[Rowe] Belize Central Prison.
My name is Raphael Rowe,
and I'm spending a week here, locked up with the country's most violent criminals.
Those cells are bad enough, but this is terrifying.
It's like something out of a movie.
It's not my first time behind bars.
Hold your penis. Lift it up for me.
[Rowe] I was convicted in the UK of a murder I didn't commit
And sentenced to life with no parole.
It took me 12 long years to clear my name.
Now, I'm traveling the globe to discover what life is really like
inside some of the world's toughest prisons.
Belize, Central America.
It may look like a tropical paradise, but it has a dark side.
This devoutly Catholic country of only 378,000 people
has the third-highest murder rate, per capita, in the world.
I'll be spending a week here,
locked up in the country's only prison, alongside its most dangerous criminals.
But before I go inside...
I'm heading to the capital, Belize City,
to find out why murder is so common here.
In the last four days, four people have lost their lives in Belize City.
In broad daylight, a man was shot dead.
Much of the violence here is gang-related.
In the city's south side,
there's an incredible 27 gangs warring over just four square miles of territory.
[man] The gang does retaliation.
They take the law into their own hand. They turn vigilante.
That's why they keep retaliating at each other.
That's why the crime don't stop.
[Rowe] America's infamous Bloods and Crips have had a presence here since the 1980s,
when expat Belizeans were deported from the United States,
bringing gang culture with them.
The authorities in Belize are fighting a losing battle.
-Is that a gang sign? -That's one right there.
It's from the Bloods.
[Rowe] Police inspector Brent Hamilton and his K-9 unit are on the front line.
They look for these young boys in Belize City
who are not doing anything, who don't have any job.
They try to recruit as young as 12 years old
and try to form them up as a gang.
Are these the guys that end up in prison?
Are these the guys you're constantly targeting?
[Brent] Yes, sir. Most of these guys,
when the police goes out on raids and such,
we find drugs on them.
Sometimes, we find firearms. Sometimes, we find bullets.
They involve themselves in murder.
They kill each other to try to show who is the supreme leader or so forth.
So, there's only two places for them: It's either six feet under or in prison.
[Brent] Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
[Rowe] Gang members arrested by police are taken to Belize Central Prison,
where they can spend years awaiting trial.
That's where I'm heading now,
to experience life as one of its 1,300 inmates,
a quarter of whom are in for murder.
I'm apprehensive, because it had a brutal reputation in the past.
Back in the 1990s, it was a squalid hellhole.
The authorities couldn't afford to feed the inmates,
and it was plagued by shocking violence and murder.
In 2002, things had reached crisis point,
and the Belize government handed over responsibility for the prison to an NGO:
the Kolbe Foundation.
Their mission was to turn the prison around
and reduce the 73% re-offending rate.
Fifteen years on, and Kolbe claim to have transformed the prison.
Their secret weapon...
[man over speakers] Hebrews 4 tells us...
[Rowe] ...God.
[man over speakers] ...enter into the rest of God. [continues indistinctly]
[Rowe] I'm told the authorities here are on a crusade
to redeem sinners and save their souls.
The usurper Lucifer...
[Rowe] Prisoners must obey the word of the Lord and conform...
We want to do things Jesus' way.
...or be condemned to suffer punishment that critics have branded inhumane.
I'm about to discover if, and how, this really works.
Do you normally manhandle the prisoners like this?
It depends on the circumstances, who we're bringing in.
One from Belize City.
[Rowe] The Kolbe Foundation was formed
by local businessmen to run Belize Central Prison.
As long as they obey Belize law,
it's Kolbe, rather than the government, who dictate the prison's philosophy.
What's this? The holding cell?
Just relax yourself. There is a process--
-[Rowe] Relax in a cage? -That's right.
[Rowe] Before my conviction was overturned, I did 12 years for murder,
and was checked in to prisons all over the UK.
The feeling is always the same.
In the next half an hour, I will go out there into the belly of the beast,
where you then test your wits against other prisoners.
And it all starts with a look.
Sizing other prisoners up.
Already sniffing out who is important.
And, sometimes, that can be a simple sign.
Who's wearing the cleanest clothes? Who looks like they look after themselves?
Because that is a measure of somebody who has more privileges than anybody else.
So, you're already switching on your survival mechanism.
Raphael Rowe.
[Rowe] And now my first step to becoming a prisoner at Belize Central Prison:
the strip search.
What sort of things do prisoners bring in with them?
Drugs, weapons, ammunition.
And why would they bring ammunition? Is it a dangerous place?
[guard] We have different gang rivals,
and we try to prevent, avoid that, by doing this kind of searches.
[Rowe] My boxers, as well?
Yes, sir.
Pull your ears. Okay.
I want you to spread your legs.
Hold your penis. Lift it up for me.
Turn around.
Lean forward.
Lower as you can go. Okay, with both hands,
spread it wide open for me.
