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[Rowe] La Reforma Prison,
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00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:10,920
home to over 3,000
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of the most dangerous criminals
in Costa Rica.
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Plagued by squalid conditions
and overcrowding...
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[shouting]
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[Rowe] ...it's overrun with drugs...
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I get you anything you want. [laughs]
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Really.
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[Rowe] ...and deadly violence,
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making this one of Latin America's
most feared maximum security prisons.
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My name is Raphael Rowe.
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I'm spending a week locked up
inside this Costa Rican prison,
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but it's not my first time behind bars.
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I served 12 years
for a murder I didn't commit.
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Now, I'm traveling the globe
to discover what life is really like
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00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,640
inside some of the world's
toughest prisons.
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Costa Rica: one of the world's
top tourist destinations.
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But there's a dark side
to this Central American paradise.
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In the last five years,
a wave of violent crime
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has filled the prisons to bursting point.
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Before I do time
in the notorious La Reforma Penitentiary,
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I'm joining
a police stop and search mission
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in the capital, San José,
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to find out what's fueling
this surge in bloodshed.
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So, police are carrying out
quite a serious operation here.
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[in Spanish] The international
drugs cartels
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are invading our Costa Rica, our borders.
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So, their arrival
is increasing the use of drugs,
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and also crime, in our country.
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[Rowe] Costa Rica has become
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an important trafficking route
for cocaine,
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heading north to Mexico
and the United States.
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The flood of drugs has fueled
a spike in gang violence,
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00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,440
and Costa Rica's murder rate
has spiraled out of control.
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The increased crime rates
here in Costa Rica means
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more people are being sent to prison.
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And the prisons have a problem
with overcrowding.
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And the prisons themselves,
I'm told, are appalling.
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The conditions are appalling,
and they're violent places.
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Costa Rica's most dangerous criminals
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are held at the country's largest
maximum security prison, La Reforma.
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And that's where I'm heading now,
to spend a week as an inmate
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and find out for myself
just how bad it really is.
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[guard] Shoes off.
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[Rowe] The first step to becoming
an inmate is a security check.
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[in Spanish] Turn around. Open your mouth.
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You can put them on.
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Do you often find things?
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Do prisoners often have things,
at this moment, in your search?
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00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:17,680
[in Spanish] Yes, that's why we do this,
because we often find sharp objects,
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razor blades, or other items
that can physically harm you.
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[Rowe] It's hardly the most invasive
search I've ever had,
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so I can imagine
a quantity of contraband does get in.
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I'm also warned about lethal weapons
handmade by inmates.
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Cigarette lighters with pieces of metal
coming out the end.
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I mean, you can just imagine.
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And then you've got this kind of thing
that somebody can hold,
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just a sharpened piece of steel.
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I've seen every weapon
you can possibly imagine
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made by a prisoner.
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I've seen 'em be used.
I know how dangerous these things can be.
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So, you can't, for one minute,
let your guard down,
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whether you are a prisoner,
a prison guard, or a visitor,
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because you don't know who might
be carrying one of these weapons.
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After photographs and fingerprints,
I'll be taken to quarantine,
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where the authorities
risk assess prisoners
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00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,600
and isolate those
with violent criminal rivalries.
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I'm not looking forward to it,
if I'm honest,
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because I don't know
who I'm gonna meet in there.
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And it's always the kind of edgier place
of a prison at the very start.
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This is the cell?
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-[Rowe speaking Spanish]
-[prisoner speaking Spanish]
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How are you doing? My name is Raphael.
Nice to meet you. Raphael.
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So, how long are you expecting
to be held in here?
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[in Spanish] It depends. If they
haven't allocated you here in the prison,
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you might be here 15 days, 22 days
until you get assigned a place.
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This is my first taste
of Costa Rica's La Reforma Prison.
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00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,680
And just coming through this area here,
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it already makes me feel
like I'm being caged like an animal.
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[in Spanish] It stinks here.
Without light, without anything.
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[prisoner] Here, it's tougher. It's tough.
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Here, you have to survive alone.
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You have to survive,
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and if you don't have family here,
you won't survive.
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00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,360
Okay, well, let me ask you.
What are you in here for?
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[in Spanish] Me? Homicide,
aggravated robbery, selling drugs.
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I'm in jail for homicide and kidnapping.
I got 21 years.
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And what about you, Mr. Lollipop?
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[in Spanish] I'm here for murder
with 18 years.
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What advice would you give to me?
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00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,120
[in Spanish] The advice I can give you
is to get along with people.
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To not have any problems,
and make friends,
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and learn that what you see,
you didn't see,
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and not to touch what is around.
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Do you get it?
To respect every inmate equally
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00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:11,880
and not to look down on anyone.
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This is the advice I can give you
to survive for longer.
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Otherwise, they kill you.
Do you understand?
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[Rowe] You only have to look at these guys
and their conditions.
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00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:26,400
I mean, this is doing some serious time.
There's no electricity in here.
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The walls are burnt.
Every corner of this cell is burnt,
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probably where
they are trying to get light.
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And they've given me a word of warning.
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You see no evil, you speak no evil,
and you hear no evil.
