted and end up behind bars yourself or you lose your job corruption is [Music] scorn elongo prison is considered absolutely incorruptible the only one in all of Mexico on the other hand there's a great deal of violence and aggression many of the inmates will only leave prison when they die most of our problems have to do with the prisoner's mood you never know what mood they'll wake up in they can behave quite calmly but when they get bad news from home they immediately get aggressive and that leads to fights among the inmates and even to riots you have to keep an eye on the situation and make sure that it doesn't spread to the whole Cell Block in prison even the smallest provocation can lead to a massive Revolt among the inmates [Music] for Gabrielle in F block today is finally the day of his youngest daughter's long awaited visit at this point he still doesn't know what the day holds for him my daughters and my my wife my main motivation Gabrielle hasn't seen his youngest daughter in 14 years he was arrested and convicted in Mexico right after her birth his family lives in America which is why they're only in touch with each other by phone that's supposed to change in a few hours his cellmate Gilbert has no visitors today El Longo's remote location makes it difficult for people to visit the fact that how how they made this this prison here it's it's pretty it's pretty hard you know it's I'm pretty sure it's different from from a lot of a lot of Prisons the family could just move around and live around the other City around the other prison and and the teaser for you here I mean it's it's twice a month a visit but I mean it's hard because they have to come all the way over the here not only that I mean it's dangerous you know because Anything could happen you know the cartel killer knows what he's talking about nevertheless family is often the only thing that keeps the isolated prisoners from going crazy my exwife she was having problems I said to myself well I have to help her because I was only getting 700 pesel which is $70 a week here so there was no way I could help her so I had to do what I had to do and and uh and I did it and I helped them out and and while I'm here and you know I'm part of me it's I'm I'm I I don't regret it but half of me you know it's it's I've been here now it's it's really sad but uh hopefully this nightmares should be coming out should be going away pretty soon he'll spend at least another 2 years between a nightmare and reality visiting day in no man's land every civilian who wants to enter elongo must submit to a very thorough search the guards monitor the visitors with cameras and metal detectors no Contraband is allowed to cross the threshold of the maximum security bunker in addition Sandra the dog handler uses a search dog to search the family members for drugs and cell phones hold down to your glasses so they don't get broken the dog isn't aggressive and he'll only jump if there's something inside search if the visitors do have something illegal with them the dog lies down on the floor right in front of them but that doesn't seem to be the case today good thank you go ahead smuggling methods have gotten increasingly sophisticated over the years that's why the search dog checks all the gifts and momentos brought to the inmates especially popular cell [Music] phones the whole prison is outfitted with signal Jammers you can also see them on the watchtowers so there's no service inside the walls but some people still try to smuggle cell phones inside the consequences for that can be seen in the pictures on the [Music] wall the prison director is ruthless when it comes to smuggling those who try it usually don't leave the prison the smuggling of illegal substances and cell phones is punishable by up to 25 years in prison back to Gabrielle in F block he's looking forward to his daughter's long- awaited visit but then comes unexpected news do you have a visitor this morning what did Danny say yes from 9:30 to 11: is she there no not yet [Music] for come on let me go out into the yard to make a phone call we're waiting for a visit for bar his family still has exactly 1 hour to enter the prison if they're not there by then the visit will be cancelled we have a schedule from 9:30 to 11: if the family arrives just 1 minute past 11: they can't come [Music] in Gabriel hasn't seen his daughter in 14 years and now time is running out if she doesn't show up in the next hour the earliest he can get approval for another visit will be 14 days [Music] the moment of truth will Gabrielle be able to embrace his daughter for the first time come here an hour has passed and nobody showed up so no visit today yeah but I wanted to make a call anyway you have the authorization you have the key and you can let me into the yard I understand it's not easy but the people over there also get to go down this sucks really this is giving me a headache right but your visitors didn't show up okay an exception not in El Longo Gabrielle is frustrated he has no idea why his daughter didn't come he has to make a plan junior is the next one they take to the yard he should make the call for years Gabrielle has waited for a chance to see his daughter who is now 16 today he must bury his hopes he some bumps in their lives obstacles we have to overcome I got to be strong so I'm I'm I'm going keep fighting so they can keep it to me again I mean I waited I haven't seen here for 14 years a few more few more days few more weeks few more months event [Music] you at least he has the chance of being released in a few years some of the prisoners in Alo 3 will never leave laflor the flower that's what the guards call the special cell block a prison within the prison for the worst criminals of all with sentences between 50 and 70 years that's where calos the commander has to do his weekly rounds to avoid dangerous situations the guards only enter this cell block in closed formation [Applause] [Music] the inmates here aren't in solitary confinement but they're watched very closely there's very strict surveillance the prisoners here are serving sentences of up to 70 years they have nothing left to lose organized crime corrupt politicians drug Barons laf flor's 106 inmates could transform the whole country into a bloody Battlefield the 9x1 12T cells are shared by two or three prisoners hardened men kept like attack dogs and cages some of them for the rest of their lives I'm serving 50 years for murder that's why I'm here we get to go into the yard once a week for half an hour to make phone calls it's [Music] depressing the guard's job make sure the prisoners don't kill each other or themselves the commander has to bring one of them to the doctor the prisoners have almost no contact to the outside world on the other hand they have lots of time for reflection I'm in jail because I was in organized crime in Baja California but in prison you shouldn't think you'll get help from the cartel you have to pull yourself up out of the muck no Prospect of a reduced sentence or help from outside instead lives that will end Behind Bars after Decades of time [Applause] [Music] served the Commander's shift is over time to go home but it's actually not a home at all a single room in the administrative section of the jail smaller than the prisoner cells it's simply too dangerous to live outside the prison but Carlos needs neither luxury nor Comfort his job is his [Music] life I like my job there aren't many people who want to do it you've got to make some tough decisions but that's part of the job some prisoners will despise you even if you encourage them but that's no reason to quit you've got to be a professional here Gilbert has two more years to serve enough time to mull over his future my mother I'm I'm ear I'm I'm her early son yeah she actually she does feel sad and and she's getting old already so I got to I got to stop this already I think it's already time to to do do what I got to do when I get out cuz uh next time