[Rowe] I know this process well from my own time inside.
It starts with the strip search, then loads of questions.
Fingerprints are taken, followed by a mug shot.
Finally, I'm issued a prison uniform and taken to a dirty holding cell.
This is what now distinguishes me
-from being a civilian to a prisoner. -[guard] Prisoner.
Because until I took my own clothes off, I felt I was me, Raphael Rowe.
Now, I've become the number that you've given me.
No matter how often you've been banged up,
there's something about the moment when that door shuts...
and you're locked in for the first time.
It's impossible to get used to it.
I know my prison number from 30 years ago, MP3660.
And I've just been given another one, this time with an orange suit.
So, I've become orange suit 669.
That's who I am now.
It must be 90 degrees in here,
and with nothing but a list of prison rules for company,
I'm left to stew.
Four people in this space with just a...
And I hesitate to touch it, but it's a bucket.
I think, if this is a taste of what I'm to expect
when I'm taken out of this holding cell and taken into the main population,
I wonder if it's anything like this?
The guards here look like they mean business.
Sharpshooters man the watchtowers.
It's like a military operation.
My final destination for today is cellblock Tango 8/2.
It houses prisoners awaiting trial.
Even though I've already been strip-searched?
[Gillett] Yes, you go through it again.
[Rowe] I'm told that 40% of all prisoners at Belize Central are on remand...
half of them for murder.
To avoid violent conflict,
inmates are segregated according to gang loyalty.
This is a Crip wing.
[indistinct chatter]
[Rowe] I don't know what I was expecting in Tango 8/2,
but it certainly wasn't this.
Hi, guys.
[Rowe] What's up, man?
You all right?
Why've you got your head sticking out of there?
[Clive] Yeah, that's how we do it here. See what I'm saying?
-[Rowe] That's how you talk to each other. -[Clive] Yeah.
If you look down that side,
you can see all of those guys have their heads out as well.
[indistinct chatter]
[Clive] We communicate with each other right now.
That's the way we do it here in jail, all right?
My name is Clive Jevan, and it's a pleasure to meet you all.
How long are you in for?
[Clive] I'm here for approximately four years and a half now.
You've done four and a half years?
Yeah, but I haven't been on trial.
-How do they treat you? -[Clive] I can't say rough.
If we all decide to get treated rough, it's because we caused it on ourselves.
And if we go across the rules and regulations of this facilitation,
then we expect to be dealt with.
[Rowe] But do you not feel and do you not...
As I'm looking at you and all these other guys,
it's like you're being reduced to some kind of animal.
The only way we can talk is if I get down on my hands and knees...
-Do you see what I'm saying? -I understand you.
I understand where you're coming from, but...
it's just the situation that we put ourselves in, you know?
We make our bed hard, then we've got to sleep on it hard.
-[Rowe] That's true. -[Clive] See what I'm saying?
Are you affiliated to a gang? Is it gang-related or something else?
Used to, but what I'm trying to do right now is change my life.
And with the Almighty by my side, I know I'll be a free man one day again.
[Rowe] Being thrust into a cell with dangerous gang members
is always gonna be tense.
Banged up in a small space together for 22 hours a day,
it's crucial we hit it off.
-Can I go in? -Yeah, you can go in.
-[Rowe] Hello, how are you doing? -[Henry] Fine, you?
[Rowe] I'm Raphael.
How are you doing? I'm Raphael. How are you? Raphael.
-So, where's my bed? -The one on top.
This is my one, is it?
I didn't get your names.
-Gregory. -Gregory.
-Ryan. -Ryan.
-And Henry. -Henry.
In prison, the new con on the block is seen as fair game,
a fate I'm eager to avoid.
I'm new. I'm coming into your cell, into your space,
so I need to know what the in-cell rules are.
If you're a cool person, just basically keep to yourself, all right?
[Henry] When it comes to washing up and stuff,
we wash our own dishes and stuff,
our own personal stuff. We wash our own clothes.
But most people are under the impression that
when you come in as a newbie and you get little...
You know, guys give you things.
It's because they want something in return.
The way we look at it, right?
If you help somebody out, and you give somebody something,
like a newbie or something, that's like a blessing to you.
You never know what could happen.
Later on, you might need something and I got it,
and I can just give it to you. It's like that.
I know that this is supposed to be a wing of remand murderers or alleged murderers.
-Um, is that what you're all in for? -[Ryan] All of us.
-[Rowe] How long have you been here? -Six years and change. Six years.
Six years?
-On remand? -On remand.
-You haven't been convicted? -No.
[Gregory] This year, four years, going for five.
[Rowe] And what's your situation?
I'm going to be frank and honest. I was set up by the police.
[Rowe] Are you saying that you're innocent?
-Yeah. -You didn't commit the crime?
[Gregory] No.
And hopefully my trial comes up next year.