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And if you abide by that code,
you'll survive.
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[Rowe] This sprawling penitentiary
has different units
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00:06:50,280 --> 00:06:54,320
housing low-, medium-
or high-risk prisoners.
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After quarantine, I'm assigned
to the medium security B-block.
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00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:05,160
En route, I get a sense
of just how volatile this prison can be.
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[indistinct yelling]
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The officers left
and they grabbed hold of their batons.
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So, obviously, they're trying
to control something.
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And that's a stark reminder
that I'm in a very dangerous place,
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and something could happen at any second.
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What happened?
What were you going to deal with?
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[in Spanish] It was a fist fight,
but there was no use of sharp weapons.
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For me?
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[Rowe] As I'm handed a mattress,
I'm nervous about what lies ahead.
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My heart's racing as I'm marched
into the belly of the beast.
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[prisoner 1] Gringo.
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Gringo.
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00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:42,800
[prisoner 2] Gringo.
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[indistinct chatter]
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This way?
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[prisoner 3] Barco!
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[prisoner 4] Barco!
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[prisoner 5] Barco!
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[Rowe] The inmates shout "barco"
which means "boat,"
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prison slang for a new arrival.
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[shouting and whistling]
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I'm thinking, "God, if I was on my own
coming to an environment like this,
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how do I survive?"
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00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,480
This welcome is designed
to intimidate new inmates.
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-Barco! Barco!
-[indistinct shouting]
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[Rowe] Beyond this fence,
I'll be at the mercy
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of the prison boss who controls this unit.
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[clamoring]
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[Rowe] It's critical I don't make myself
vulnerable by showing any fear.
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[in Spanish] He is the one who rules here.
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00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:03,240
My name is Raphael.
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00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,440
[in Spanish] Raphael?
Pleased to meet you. Where are you from?
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I come from London.
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[speaking Spanish]
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00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:17,400
[Rowe in English] Luis controls where
I'll sleep: on a bunk or on the floor.
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[in Spanish] Most of us here are friends.
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00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,920
We all come from different countries.
Nicaragua...
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00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,480
There are people from Panama, Colombia.
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00:09:27,560 --> 00:09:30,840
[Michael] There are murderers, rapists.
You'll find all kinds here, thieves...
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Thieves, burglars, everything. Psychos...
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[Luis] You got to choose your path.
If you get in trouble...
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If you want trouble, you'll find trouble.
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[Rowe] It's a clear warning
not to challenge Luis' authority.
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On the outside, I'm told,
he was a feared gang leader.
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Inside, he clearly commands the respect
of these dangerous inmates.
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00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,640
He orders his lieutenant, Michael,
to show me around.
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00:10:02,680 --> 00:10:07,440
First up, I'm given a bed,
which I'm told I have to pay for.
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-This is going to be your bed.
-[Rowe] Okay.
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Here.
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Down here, this was going to be yours.
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00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:17,880
So, I'm getting a sense
that this is a privilege
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00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:19,760
for me to be up here,
rather than under there.
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00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:24,000
So, how many people
sleep in this dormitory?
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00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,000
How many guys in here alone?
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Twenty-eight only here.
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-[Rowe] Twenty-eight.
-[in English] Twenty-eight.
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Okay.
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00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,600
Uh, no air conditioning?
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00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:34,680
[in Spanish] Nothing.
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[Rowe] No fans?
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00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:37,640
Nothing.
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00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,280
You've got to be tough.
We live like that here.
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00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,560
We are from the ghetto.
Strong, brave, suffering.
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So, what's your position here, then?
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Because everybody seems
to be paying attention
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to the fact I'm here talking to you.
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Here, my job is the telephone guy.
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00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:55,800
Many people are waiting in line
to make calls.
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00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,240
So, I can buy that space in the line?
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00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,240
That's what I do?
I buy that space to make a phone call?
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00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,480
Yes, you are being privileged.
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00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:10,360
[Rowe] Next stop on my tour:
the cell's en suite bathroom.
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00:11:12,560 --> 00:11:14,040
Oh, my fucking God.
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00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:18,080
[imitates water splashing]
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00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,280
Oh, your shower. That's the shower.
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00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,160
You pour water. You bathe. You dry.
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00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:25,960
Here, you shit.
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00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:27,040
All right, okay.
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00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:29,920
And here's water to put into it.
There's no tank to flush.
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00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:36,040
[Rowe] With only an hour left
before lockdown at 5:00 p.m.,
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00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,520
Michael and I grab some fresh air.
191
00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:44,320
What would my routine be tomorrow morning?
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00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:48,200
First, if you have cash,
you can pay someone
193
00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,000
to pick up your breakfast and lunch.
It's a perk.
194
00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,640
But if you don't have money,
you have to wake up at 7:00 in the morning
195
00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,240
to get in line for your own coffee, bread.
196
00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,920
Here, you line up for many things.
197
00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:05,640
Looks like... a lot of guys here
are not doing very much at the moment.
198
00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:08,800
Just hanging around, killing time.
199
00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:11,920
Is there a lot of fights?
200
00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:13,560
[Michael] Anyone who wants problems.