I don't think she'll be around and that's the only person that that I could uh I could trust and Gabrielle when he gets out he won't be able to avoid gang life you could be out but you don't have to do the heavy things you can do the light things you can survive with it long as you don't know too much or do too much but still be part it it'll work out just big decisions in your life and I made some and um there's no tur back either join them or die in Mexico it's extremely difficult to stay on the straight path and thus most of the prisoners will spend their whole lives behind bars the only Incorruptible prison in a country sinking into corruption and Colombia: Cárcel Distrital violence bogot Colombia for decades the megalopolis has been fighting against cultural [Music] decline against the ever widening gap between rich and poor 27% of the city's 8 million inhabitants live below the poverty line the biggest fight the fight against drugs no country is better known for Narcotics than Colombia But A change is underway here too Colombia is transforming from a country of drug producers into a country of drug users cost of drugs is steadily declining and the rate of addiction is rising and with it criminal activity as that's the only way most people can get money for their next hire a vicious circle which with great likelihood ends here in one of the toughest prisons in Colombia carel distal a daily struggle for survival takes place Behind These Walls a struggle with guards and other inmates and with [Applause] oneself 1,000 prisoners are serving sentences here are awaiting a verdict most of them sex offenders dealers or thieves they are in control here I'm in charge of the yard brutal altercations are a part of everyday prison [Music] life there are occasional stabbings in the cells and they leave their mark I was cut with a knife my shirt was all bloody and someone threw it away common causes of problems drugs and money most of the inmates can't get by without drugs and the guards can do hardly anything about it no one no one pays for anything here the inmates play by different rules if you don't want to pay we won't do anything anymore it'll stay dirty here the most difficult struggle is the struggle with oneself if we don't get him fixed I know he'll try to commit suicide again a struggle that many people [Music] lose 5 in the morning the streets outside are quiet it's different behind the walls the walls of this Penitentiary the guards have a lot to do today they have to process 50 new prisoners they've been transferred here from an overcrowded [Music] jail one of them 22-year-old Diego Deus this is his second time in prison serving a 5-year sentence he doesn't plan to come back again I have to think positive I want to get out of here it's full of difficult situations that you've got to deal with it's also hard because you're separated from your family the eagle first went to prison at the age of 15 he served three years for theft his crime this time theft and illegal possession of a firearm he's already spent 17 months in other prisons his transfer was a surprise I had to pack quickly so I wasn't able to pack all my things each prison has its own rules what was allowed in his last prison is not necessarily allowed here in the penitentiary that's why many new arrivals have things with them that they're not allowed to keep that's prohibited I forgot SIM cards however are prohibited in all prisons the new arrivals are extremely creative in their attempts to smuggle things into the prison things that make their lives in jail easier or [Music] safer we found scissors like these hidden quite well inside clothing prisoners can use them to hurt others or themselves or even the prison staff that's how problems are dealt with here in jail so it's important to search the new arrivals as carefully as possible despite the Jail's strict rules the prisoners are allowed to bring small personal items with them that have no material [Music] value this is from my wife and son my son died he's dead it's not the first painful loss he's had to Bear Diego lost his parents when he was still a child he was raised by his grandparents he got to know the brutal side of life early on like many inmates here fertile soil for a broken path towards a life of crime the 50 new arrivals have to be processed it will take about 12 hours but not all of them will stay here if the upcoming examinations reveal that an inmate is ill either physically or mentally he gets sent back to the other [Music] Jail at the same time the lights go on in one of the men's cell blocks every day the nearly 1,000 inmates get up at 5:00 a.m. and are locked back in at 5:00 p.m. in those 12 hours they are only allowed to be in the yard and there he's in charge 23-year-old Nicholas Garcia water God be with you thank you Nicholas has been serving a sent here for robbery for 1 and 1/2 years now it's his second time in prison he knows how he has to behave behind bars in order to [Music] survive I'm in charge of the yard there's lots of unrest in no order I've seen lots of fights and I've won a couple too as the boss on this cell block Nicholas has many duties this pavon has thieves and also some sex offenders I have to intercede to make sure they don't go after one another leaders and gangs are prohibited here but factions nevertheless man to emerge and take control they take care of a few things and maintain order but they also shake down their fellow inmates when something doesn't suit [Music] them this in turn alarms the guards in total the prison has 150 guards 18 Junior officers and three lieutenants they make sure the inmates feel the necessary harshness and discipline still there are da altercations the reason boredom or power struggles that's why all the guards always carry batons and [Music] handcuffs sometimes there are knife fights in the cells in the morning what do you want me to do what do you want we're going [Applause] [Music] the potential for conflict in the jail is very high many hardened criminals are confined in a small space the nearly 1,000 inmates are divided into six cell blocks one woman cell block and five Men Cell blocks Nicholas is sitting in the yard for those prisoners whove already been sentenced the other four are from male inmates awaiting a final sentence the back part of the prison contains the kitchen the section for solitary confinement and the workshops in which certain inmates work for 4 hours during the day the smaller building is for the prison administrators this is also where the visitors check in and new prisoners are [Music] processed Diego the new inmate must wait for 1 hour before his processing continues end up with 25 other newbies this is the third prison he's been in and each one is different in its own way in the last prison the inmates didn't have to wear standard prison clothing but here they do you've got to start over that's normal like when you start a new job you've got to learn everything over again where you can stand what you can do how things [Music] work the prisoners are allowed to have one change of clothing in their C they wear it on wash day otherwise they are always required to wear the orange prison uniform no prisoner should be distinguishable from the others individuality is not tolerated here you can bring toiletries with you you have to wear a light undershirt you can take a few things out of the bag to take with you toiletries foot powder deodorant toothpaste razors please take all these things out now the inmates aren't allowed to take anything else nor could they four prisoners have to share a 6X 10t cell each cell has a toilet and a sink the beds four concrete slabs with mattresses each prisoner has his own small shelf for personal items they're never even supposed to have the opportunity to feel comfortable Diego now it's time for the next step in Diego's processing the guards have to take fingerprints from every prisoner it's not enough for the files to simply be