It's pretty rough. It's pretty rough, but...
That's really tough.
The one thing that stands out to me, more than anything...
was the length of time remand prisoners are being held in these cells.
They may well be guilty and deserve the punishment that lays ahead,
but right now, they're innocent until proven guilty.
And I know, more than anybody,
what it's like to be sitting in a cell, awaiting trial,
especially when it's for something you didn't do.
Being locked up 22 hours a day, for years on end, awaiting trial
is seriously hard-core.
And I'm wondering if conditions in the rest of the prison
are equally harsh.
[man over speakers] When the smoke cleared,
Satan himself was standing at the podium.
People panicked...
[Rowe] 6:00 a.m. and Belize Central Prison wakes to the sound of religious sermons,
blaring out of speakers across the compound.
[man over speakers] Satan was appalled. He says, "Lady, do you know who I am?"
She said, "I sure do."
[Rowe] After yet another pat down,
I'm allowed out of the cellblock for the first time
to try and get a sense of what makes this prison tick.
[man over speakers] Hebrews 4 tells us to enter into the rest of God.
That's a place...
[Rowe] There seems to be one thing behind it all.
And it's religion. It's faith. It's spirituality,
because that's what I'm beginning to understand this prison is all about.
[woman over speakers] This is Jeremiah 33.3 FM.
[Rowe] Jeremiah 33.3 is the prison's very own radio station.
It plays a selection of sermons and religious music around the clock.
It's a way of impregnating the minds of all these prisoners about
how God could be an influence in their lives
and turning their lives around.
And I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.
I haven't quite worked that one out yet.
[man over speakers] "Jesus, wake up. We're about to drown."
He woke up...
[Rowe] The second thing that strikes me is that there's a lot of activity.
Everywhere you go, inmates are busy.
It's like a well-oiled machine.
You get these little pat-down searches
every time you go in or out of a different part of the prison.
I've been told to report to the kitchen,
where I'll be working alongside one of my new cell mates.
-[Rowe] Gregory. -[prisoner] Gregory?
-[Rowe] Gregory. -[prisoner] Right there.
[Rowe] On the outside, Gregory was a Crip gang member
who'd been to prison seven times.
Here, he's one of 32 prisoners who help prepare, cook and serve
three meals a day for all 1,300 inmates.
Well, what's on the menu today, then?
Today is fried chicken, rice and beans, and gravy.
-[Rowe] So, how can I help? -Take this to the window.
And you're not gonna give me a ticket for it?
-You got a ticket already. -[Rowe] He got it already.
How can I be sure you gave me the right ticket?
-I'm only kidding. I'm only kidding. -[chuckles]
I'd make a good supervisor, right?
Being in prison awaiting trial is tough,
but at least Gregory's not locked up 22 hours a day
like many remand prisoners here.
What was you doing before this job?
Stay in my cell. Get an hour and a half recreation a day.
For you to get a job like this, you must be quite a trusted prisoner.
-Is it a privileged job? -It is for me.
So, do you have to... Do you have to show you are responsible,
or that you are conforming to what the prison expects of you?
Of course.
When I just came, in 2013, I enrolled myself in the ARC program.
-[Rowe] The what program? -[Gregory] The ARC.
Ashcroft Rehabilitation Center. It's a good program.
It teaches you about socialization.
It teaches you about anger management.
My point of view is it helped me.
That's good.
So, this must be hard. You've spent four years on remand.
You haven't been to trial. What keeps you going?
[chuckles] Faith. Faith and hope.
Do you mean your own internal faith, or some kind of spiritual thing?
Yeah, I believe in a higher power.
-[Rowe] In God? -God.
[Rowe] Call me a cynic, but I can't help wondering
if having one of these privileged jobs is dependent on having faith.
So, this is your reward after a hard day's work.
Right, right.
[Rowe] It's interesting, 'cause I saw so many prisoners,
when I was in prison, turn to religion.
Some of them come from gangs.
That was taken away. They were looking for something else.
And what's the most powerful thing offered in prison sometimes? Religion.
[Gregory] Religion.
You do believe in a god, though?
-[Rowe] No, I don't. -Serious?
No, I don't.
[Gregory] I always believed in a higher being.
I always put my trust in that higher being before any human.
[Rowe] But is that because your experience with humans hasn't been a positive one?
Yes.
[Rowe] Gregory credits his transformation to the prison's rehabilitation center.
Here we go again.
So I've volunteered to join the program.
Is it like somewhere that a prisoner will be taken over to on a daily basis?
Or do they live in that environment
until they've completed the course? How does that work?
Well, as so long as you come over to ARC,
you will live in that environment for a period of three to six months.
Is it based on religion? Is there a religious element to it?
I do believe that you can't correct bad with bad.
It has to be, you know, the opposite.
[Rowe] In charge of the rehab is Pastor Burns.
Nice to meet you, Mr. Burns. Raphael Rowe.
[Burns] Welcome.
[Rowe] I wanna go on a rehabilitation center.
I don't know what it is that I need to do, so I'm guided by you.
[indistinct chatter]
[Rowe] ARC uses the 12-step program as the basis of its rehabilitation.
Originally devised for recovering alcoholics,
the prison uses it to break addictions like drugs, anger and criminal behavior.
[prisoners applauding]
[Rowe] And it starts by getting prisoners to take responsibility for their crimes.
Many men come here, and they don't want to admit they have a problem,
admit that they have anger, admit that they have drugs addiction.
Step one is for you to admit to yourself and to God
that, "I need change. I want something different."
[Rowe] I'm surprised when the meeting is kicked off by Officer Gillett,
the prison's transfer warden.
I am saying to you young kings that each and every one of you guys
have the solution to the problems that we are facing at hand.
And we face these problems on a daily basis.
So, I am asking you young guys that you dig deep within
and start coming up with the solution to every problem that we face.
Starting now.
-[Rowe] First to step forward is Ryan... -[Burns speaking indistinctly]
[Rowe] ...a former gang member,
serving four years for drug trafficking and possession.
One of my biggest shortcomings is I am mischievous.
The street life was entertaining to me.
So, I started selling weed, and I made easy money.
But when I got arrested, and I got four years and I come to jail,
I realized, "How am I gonna live my life?"
Every night, when I go to sleep,
I feel pain, because I don't get to be with my family.
I never realized how all my actions have caused so much pain in my life.
So now, I do whatever I can to change it.
So, I encourage you all to let it out. Let out all your shortcomings on God.
[Rowe] This is tough. I know from my time inside
that the last thing an inmate wants to do is admit weakness or look vulnerable,
especially in front of other prisoners.
I have a lot of issues that I face every day, but I don't...
[Rowe] But that's exactly what these guys have to do here.
I am responsible for all the consequences and circumstances I face in my life.
[Rowe] And now, it's my turn.
Raphael Rowe, permission to talk?
[prisoners exclaim in agreement]
I myself spent 12 years in prison for murder and robbery.
The twist is I was innocent.
And I was released.
So, if I have one message that I want to share with you,
it's that even when you've been in prison for a very long time,
there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I am a product of that light,
because I made the decision to change and do things differently.
Of course, here in Belize Central Prison,
"the light" can have a whole different meaning.
Was you religious or faithful when you were on the outside?
No, no, no, no. When I was small, I was a Christian.
But at the age of 12, I was done with church.
Seeing all the men on the lanes selling the weed, banging girls...
They got easy money.
Being in a gang-infested area, that's what I thought life was about.
And did you affiliate yourself with a gang?
Peace in the Valley. It's a Blood gang. That was the gang I grew up in.
But being here and getting to learn the 12 steps,
it brought me closer to God, and it helped me work on myself
and have nothing to do with the streets.
[Rowe] ARC is at the heart of the Kolbe regime,
a place where these young kings turn away from the violent street life
and on to the path of righteousness.
[indistinct chatter]
[Rowe] Where gang loyalty becomes loyalty to God.
-Amen. -[all] Amen.
[Rowe] These guys are in that room...
every day from four, five o'clock in the morning,
through till eight o'clock at night.
That's a long time, and they get very little breaks.
They say the right things
because they're being taught the terminology and the language.
And in this prison, it's the language of God.
It's the language of embracing your faith.
But if it works, it works.
The carrot for the inmates is that, once they've been through ARC,
they become eligible for one of those privileged jobs,
and time out of their cells.
This is phase two of the prison's rehabilitation philosophy.
This afternoon, I'm being sent to the other side of the prison compound
to work with a veteran of the ARC program, named Francisco.
-Francisco. Hi, I'm Raphael. -Hi, Raphael.
[Rowe] It's good to meet you. I've been told by the guards
that I've got to come and help you.
-We're going over to the pigpens. -[Rowe] Okay.
Raising their own pigs is just part of the story.
Today, much of the prison's 225-acre site is given over to farmland,
where prisoners grow vegetables and raise livestock.
Before Kolbe took over, the prison couldn't afford to feed its inmates.
Now, with no extra cash from the government,
they produce 40% of the prison's food.
[pigs squealing]
How many pigs do you have in here?
We have 104 pigs here: 69 adult and 35 piglets.
[sow grunting]
[Rowe] For Francisco, this job isn't just about getting out of his cell.
It's all part of his rehabilitation.
This job is helping me to think, be responsible.
If I don't take care of these animals, how am I going to take care of my family?
Did you struggle to take care of your family when you was out?
-[Francisco] Well, I was an addict. -An addict?
I've been 27 years in prison.
My drug addiction has taken me a long way off.
I lost my loved ones.
I lost everything.
I find a chemical dependency because of my addiction, which is anger.
The 12-step program has enabled me to...
to do a very, very profound recharge of my life.