transferred from the other prison but the fingerprints could have changed for example due to scars but the guards take fingerprints not only from those who are new to the prison but also from inmates who leave the prison like John Fernando Gonzalez Diaz was being taken to the hospital for an examination but there's a problem you have to wear the orange shirt neatly and be shaved you haven't shaved you can't go to the examination without being decently shaved I was cut with a knife my shirt was all bloody and someone threw it away John Fernando has been here for 3 years he shot someone during a robbery this is jail a couple days ago he got into a fight with another inmate John F seriously wounded him for many prisoners violence is the only way to survive here all the prison here in Colombia they're tough for sure if you don't see what you're doing even they can't kill you you know probably you can't get out of here you know that's why you have to always be looking out why you walking who you looking who you talking to you know all the time you got to be looking out looking out all the time all the time this is already John Fernando's fourth time in jail his body Bears the marks of the years he served in the form of scars and tattoos that this one I Mak it in Mexico it means God bless me never happens again this one it means a fight with two guys in Mexico too in jail one of them is dead the other one at I that that's right and the Colombian flowers is come out from the Mexican from the Mexican you know and my stars three times in jail three times be out wrong John Fernando is a notorious thief and he has no compunction about using weapons that's how he earns his living and he hopes to make a lot of money many of the inmates never learned any other way to make a living it's the easiest way albeit a hard one that us usually leads directly to [Music] prison John Fernando is leaving the Prison Walls for the first time in 3 years naturally he is heavily guarded as is the case with every prisoner transport there is a great danger of escape and a risk that accomplices outside the jail will try to free the prisoners whereas the guards usually only carry batons here they protect themselves with bulletproof vests and a gun so far all attempts to escape or to free prisoners have been thwarted such transports take place every day inmates often pretend to be sick in order to get out and then smuggle things back in Colombia is a country in which bribery is normal this is how many prisoners obtain Contraband from the hospital which they then smuggle into the prison and to prevent this the inspections are very thorough even though it's a prison there are still drugs here many of the inmates are addicted or take drugs to make their everyday lives more bearable since the guards don't always find everything drug sniffing dogs are used Diego the new inmate knows that the first hours in prison are decisive you can't cause problems if you do then you have even more problems you have to behave really well in order to get released early and when I get out I want to help my grandmother new inmate processing also includes a medical exam anyone found to be sick is not allowed to have contact with the other inmates the risk of infection is too [Music] great at 5:45 the guards Clos the cells for 12 hours from now on the prisoners must stay in the yards of their respective cell blocks there is no opportunity to spend time alone find peace or quiet or enjoy privacy as he does every morning nichos the boss marks his territory 14 people belong to his gang each has his own jobs handed out by the boss of [Music] course buddy help with the cleaning get out of the way so they can clean clear the court the prison has rules and routines but the prisoners expand on them in their own way are you not some people clean in exchange for a sentence reduction but since they can't keep everything clean themselves two or three people help out on Sunday they get paid for it we demand 35 cents or cigarettes we don't keep the money but pass it on to the men who do the cleaning money is prohibited in the prison payment is made in cigarettes or telephone PIN numbers they're worth a lot here as they enable contact to the outside world in order to use the phone inmates have to have a pin number which gives them credit the telephone cards themselves are provided by family or friends on the outside the more rules there are the more people break them Nicholas sees himself as an intermediary between prisoners but also between inmates and guards I have to stop the fights that break out here if fights take place I lose my status I am the people I'm the one in charge most of the inmates accept nichlas he must fight regularly to prove that he belongs at the top of his cell block the guards tolerate Nicholas as boss as long as he works in their interests if he doesn't his will be the first head to roll the inmates know that too there's always one person there in case things get chaotic but this person must have character be strong otherwise many people will try to bring him down and take his place like a president is in charge of his government there also has to be someone here who's in charge of the yard officially the guards are in charge of the yard but there's a big problem the guards can be bribed but they try to avoid conflicts with the inmates the guards know that there are drugs here and that many inmates use them from morning to night the inmates smoke marijuana take cocaine or get hayan bazuko a cheap byproduct of cocaine production it all goes on right under the guard's noses but they put up with it since they can't stop it completely anyway there are many ways for forbidden substances to find their way into the prison they can be brought in by visitors on visiting day or they can be thrown into the pavon from outside there are many ways to get Contraband inside throwing things over the Prison Walls is one of the most popular and effective ways of smuggling Contraband into the jail quick as Lightning one of the inmates grabs the package that's been thrown in a lot of thought goes into the concealment of smuggled [Applause] Goods drugs weapons and cell phones are wrapped up in many small pieces of paper everything is quickly distributed and hidden until the guards have nothing left to find except the letters that are also in the packages and the prisoners explain them in their own way they were letters a family member decides to write and sends them one example I was arrested with an accomplice he's in the other yard so he sends me a letter to tell me we have a hearing on a certain day the letters about that kind of thing the penitentiary's location makes it an easy target for this kind of smuggling the cell blocks are surrounded on one or two sides by public streets and The Yards have no roofs not all the packages make it to the yards they land on the roofs and then on this table the lieutenant is taking pictures of the contents of 15 packages that were all thrown in one week but that didn't hit their target we have a couple of greenish substances here looks like marijuana and this stuff here comes wrapped in individual portions it's another way to smuggle drugs swallowing them or hiding them in body cavities that's why the guards often can't find [Music] drugs but the dogs can only a fraction of the packages remains on the roof most make their way into the yard but that doesn't always mean trouble according to Colombian law possessing selling and transporting drugs is illegal if we find someone with more than 20 gr that is more than 20 gram of marijuana or 1 gr ofo if we find someone with more than this do then we prosecute him even in prison this law applies prosecution means a longer prison sends the Mills of Justice grind very slowly in Colombia first the prosecutor stipulates a sentence that the prisoner is allowed to challenge but until that happens years often pass thus although most of the prisoners have not yet been sentenced they sit