What sort of crimes did you commit?
Extortion, robbery, drug trafficking, murder.
And I went to prison. I got caught.
This is where I started seeing the light.
-Were you always a religious man? -[Francisco] I was never.
So, you found religion in Belize Central?
[Francisco] Belize Central Prison.
-[Rowe] So, you want me in? -Yeah.
-Am I scrubbing now? -You scrub.
-[Rowe] I scrub. -You scrub. They will move.
[Rowe] Changing from a drug-crazed murderer
to a God-fearing pig farmer is quite a transformation.
[pig squealing]
[Rowe] And keeping inmates gainfully employed
is all part of the Kolbe master plan.
For Francisco, that means learning to rear, kill and butcher his pigs.
Daniel is the one who's going to actually carry out the slaughtering.
[Rowe] The one with the knife in his hand?
[Francisco] Yeah.
[Rowe] Right, he looks like he can't wait.
Don't smile. You're about to chop a pig or cut a pig's throat. [chuckles]
-That's nothing to smile about. -[Francisco] They do it laughing.
[Rowe] Where do I stand so I don't get any blood all over me?
That's all I want to know.
-I'm safe there, am I? -[Francisco] You're safe there.
-[Francisco] No, just... Just look. -[Rowe] Jesus.
Oh, my God.
[Francisco] He's done.
[Rowe] That ain't over. He's still kicking.
Man.
[pig groans]
Hey, come this side.
[water splashing]
-[Francisco] Come this side. -Me?
It's taken him years, but Francisco's conversion from crime to Christianity
seems to have paid off.
He's up for parole.
Twenty-seven years of my life
-being incarcerated. -Yes.
You can imagine that in less than a week's time,
I will be granted the opportunity to be on the street.
-[Rowe] Do you think you're ready? -[Francisco] I am.
Kolbe offers gainful employment to ex-inmates.
-Okay. -Society does not.
But that does not mean that I cannot get a job.
I know how to slaughter. I might take $200 to get one of these pigs.
I slaughter a pig the very first week that I'm out.
150 pounds at $4 a pound,
I make my first $300.
The 12-step program and the ARC curriculum has taught me how to be self-employed.
[Rowe] It's hard not to be impressed by this prison.
If it's not rearing animals or growing their own food,
prisoners are learning metalwork or carpentry skills.
To me, their emphasis on God and Christianity feels a bit like a cult.
[indistinct announcement over speakers]
[Rowe] But it's hard to deny that for those that embrace it,
the system seems to be working.
Surely, it can't be that easy to turn these men around?
These are convicted murderers and hardened criminals.
Tomorrow, I'm gonna be spending time with the guards.
And I'm particularly keen to see how they deal with those prisoners
who don't buy into the Kolbe program.
It's 7:00 a.m.
And head of security Mr. Bennett
is briefing his officers on the night's events.
-[Mr. Bennett] Good morning. -[guards] Good morning, sir.
Last night, we had an officer, coming in during a search area,
found trying to smuggle in two cell phones.
That officer will be dealt with sometime during the course of the day.
Likewise, last night, we had a fight involving four inmates.
Those inmates will be dealt with this morning.
[Rowe] Corrupt guards, prisoners fighting...
Maybe this prison does have a darker side.
And how do you personally feel
about the fact that somebody you entrusted with the job,
and you've been guiding, has broken the rules?
The cardinal rule of "don't be corrupted by the prisoners"?
It's so sad when we lose officers because of corruption.
It is not what we want.
They have been trained not to engage in those sort of activities.
You mentioned that the two prisoners who got into an altercation last night...
What will happen to them? What's the process now?
There will be an investigation.
More than likely, they'll be part of the tribunal process coming this Thursday.
[Rowe] What's the punishment for fighting?
[Mr. Bennett] It varies.
Those inmates will probably be relocated to Ad Seg because it was a fight.
-[Rowe] What's Ad Seg? -Ad Seg, Admin Segregation.
[Rowe] The tribunal is set for tomorrow,
and this is where the inmates could end up:
the Ad Seg punishment block.
It sounds like somewhere I need to visit.
But first, there's another briefing to attend.
This time with the prison's CEO and superintendent, Mr. Murillo.
-[Rowe] So, he's the main man in charge? -[Mr. Bennett] Yes.
He has a passion for this place.
When I say passion, a real passion for this kind of environment.
When I took over this prison, remember, we had serious, serious problems.
Our contraband was out of whack. Corruption was rampant.
[Rowe] Mr. Murillo has been in charge here for three years,
after working his way up from prison accountant.
[Murillo] Listen, as a prison leader,
you need to know all the relevant human rights laws,
what you can and cannot do.
I was challenged the other day
when I started sending repeat offender to Ad Seg,
challenged by lawyers, challenged by everybody.
Ombudsman, everybody.
But at the end of the day, I know the human rights laws.
I'm not violating anybody's laws.
Well, that was quite inspiring.
Their leader, Mr. Murillo, the man who runs this ship.
He's quite a charismatic,
very respected leader amongst his senior staff.
Because there will be times, prisoners come to prison.
They will want to break the rules.
They will want to carry out the same kind of shenanigans...
He is in total control. He makes the decisions and people follow.
[Rowe] Be interesting meeting and talking to him
about the methods he uses to control and run this prison.
If I get the chance, I will definitely be asking Mr. Murillo
for a tour of Ad Seg to find out why it's so controversial.
Good morning.
But today, I'm heading back to my remand block, Tango 8/2,
where three wardens guard around 100 prisoners.
-Good morning, Mr. Petillo. -Yes, good morning.
-How are you? -I'm doing fine. Glad to meet you.
[Rowe] Despite being locked up 22 hours a day,
inmates here still manage to break the rules.
As officers, how do you maintain discipline?
[Petillo] These guys understand if you commit an infraction
within the housing unit, there are penalties.
Right. And have you had any prisoners breaking rules recently?
On Saturday, after the visit, one of the guys refused to be searched.
One of us officers suspected him of having some contraband.
When he was called to be searched, he ran. Immediately, that rings a bell.
-"Why do you run?" -[chuckles] Of course.
Because maybe he's hidden some contraband.
[Rowe] Where is he now? What happened to him?
[Petillo] He's in lockdown. He's awaiting tribunal.
-[Rowe] Can you show me that? -[Petillo] We're heading there right now.
-[Rowe] What do you call it? -[Petillo] The Iron Curtain.
[Rowe] The man currently behind the Iron Curtain...
Good morning. How are you doing?
...is called Armando.
A little bit of light. I heard you're in a bit of trouble.
What's it feel like being in there? It looks quite...
-Dark. It's dark in here. -[Rowe] It's dark.
Iron bed, and it hurt up your ribs, and it digs.
How does this differ from a normal cell?
'Cause this is a semi-punishment cell...
Rough, rough. I've been in here seven days already.
On Saturday, seven days. Seven, six days?
[Rowe] You've lost count of time already?
Yeah. Rough, rough.
I think this should be the punishment right here.
I mean, they still want to punish you more, more and more.
-So, you're in there 24 hours a day? -Yeah.
-[Rowe] That's punishment enough? -Yeah.
[Rowe chuckles] I think most people would agree with you.
Yeah.
But you get your... I'm told you get your chance to defend yourself
or argue your case at the tribunal when you go there.
-Why you did... -Yes, I'll fight my case there.
Well, good luck. I hope you survive it.
-Yes, sir. Yes, sir. -Okay. Take care.
[cell door locking]
[Rowe] I don't know what you call this,
but standing here, watching this guy being put in this space...
Those cells are bad enough, but this is terrifying.
They've got two padlocks on. It's bolted. It's an iron...
It's like something out of a movie.
It looks like seven days in there has terrorized him as a human being.
If that's what they have to do to control these guys,
that's what they have to do, and they obviously know better than I do.
Um, whether it's right is another question.
Zero tolerance of any rule-breaking
is how the guards at Belize Central maintain control.
And if the Ad Seg punishment block is as brutal as the Iron Curtain,
it must act as a pretty fierce deterrent.
I want to see for myself how punishment works in this prison.
So today, I'm attending the weekly tribunal.
Here, inmates accused of breaking the rules wait to have their cases heard.
A three-man panel will decide their fate.
Among the 30 men assembled
are the two prisoners charged with fighting.
If found guilty, they face being locked up in Admin Segregation.
Prison CEO Mr. Murillo is also here,
and I take the chance to ask him about Ad Seg.
[Murillo] It just literally means that you are segregated,
and all of your privileges that you would have if you were behaving good,
and if you don't get into trouble, is being removed.
Does it work?
-[Murillo] It definitely works. -How do you know it works?
I know it works because I've been testing the recidivism in that area,
and it's not the same people going back there.
At the end of the day, my story to them has always been,
"You have yourself there, not me.
I am just enforcing the laws and the rules."
There's a side to you that I find really interesting,
that you won't take any BS, if you like.
"I'll be straight with you. I'll be fair with you.
But you mess with the rules, you break the rules,
I'm going to punish you. I'm going to show you the consequences."
Is that you? Is that how it works?
-Tough love. -[Rowe] Yes.
Tough love, even with my own children. Tough love.
I'm going to give you the opportunities and work with you.
But you're not gonna play games with me. It doesn't work.
[Rowe] What would the guys down there say that they've learned?
You could learn that from them, 'cause they were there a few days ago.
-[Rowe] They've already been down? -They have.
They've waited there for the last week. You can ask them.
Can I go to Ad Seg and see how this works down there?
That's out of bounds. Ad Seg is out of bounds.