behind bars for years and wait the only way to reduce one sentence is to work in the Workshops the sentence is reduced by the amount of time the prisoners work the problem there are too few for too many inmates thus some hope to be transferred to other prisons where there are more workstations but that doesn't usually happen until they're sentenced back to the Diego the new inmates are still being processed they've been here for 4 hours now it's time for a haircut there are clear guidelines for the barber the Clipper must be set to 2 mm the inmates have to get their hair cut regularly or they do it themselves with smuggled razor blades for once an appropriate use of contraband then it's time to record the prisoners personal information previous convictions family scars tattoos everything is taken down I have a scar on my arm a burn no it happened when I got a tattoo where right arm right okay what's it say my mom's name rotate your arm turn it over the last step in the information gathering process mug shots for over 80% of the inmates this is a familiar routine it's not their first time in prison and it probably won't be their last in the cell block for sentenced inmates it's all about surviving and somehow getting through the day Nicholas takes the opportunity to wrap out his frustration [Applause] Nicholas raps about life in prison weapons and violence but back in the corner they don't only rap about violence practice fights take place there with no weapons and no injuries the inmates show off their fighting skills but often things get out of hand if you have to fight then you have to sometimes even with a knife the camera doesn't reach back here so this is where we do it Nicholas sustained several injuries in his last fight since then his pinky has been stiff there's no shortage of reasons to fight here the boy doesn't like black people he started screaming in the yard I don't like blacks who should I fight I came into the yard and tried to stay calm and not worry about it but the boy wouldn't leave me alone so we fought most altercations arise because of stealing unpaid debts drugs or simply out of [Applause] boredom and no fight ends without injuries almost everyone here has a weapon knives scissors needles there's even a man in Nicholas's gang who is responsible for replenishing the supply of weapons wrapped up and camouflaged the knives are barely [Music] noticeable many of the inmates don't just turn weapons on others but also on themselves Nicholas is one of [Music] them bipolar so I have radical mood swings seeing blood helps me keep myself under control but I don't do anything to anyone else just to myself I used to go to a psychiatrist every month and he gave me pills but I don't have any anymore I took them all after the medical examination in the hospital the prisoners returned to their cell blocks and in this cellblock John Fernando is the boss he oversees the routines the dealing with drugs and weapons he is supported by a 12-man crew here he has the same role as Nicholas does in his yard and the two men have known each other for a long time told D he was right here he was my boy too he used to work for me too but he fought he fought with somebody else somebody day is here and he's stopping really bad the other kid is a little kid but the little kid is so bad you know he had he like to stop people just for nothing you know so that's right they changing and he now is the boss over there you see how he SS here he have to listen to me over there probably if I get there I have to listen to him who knows or fight with him who knows you know but he's my friend still but he's a bad guy he got himself he's crazy and this is the guy Nicholas fought with the guy who doesn't like quote unquote blacks many inmates wear their scars proudly they show that they don't run away from fights things aren't going so well for Nicholas in his cell block at the moment his dealings the fact that he demands money and cigarettes from others have [Music] discovered he and a member of his game are even supposed to have threatened another inmate with a knife and not for the first time the prison has to investigate accusations like this I don't like your innocent attitude you've got to clear this up with the boy I don't want you to harm him again if you do you'll get solitary confinement we've respected you we respect your rights but you don't respect the others you don't give a [ __ ] this changes now if you do it again and I don't care if you cut each other's ears off you'll never get out of solitary solitary confinement also means an extension of the sentence or that the current sentence cannot be reduced constant misbehavior leads to power struggles between the guards and the inmates and the inmates always get the short end of the stick there's a little problem so we've got to behave the little problem has widespread effects the head of discipline and the Lieutenant make an announcement to all the prisoners today they're just talking but acts of Disobedience are often quickly met with a [Music] bon that's another issue but security is Paramount and that's why we're here today gentlemen first you've all been sentenced and will be here a long time you should know that no one pays money for anything not to the guards not to the administration not to the inmates I'll say this today nicely for the first and the last time no one may cheat or beat on others no one even if some of the inmates feel threatened by Nicholas in his gang everyone is against the guards and the lieutenants instead of simply giving in and behaving peacefully now they really start to get [Music] Restless it's difficult we have to check it out it's the third time they've said it in such heated situations things can also get dangerous for the guards and the Prison employees many of the inmates are not shy about resorting to violence even with [Music] them Nicholas wants to confront the people who red on [Applause] him everyone the first commandment never tell on another inmate has been broken and there's a lot at stake for [Music] Nicholas I've called you here to talk about something several people have complained that we're extorting you if you feel extorted because you have to pay 35 cents or a cigarette then we'll stop cleaning we won't do anything anymore and will let the yards stay [Applause] [Music] [Applause] dirty why someone complained to the people at the top that we demand money or cigarettes it's not for us it's for the cleaners but if you don't want to pay then don't and then we won't clean in the jail 35 cents or cigarettes are worth a lot sometimes guards make deals with inmates in order to get information then it's easy to betray a fellow inmate I don't know who was but they're attacking me for the money you pay for cleaning just like a president must take blame for his government Nicholas must take the blame for his yard if I ask for money again they'll put me on trial and they don't clean for free there are official cleaners and people Nicholas chooses to clean then only the official cleaners will work the inmates fear solitary confinement not only because of the extra prison time but also because of the cell itself the solitary confinement cells are like a prison within a prison the light goes on here at 5:00 a.m. and goes off at 5:00 p.m. daylight only shines through the small grate at the ceil mattresses and blankets are removed from the cells during the day only the concrete slab remains twice a day the inmates are allowed to take a walk accompanied by a guard in an isolated yard the isolation itself is the worst punishment you get bored in this cell you're in despair you just want to beat your head against the wall you're so desperate the solitary confinement cells also act as a kind of quarantine station for inmates with illnesses or wounds that have to heal but some illnesses get worse here for example this door fell off when a prisoner lit himself on fire in the Cell The Prisoner lost control of himself he's