You can't take me down and show me how this...
-No. -...part of the prison works?
-You won't take me there? -Not to Ad Seg.
You and the prison sound very proud of the fact
that they use this as a sanction, as they do other things.
-So, what is there to hide down there? -[Murillo] It's total deprivation.
And I'm just saying, as a superintendent,
that I won't want you to go there, and I'll stick with that.
-[Rowe] Right. Okay. -Yeah.
[Rowe] I know that, at Belize Central, total deprivation means 24-hour lockdown.
If Mr. Murillo won't show me Ad Seg, I can at least hear about it.
The reason they will never take you back there in Ad Seg
is because you will see it's somewhere inhumane for humans to live.
How would it look seeing humans sleeping on concrete?
When we eat, we don't get no nutrients.
Sometimes you're hitting your hand,
and you're killing five, six mosquitoes at once.
[prisoner] Coming from using a toilet in the building...
to stooling, to shitting, and urinating and defecating in a slop bucket,
with other guys in the cell...
[prisoner] And Mr. Murillo thinks it's punishing us
-that is going to make us straight. -[indistinct chatter]
It gives us an embedded anger that...
I've even contemplated suicide being in that spot, man.
[indistinct chatter]
[Rowe] Mr. Murillo says it's tough love.
He says that he's doing the best thing he can
to make you better citizens for when you go outside.
That's what he says.
[prisoner] He also said he's the god of the prison.
The god?
The god. G-O-D. That mean whatever he says goes.
[indistinct chatter]
[Rowe] For these inmates, the stakes are high.
It's time for the two guys accused of fighting to face the music.
Anthony Carbayo.
I have a charge here of committing an assault,
contrary to the Prisons Act Chapter 139, by kicking and punching him.
-How do you plead? -[Anthony] Guilty.
[officer] Do you have any explanation?
Yes, sir. This altercation started from when me...
[Rowe] It's really interesting.
I've seen myself stand behind that yellow line on numerous occasions,
where I'm trying to convince the adjudicator,
or the tribunal in this case, that "I didn't do it, guv."
-...here, Mr. Young. -[Rowe] "It wasn't me, guv."
Trying to convince this person who has their fate in their hands.
[indistinct chatter]
[Rowe] Am I gonna go and spend time in isolation, segregation,
or in this case, the Ad Seg.
That's what's at stake here for most of these guys.
Now, this charge is one sanction for one to three months.
I will not give you one month.
But I won't give you three, either.
You'll be getting two months full sanction, lockdown at Ad Seg.
You understand?
[Rowe] Two months?
That can't be about changing somebody and making them...
That is hard. I mean, what more can I say? That is really hard. Fucking hard.
The prisoners found guilty of breaking the rules
are marched off to Ad Seg.
[Murillo] That's your place you're interested in seeing, Ad Seg.
[Rowe] That's that building down the bottom?
[Murillo] That's Ad Seg right there.
[Rowe] Inmates here might see Mr. Murillo as the god of the prison,
but is he a just god or a vengeful one?
Do you think that Belizean society
want their brothers, sons, you know, parents
to be treated in this way when they break the rules?
I need to make something very crystal clear here.
Nothing that is happening here is against the Prisons Act, okay?
If they've been through the programs that are so successful
and it's not worked for them,
maybe there's something wrong with the programs.
[Murillo] Maybe they were born criminals.
Remember, they are street--
[Rowe] Is there such a thing? No child is born--
Mr. Murillo, you're an intelligent man.
-No child can be born a criminal. -I have...
I'm just saying maybe.
-You hear the word I used? Maybe. -Okay.
[Murillo] We're putting them with a class of their own,
so they cannot contaminate each other,
because they are birds of a feather. They are flocking together.
Hopefully, this time around, they'll get their act together.
They'll go back out into society, and they'll think differently
and not want to come back to the prison.
People should not look forward to coming to prison.
Prison should not be an option.
Prison should not be an option for nobody, no matter what your circumstance is.
That's what I am saying.
But if I make prison a bed of roses, that is what will happen.
The jail will be filled up. Big time.
[man over speakers] If these disciples had seen Jesus heal the...
[Rowe] It may not breach Belizean law,
but I'm still not sure about Mr. Murillo's tough love philosophy.
What I do know is that months of total lockdown in Ad Seg
will leave prisoners vulnerable, physically and mentally.
[man over speakers] Feed your inner person.
[Rowe] My next stop during my time with the guards...
is Tango 7, a medium-security block for inmates convicted of crimes
including gang-related violence and murder.
-[Rowe] How are you doing? -[prisoner] Good morning.
Where do I go? Where's the entrance?
-Just... -[Rowe] In here.
So, I'm looking for Mr. Turner.
So, he's through here, right? Okay.
The warden, Mr. Turner, dictates how this block is run.
The prophets, even from Genesis...
[translating in other language]
[Turner] ...have gone through the fires.
[translating in other language]
All types of trials and temptations.
[Rowe] Every day, Mr. Turner tries to inspire change
in his errant flock of gang members and murderers.
And who is left to do those trials? The usurper, Lucifer.
And God allows that...
[Rowe] More preacher than prison guard,
Mr. Turner uses his own brand of evangelical Christianity
to get the administration's message across.
We are tired of doing things Lucifer's way.
[translating in other language]
We want to do things Jesus' way.
-Amen. -[all] Amen.
[Rowe] I'm no expert, but, to me, it feels like brainwashing.
What percentage of these prisoners have, do you think,
embraced God since you've come in and taken over, and those that have not?
I would say we are about 60% to 65%.
Is your ideal to reach 100%?
Not just in Tango 7, but across the whole of this prison complex?
That's the entire idea here. This prison is spiritually-based.
Only God can give us patience to deal with this situation.
[Rowe] What's your thoughts about Ad Seg?
Because for me, that is the ultimate punishment.
It feels the prison is run on fear, fear of being punished.
Some of the things that are happening,
they are keeping them for a long period of time.
I do believe that, at some point, it could defeat the purpose.
But even we need to understand how to deal with Ad Seg
and the guys that have to be placed there.
I'm sure our superintendent is looking into these things.
What sort of characters are coming back to the wing?
Are you seeing angry beast? Are you seeing guys that have been broken?
What kind of guys are coming back?
Some of them come back, you know... They look weary. They look tired.
Now, that is my moment.
You see, those are the moments that I need to...
embrace them.
And let them know, "Hey, as bad as it was, remember this:
Jesus was placed on that cross there for no reason."
We are here on a mission.
The mission is to try to help somebody to change.
[Rowe] It's clear that in this evangelically Christian environment,
ideas of redemption are never far away.
But, to me, this feels less like rebirth and more like reprogramming.
Whether they've seen the light or are just desperate to avoid Ad Seg,
for those that do get with the program, the rewards are tangible.
For my final day at Belize Central Prison,
I'm back in orange to join the chopping crew.
Is this my seat?
It turns out that chopping involves a bunch of trusted inmates
being bused out of the prison to cut grass...
today at a local school.
To do it, they use very large and very sharp machetes.
There's a lot of trust put in these guys to come in and do this.
These guys are picking up some big knives. [chuckles]
Is this my one?
Look at this. I hesitate to touch it with my finger.
[indistinct chatter]
Raphael, come inside.
[Rowe] Mr. Turner expressed reservations about the effectiveness of Ad Seg.
I want to meet those who have experienced it,
and hear what they think of Belize Prison's tough love philosophy.
I think I've got a blunt sword.
-How long have you been doing this? -[Eric] Five years.
Five years! I'm five seconds.
I want a lawnmower.
My chopping partner, Eric, is doing 15 years for manslaughter,
and tells me he's an Ad Seg veteran.
Do you think you've changed in ten years in prison?
Yes. When I came to this institution, I was a person...
We couldn't be having this chat if I was the same person as back then.
-[Rowe] Why? -[Eric] I was very aggressive.
The way we grew up... We grew up in a place that was run by gangs.
That's how we were raised. And everything in the street...
You gotta be someone tough to get what you want.
That's why here, when I came to jail, I was in lot of trouble.
[Rowe] What changed you?
[Eric] All these years that I've been here,
I've been to all the lockdowns within the prison.
I've been to Ad Seg.
You're living in a place that there's no breeze, no light, no nothing.
That's total lockdown.
All those things let me realize that...
it's not paying for all the trouble I'm giving.
Mr. Murillo will say you're a product of the type of prison that he runs
because he says he will give you the opportunity to change.
And if you don't, he'll punish you and make you change.
[Eric] Yeah, that's what I'm telling you.
I've shown them I've gotten away from all that negativity.
I'm trying to perceive now.
Sometimes, you need a little punishment to realize, right,
your mistakes that you're doing.
[Rowe] Despite my reservations about harsh punishments
like Ad Seg and the Iron Curtain, Eric seems to be living proof
that Mr. Murillo's carrot and very large stick approach can work.
And he's not alone.
Since Kolbe took over,
the re-offending rate has apparently dropped from 73% to 23%.
When I first arrived here, a week ago, I was pretty skeptical about this place.
[prisoners singing hymn]
[Rowe] To me, it felt more like a religious cult than a prison.
[singing hymn]
[Rowe] I'm still not sure what I think about their hard-line methods.
But after meeting apparently reformed characters
and seeing rival gang members coming together at Mr. Turner's sermons...
[singing and clapping]
[Rowe] I have to admit that they seem to be doing something right.
My time here at Belize Central is now over.
Faith is at the heart of how they rehabilitate their prisoners.
God is used to motivate and to inspire, and for many it actually works.
But for those who rebel or re-offend, there is no mercy.