mentally ill and thought a devil commanded him to set fire to his cell the inmates are alone with themselves in their thoughts that's the worst thing for them new inmates have come to John Fernando's cellblock today it took 12 hours to process them Diego is now officially a prisoner in the penitentiary [Music] although he recognizes faces from his last jail he still has to learn how the inmates and the guards here tick things are different here it's not like the other jail after more than 12 hours the newbies finally get something to eat bread a banana and aena a Colombian oat beverage but they don't have much time soon the prisoners official representative will give them an introduction this man is the guard's mouthpiece to the inmates it's his job to explain the Jail's rules to the new arrivals this is a community we don't want any brawling either with older or younger inmates this is a place for coming together second there is no stealing here although there are thieves we call them brooms if you're a broom you won't do well here translation stealing will get you beat up Theo must now internalize these rules in order to avoid having problems most prisoners obey the rules in the beginning but the longer they're he the more daring they get like Nicholas the upheaval has now calmed down somewhat and will soon subside entirely before the cell doors close for the evening some of the inmates get medication the doctor only distributes pills to inmates with a prescription and an official medical diagnosis many prisoners try to get medication this way so a watchful eye is necessary the prisoners are given insulin syringes medication for flu symptoms and antipsychotics they're not prescribed to the individual needs of mentally ill patients however they're just tranquilizers every few months a psychologist conducts examinations but usually nothing changes too many inmates with different problems means excessive costs for the local government like every evening the prisoners must now line up to be counted this is how the guards make sure everyone is present but it also lets them show the inmates that they're just numbers to them the prisoners day ends at 5:00 p.m. they have 10 minutes to get ready P Diego it's a new experience in the other prisons the inmates decided when they went to bed but one thing will not change for Diego [Music] here it's better to be a loner in prison a bad friend only causes problems and I don't want any problems so distance is good that's how you stay away from problems this prison is ultimately a community you respect others so that they'll respect to you we just want to stay alive and respect each other but everyone has their own definition of respect in prison the cell doors stay closed for 12 hours for grown men who are used to doing whatever they want outside of prison this is hard to take but that's exactly the point it's a disciplinary measure the day is over I'm exhausted I hope I sleep well another day gone that's what everyone here thinks one day of many still to come every day altercations between inmates and guards every day the hope of early release every day worrying about families waiting on the outside every day struggles with oneself and the fear of ending up back here behind bars John Fernando still has 2 years on his sentence and he is awaiting another trial his family must continue to make do without him a month ago when my wife tell me that she was praying I'm really happy because I want to have a kid I want to have a little girl and I think God give me the opportunity and that's nice you know that's my happiness and that's it just trying to make these easier and get out of here and never come back hopefully that's right that's all what I can tell you Nicholas continues to struggle with his bipolar disorder he hopes to get out in 3 months to see his mother and then to finally take another path a friend on the outside and I want to do a song together Diego will spend four more years behind bars his biggest wish to be able to see his wife and grandmother again after one year they all have one goal in common to turn their backs on the hardships of prison life and to never come back here again a goal that very few will Colombia: Picaleña Prison achieve ibag a city of 500,000 inhabitants in central Colombia the South American country is the world's largest cocaine producer violence among drug gangs is high over 13 ,000 people were murdered in 2023 alone making Colombia one of the top 15 countries with the highest murder rate the result Colombian jails are bursting at the seams like penia prison it's the fifth largest in the country over 5,000 men and women are incarcerated here it's a high security bunker from which no prisoner has yet managed to escape strict rules monotony and arguments among the inmates determin life in one of Colombia's toughest [Music] prisons it's 6 a.m. pania prison is slowly coming to life the shift Begins for the guards one of them is 27-year-old Palamino he has been working in the prison for a year and a half for security reasons uniforms may not be worn outside the Prison Walls before starting their shift the guards change in the prison dormatory Palamino has 12 hours of Duty ahead of him while I'm dressing I always pray just for myself I pray to protect me from bad things happening like a riot or something like that Palamino is in a hurry morning roll call is about to begin if you're late you'll be on duty at one of the unpopular posts that day attention gentlemen everyone eagerly waits to see where they will be assigned every day prison management reassigns the guards to the various posts it's a measure designed to prevent bribery fortunately the block I'm assigned to today is rather quiet I'm on duty there quite often but you can never trust the peace we always have to be alert and prepared for something to happen pania prison consists of two areas the entrance area with the administration the dormatory for the guards and a training area adjacent to it is the actual prison surrounded by three 6 M high fences within this area there are seven cell blocks each of the blocks is structured like a separate smaller prison unit one is the oldest part of the prison and also the largest block unit 2 has space for some 800 medium security Prisoners the isolation Wing is also located here unit three is the high security area unit four is the women's Wing 450 female prisoners are serving their sentences here unit five is for prisoners serving medium sentences and remand Prisoners the so-called trusted inmates live in unit 6 unit 7 is the VIP block only former state employees and older prisoners are housed here anyone wishing to enter the interior of the prison must first pass the drug sniffing dogs includ the guards we are searching for all kinds of Narcotics we've had visitors try to hide drugs in latex such as condoms or and toothpaste or coffee and also in cleaning products they do that to distract the scent the drug sniffing dogs but that doesn't work our dogs always find the drugs Palamino and his colleagues are clean next comes the security check Money alcohol knives and cell phones are also strictly forbidden [Applause] pamino is now on duty in Block two which is at the far end of the prison penia prison was built in 1982 and initially only consisted of block one gradually more and more blocks were [Music] added block 2 is one of the most modern over 8 00 male prisoners are housed here in five units known as Pavilion inmates here are serving sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years together with three other colleagues palamina was now responsible for Pavilion 16 and [Applause] 17 205 no 204 just four guards are responsible for over 400 inmates here and they are almost exclusively murderers drug dealers and rapists Palamino and his colleagues do not carry weapons their only means of defense is a baton the first step is the head count the wardens also check that everyone is uninjured and in good [Music] health we counted the prisoners no one is missing we do that every day in both Pavilions everything is in order each Pavilion consists of a large inner Courtyard around which the cells are arranged during the day prisoners can move around freely in the inner Courtyard barbed wire on the roofs and several surveillance cameras ensure an escape is impossible all the Furnishing such as tables and benches wash basins and toilets are made of metal there's no chance of destroying them and turning them into weapons the cells are spread over two floors four to five prisoners share one of the 12 square meter cells the Furnishings are Spartan beds and the shelves for everyone are clumped together the wash basin and toilet are in the middle of the room there is no shower a narrow window offers only a depressing view of the outside fences 20 year-old Carlos has been sentenced to 27 years for murder drug dealing and fraud worse than being in prison is the loss of his [Music] family in the three years I've been here in prison I haven't been able to meet my daughters we had a few video calls so at least I could talk to them and see their faces but that was it his wife is also in prison his wife's family has broken off all contact with him he no longer has any contact with his own family either to be honest I never really talk about it it really gets to me it hurts a lot in a place like this you don't talk about such feelings that shows weakness and under no circumstances should you show weakness here but it makes me very sad very sad these feelings are very strong knowing that I'm in my hometown that my own family lives here and that three years have passed without anyone visiting me the only support he receives is from his wife Lillian she is serving time for accessory to murder just 200 M away the two are allowed to see each other regularly in prison and talk on the phone almost every day his bed is full of her presence these are our names Carlos and Lillian and some encouraging words and fond memories yes that's her she said married couples are even entire families in prison is nothing unusual in Colombia drug trafficking is often a family business 8:30 a.m. some of the prisoners are preparing to go to work now we close all cells this always happens after the headcount this means everyone must leave their cells if you don't have a place to work you have no other choice but to hang around in the courtyard for the next few hours closing the cells reduces the violence among the inmates and it gives us a better overview of the prisoners and allows us to better control them if they want to do something that's prohibited they like to do it in secret in their cells that's why we lock them the cells remain closed until the [Applause] afternoon a fifth of the prisoners go to work or school before they leave the Pavilion Palamino and his colleagues search everyone [Applause] thoroughly we look for forbidden items such as drugs knives weapons anything with the blade anything that is prohibited prisoners from different Pavilions are about to come together this creates a potentially dangerous situation each block has its own workshop and classrooms this means inmates do not have to leave the block the woodwork shop is in Block two the work here is intended to keep the prisoners busy and show them new possibilities for their time after prison here too every every move is monitored only those who have done nothing wrong are given a job 41-year-old Saul has been working here for 2 years he used to be in the military and was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a so-called false positive for killing an innocent civilian work is a way for me to deal with the monotony here it's a chance to escape the boredom and forget that I'm in prison that's the most important thing when I'm here in the workshop and I'm working I no longer think about the fact that I'm in prison and all that that's what I like most about my job here there are no wages instead the prison sells the goods prisoners produce the inmates receive the proceeds minus the cost of the materials by working they can also reduce their sentence three days of work equals one day less spent in prison my work here helps my children I have three children I'm trying to put some of the money away to buy tools and start my own handicraft business later that's my goal after prison I definitely want to continue working as a carpenter he hopes to receive around $700 for his current work he fully understands that working here is a privilege especially since inmates in this shop handle sharp and pointed tools I don't see it as a weapon I see it as a tool it's just a working tool of course you can use it for fighting or something like that I used to be a soldier but I'm not here to cause stress and I won't let anyone provoke me I won't let anyone take away the opportunities I have here I have a family my goal is to get out of here as quickly as possible away from this place however it will be at least another 10 years before then assuming zaul doesn't do anything wrong in the meantime those who do not have a job hang out in the courtyard in Pavilion 16 Juan Jose ensures order and discipline each Pavilion has a boss he settles disputes mediates as a human rights officer in the event of complaints between the prison and inmates and organizes communal life are you a cleaner for the backyard yes who else what you want want us to do do me a favor pick up all that stuff the towel the shoes yes of course pick it up you know what the gym should be well organized please Juan Jose has been in prison for almost 8 years the former businessman has gradually worked his way up to his position one of the most important things he organizes water distribution all the water for the 200 inmates in the Pavilion comes from these pipes whether for drinking showering flushing toilets or washing [Applause] clothes I select people for the various tasks based on their character they have to be responsible and reliable it doesn't matter whether they're new or not they don't get paid for it or anything but they have a task something to do something to keep them occupied if you want to get involved in this Pavilion we give you the opportunity to do so even if at first glance the jobs look like menial tasks they offer Prisoners the opportunity to move up the hierarchy an previously it used be very different everyone just wanted to affirm their own interests with their fists or a machete or something that is now changed those who respect others are also respected if a newcomer comes and thinks he has to destroy the peace and cause stress whether out of boredom or because he's unhappy then we make sure he goes somewhere else constant boredom is one of the main reasons arguments erupt if you don't have a job you have few ways to keep yourself occupied games involving cigarettes are extremely popular Carlos also tries to somehow get through the day each day in prison is the same it's a constant routine we always get up at 6:00 we are counted we take a shower and then we have breakfast and so it goes on through the day it's always the same we try to keep occupied by playing board games and things like that most of the men here used to be in a gang Carlos included his numerous scars and Tattoos bear witness to this he is used to solving problems through violence this fact makes it all the more difficult for him and the others to keep a low profile here in prison everything here is a challenge the bathroom the shower the food simply everything we're always all together here you always have to be careful and exercise restraint if you're not in the rhythm of the prison you're always going to be an outsider and therefore in danger and you can't follow your impulses even if you pull yourself together it Still Remains difficult so many different characters come together here and some of them are aggressive it's a challenge every day in the event of a fight or attack among the Prisoners the guards have an alarm button at their station [Applause] there is a control panel in the main station on which the alarm is displayed then a loud siren sounds everyone who's somehow available has to run to the station and help out smoke gas canisters are available in every station for exceptional situations there is a strict protocol for this we are only allowed to use them if the life or Integrity of a prisoner is in danger or that of a guard of course and only if there is no other option the gas helps to break up large groups and get the situation under control first and foremost Palamino and his colleagues never let the prisoners out of their sight to prevent this from happening [Music] escaping from picena prison is virtually impossible the entire prison is surrounded by three fences each 6 M high from its watchtowers guards can keep an eye on every [Music] corner civilian police patrol the perimeter of the prison just in case someone does manage The Impossible and gets over the multiple walls of Barb Wire the individual blocks are additionally secured with three rows of fencing and barred [Music] wire each block also has its own Watchtower block seven is a very special block where no ordinary prisoners are housed the block is for older prisoners and former civil servants most of them are convicted of corruption our camera team is not allowed into the cell wi as no one is supposed to see what it looks like inside the only thing to see is the blocks Workshop this is where prisoners sew work clothes for their fellow inmates he used to be a prison guard himself 54-year-old John Carlos was convicted of drug smuggling and Corruption at first it was a shock for him to be on the other side I was a bit scared at first fear is a human emotion I think that's quite normal when I was on my way here it was a very queasy feeling of course you wonder what will happen how will they treat me how will they receive me I knew that if I was sent to prison and they put me in a normal Wing then my life would be in danger from the very first moment no question about it he worked for 30 years in an even bigger prison than picena he was even an inspector a rank just below the warden until the lure of money became too great it was a bad decision that has brought me here I failed I made a mistake I didn't think about the consequences I took it too lightly and now I have to pay for it I was just too ambitious if you're too ambitious you take risks at some point these risks get bigger and bigger you no longer think rationally and you risk more and more being behind bars himself also makes him see his former job in a different light as a guard he would do many things differently [Music] today I would be much more human Reserve much humbler why because when you stand on the other side of the bars as a guard you can hardly imagine how inmates suffer a rather late [Music] realization there is also Al a complete block for women in picena prison around 450 female prisoners are serving their sentences here most of them for murder drug trafficking or both here too everyday life is a constant struggle the women are not particularly [Music] squeamish 34-year-old Erica has been here for eight years sometimes we can solve problems by talking but most of the time that doesn't help much there is no tolerance what happens then we grab each other we grab each other by the [Music] hair there is one word here thinko it means something like fist the fists take away the anger of course we also try to talk to each other and if not then suddenly it starts we use our fist we fight or we stab if you can't solve a problem any other way then you stab you take a hairbrush or pencil and turn it into a weapon just take the handle and attach a pointed plate to it however when it comes to disputes there is a golden rule if we see the guards coming it's over immediately as long as no one is seriously injured there are no problems otherwise in the end everyone will have to pay for it it also applies to women if you don't have a job you have to spend the day in the courtyard and just kill time somehow the women's cells are also only 12 square m in size up to six women share a cell some of them sleep on mattresses on the floor the bathroom consists of just a wash basin and toilet those who don't want to use one of the communal showers in the courtyard can shower over the toilet [Music] bowl We Lay towels on the floor and then sit down on the toilet we soap up and then get up to scrub ourselves then we sit down again and pour water over ourselves and it runs down the toilet that's how you sit there to wash your feet we put a foot on here and then soap it up and wash it off privacy is not an option while almost everyone in Pavilion 23 has a prison sentence of over 20 years things are a little quieter in the second Pavilion for women around 80% of the prisoners here are un remand Lillian the wife of inmate Carlos is also sitting here today is a good day for her as a reward for going to school the judge has confirmed that she will be released from prison [Applause] sooner this document means a lot to me it eases my concern at least a little because now I can see my family and children again sooner they deducted 528 hours of my sentence that amounts to 22 days it doesn't sound like much but in prison everyday counts she got 13 years for being accessory to the murder committed by Carlos we did it together I've never accused him of that and I never will I told him this many times we're both here because we both did it we're both guilty Lily and Carlos have been a couple for 9 years despite being in prison he is still the man of her [Music] dreams it's not easy because of the distance but after everything we've been through we're both still alive we'll get through this and then we can move move on with everything we had planned with our dreams and our love and I ask God to give us the opportunity to get out of this to move forward to be able to give our daughters a great future to be able to be with them and fill them with love whether she still sees it that way when she gets out remains to be seen Carlos will still have at least another 10 years ahead of [Music] him Natalia is the guard in charge today she knows only too well how high the potential for aggression is among the women this is why she and her colleagues regularly carry out unannounced searches searches are randomly conducted by the female [Applause] Ys they often try to hide marijuana or other drugs in their shoes or some sharp objects they make themselves that they can then try to attack other inmates with they most often hide things in their shoes the rules are strict lighters with spindles are prohibited with a little skill you can build a kind of metal saw from the coiled wire that produces Sparks the guards always stay together during the search they know only too well that the prisoners are not to be trusted [Music] hey stop it get your hand out of there this prisoner seems to be trying to hide something and indeed Natalia finds a pair of [Applause] scissors the scissors are confiscated she could attempt to hurt another prisoner with them Natalia is alarmed she now takes a much closer look at the prisoner is she hiding something [Music] else it could have contained alcohol or something else that's forbidden but despite a thorough search she finds nothing except the scissors after an hour the search is completed Natalia shows why she confiscated the harmless looking craft scissors the women made this themselves from a pair of scissors one I used them to attack another inmate the fight happened about a week ago and the victim was injured in the air the attacker actually wanted to slash her face but she only caught her on the ear and arm fortunately we were able to separate the two quickly an argument between two prisoners can quickly turn into a mass brawl or even a riot [Music] by now it's [Music] lunchtime each block has its own [Music] kitchen three meals a day are prepared [Music] there meat is served at least once a day the mates do the cooking one of them is 43-year-old Gustavo he has been behind bars for 17 years this is one of the best jobs in this prison actually in any prison in Colombia if you work in the kitchen you always have enough to eat and we're busy all day the Pay Here is also good [Applause] you not only get a reduction to your sentence you also get paid money we earn the legal minimum wage here in Columbia that's great that's around $350 a month in prison that amounts to a small fortune Gustavo used to be a teacher until he was sentenced to 27 years for rape in Colombia it's a crime that's harshly punished I used to make eggs for my children and occasionally for lunch here is where I learned how to cook for a thousand people and quickly too it wasn't easy to learn it's a large kitchen here I also had to learn how the equipment works for example he is now an absolute professional and already has plans for his time after prison I'm thinking about opening my own small restaurant I enjoy cooking I know I'll never be able to go back to my job as a teacher so I think that's a good idea for a fresh start in 5 to 6 years he could be released on parole and realize his dream before the food is served a civilian cook checks The Taste and temperature once again the prison management attaches great importance to Quality as the food is an important factor in the prisoner's mood the prisoners eat in the Block's huge dining hall leftover food in the Pavilion would quickly attract pests here too every movement of the prisoners is strictly monitored to avoid arguments everyone gets exactly the same amount food is eaten from plastic containers another safety measure of course not everybody is totally happy with the food the food is sometimes a little C old or not quite tender and the portions are very [Applause] small it doesn't fill you up we are left hungry but we still enjoy the [Applause] food there are no supplements if you have a job or a family who sends money you can buy extra food in the prison store let's go go back to the Pavilion come [Applause] on the prisoners reluctantly returned to the confines of the [Music] Pavilion in the afternoon prisoners in Pavilion 16 head to the exercise yard they are allowed onto the sports field once a week the prisoners are searched beforehand it is difficult for the guards to keep an eye on everyone on the large Sports field and Palamino actually makes a find a drug pipe the owner is now in a lot of trouble a discovery like this can lead to a change in the security level they are then moved to a different block or even placed in solitary confinement or they simply lose certain privileges that almost always happens the prisoners have 1 hour most of them use the time to let off steam soccer is very popular everything looks peaceful but Palamino knows it can't be trusted we have to be very Vigilant out here because the main entrance to the block is at the back there is a high risk that prisoners will seize the opportunity and try to escape via the nearby main entrance Carlos is completely in his element he played for a soccer club as a youngster his chances of a professional career were not bad at all but then money and drugs became more important it was of course my dream to become a great footballer and if I had the chance once I'd still love to become one it's still my passion to be honest sometimes I still dream of being a great footballer or a great goalkeeper maybe I'll get another chance since Carlos will be almost 50 when he is released it is a rather unrealistic dream but for the moment at least soccer allows him and the others to forget everyday life in prison the women are also granted yard time they are allowed outside twice a week and as we'll see in a moment they use this time for dating inside in the courtyard you often feel very cramped it's confining it's terribly loud and there are so many people there that it's hard to think you can't really be carefree I feel much Freer out here I can sit down and think talk and even be sad sometimes here I don't have the pressure of constantly being watched by others it's different here but for the women the most important thing is that the courtyard is used for a kind of dating spot from here they have a clear view of Block 5 they use a specially developed sign language to communicate with the male inmates [Music] there kolina explains how the sign language works for example we use letters this is an a this is a b this is a c this means D and this is an e this means I have a favor to ask this is a heart and these are many many many kisses kolina has been in picena prison for a long time she uses every second in the yard to chat I'm talking to myus husband Fabian right now I said hello to him hello my love and another heart I said I love you I really love you we got together three years ago and got married we got to know each other through the court chat here a prison Love Story a lot had change for Carolina as a result I'm very happy to have him you're under constant pressure here in prison most everyone here is very lonely most have no one no one they can talk to I have him I share my worries with him we laugh and we also talk on the phone about everything in 12 years the first time I think I fell really in love with someone then it's time for her to say goodbye for today ladies time's up we're going back it will be another two days before the women will be allowed outside again the cell closes at 400 p.m. ladies head count reluctantly the women follow the instructions Natalia and her colleagues count the prisoners one last time for the day [Music] [Applause] then everyone goes back to their cramped cells they won't be unlocked again until 6:00 the next morning 14 long hours and 12 square m and without any privacy Erica tries to stay occupied by drawing she sends the pictures to her daughters or swaps them for other things in prison the 34-year-old is serving time for drug dealing and murder her story is typical of many in here I come from a neighborhood where there are drugs everywhere a lot of drugs a lot of crime and you see people getting killed all the time I then became a member of a gang I mainly did it for the money and I liked it I always wanted more money I sold more and I said to myself come on Erica do that too kill people for money it was only here that I understood what I was really doing I truly wish I could turn back time and change a lot of things Erica has decided to change her life primarily because of her three daughters [Music] I keep thinking about the time after prison I know I'll never be able to go home again I still have too many unpaid bills there that means I'll have to go somewhere else and start all over again I look for a job I don't know in a restaurant in a bakery or a supermarket in any case I want to be a good role model for my daughters with good behavior she can be released in around 6 [Music] years the men are now also locked up in their cells while men many of them are thinking about their time after prison Carlos has no plans yet I don't really think much about the time after prison and I've kind of forgotten about these three years I've been living here I try to live every day as if it were my last I don't count the days I don't count how long I've been here nor how long it will be before I get out it doesn't make sense my sentence is far too harsh for that so far there hasn't been much in the way of discernment or the willingness to change what depresses me the most is that I can't fulfill my responsibility as a father that's what bothers me the most it really hurts but I don't regret what I've done outside it was necessary I don't regret it because I had to show who I was and what my place [Music] was Carlos will spend at least another 20 years behind bars without seeing his children grow up as night falls things slowly become quiet again in Picola prison until the next morning when a new day day begins in one of Colombia's toughest prisons