201
00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:19,560
Even for a bread roll, a cigarette butt,
or because you did not lend him a pen...
202
00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:22,400
because you did not tell them the time.
203
00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:24,200
They will fight for everything.
204
00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:27,640
It's stressful.
205
00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,200
[Rowe] With over 100 dangerous inmates
206
00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,840
confined to this small patio
and four cramped dorms,
207
00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:37,840
it's no wonder life here often descends
into violence.
208
00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:44,040
Michael is eight years
into a 35-year sentence for two murders.
209
00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,560
How do you survive in here, man?
I mean, this place is...
210
00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:53,760
This place is crazy.
I mean, there's... overcrowding.
211
00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:55,680
It's hot. It's... I mean...
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00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,440
You get used to the routine.
213
00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:01,280
Your mind adapts to it.
214
00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:05,080
If you don't adapt, you go crazy,
and they send you to maximum security.
215
00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,640
[Rowe] It's the end of my first day
in La Reforma.
216
00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:13,840
And honestly, this is one of the most
intimidating prisons I've ever been in.
217
00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,520
The threat of violence
hangs in the air here.
218
00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,760
If I'm gonna get through this,
I'll need to keep my wits about me.
219
00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:25,000
Every day you wake up,
you've got to protect your mind.
220
00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,440
You've got to protect your physical body
221
00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:32,400
from confrontation, from intimidation,
from manipulation.
222
00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,720
And it worries me,
that every day I'm here,
223
00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,680
I'm going to witness something
I don't want to witness.
224
00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:53,480
[Rowe] It's the start of my second day
in La Reforma.
225
00:13:53,560 --> 00:13:55,360
And behind bars on B-block,
226
00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,640
it's the inmates
who are firmly in control.
227
00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:02,440
To survive this hellhole,
228
00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:05,160
I need to earn the respect
of my cellmates,
229
00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,160
and that means mucking in.
230
00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:13,880
Boss Luis hands out tasks
around the dormitory.
231
00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:18,280
And I'm told he has a special job
for new inmates.
232
00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:23,640
[in Spanish] How's it going, dude?
233
00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,480
What does he want?
Does this man want to work?
234
00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,840
It's your call. I brought him,
so he can get to the front of the line.
235
00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:31,880
What you have to do is simple.
236
00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,280
You want me to clean this out,
and put it in this bucket?
237
00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:35,200
-[Luis in English] Yes.
-Okay.
238
00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:40,560
[Rowe] As the newest arrival,
all eyes are watching to see how I react.
239
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,160
So, do I get paid for doing this job?
240
00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:45,760
Yes, yes.
241
00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:46,880
What's my pay?
242
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,040
[in Spanish] In the food line,
you'll have the benefit to get your food
243
00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,280
without having to make the full line.
244
00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:56,360
There are a lot of us.
Lots of people line up, so you go ahead.
245
00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:58,280
That's the benefit of the work.
246
00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,240
[Rowe] But it smells bad. Fucking hell.
247
00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:05,760
Where does this come from,
this rubbish?
248
00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:07,720
[Luis] From the rooms.
249
00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:12,120
I've got a fucking cockroach in my hand
and its baby,
250
00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,200
and these guys think it's quite amusing.
251
00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:19,760
I mean, it takes... a force beyond nature
to kill cockroaches.
252
00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,360
It stinks. It's a horrible thing to do.
253
00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:25,840
But wouldn't you do it willingly
254
00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:29,240
if it would get you
one notch up the ladder
255
00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:34,080
as a new prisoner
in this volatile and dangerous place?
256
00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:37,000
So, I'm mixing it up already
to show that I'm willing
257
00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:42,360
and that earns me a benefit,
but, more importantly, friends.
258
00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:47,200
Luis has ordered one of my cellmates
to line up and bring me food
259
00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,200
as payment for doing this disgusting job.
260
00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:51,480
It better be worth it.
261
00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:53,360
[Rowe] That's what I was just getting
out of there, right?
262
00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:54,800
That's my food?
263
00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:57,960
[Rowe] Suddenly, I'm not so hungry.
264
00:15:58,040 --> 00:15:59,880
Is that what I've done that for?
That shit? [chuckles]
265
00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,520
I might as well
have just eaten that, right?
266
00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:09,520
[Rowe] The vast majority of inmates
will spend all day, every day,
267
00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,960
in and around this small courtyard.
268
00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:17,760
With limited facilities, it's up to them
how they occupy their time.
269
00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:24,880
My cellmate, Michael,
has invited me to join him in the gym,
270
00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,680
and it looks like I'm in for another test.
271
00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:31,320
There's no state-provided
gymnasium equipment here.
272
00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:37,600
So, these guys have ingeniously
invented their own weights room.
273
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,080
-Michael. How you doing?
-[Michael in English] Hey, Raphael.
274
00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:42,160
-[Michael] Good morning. I'm fine.
-[Rowe] You good?
275
00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,400
[Rowe] Working out in the gym
is what kept me sane
276
00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:47,880
during my 12 years in prison.
277
00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:51,240
Okay, this one.
278
00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:00,200
[Rowe] Michael puts me through my paces.
279
00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:02,240
[Michael in Spanish] The big one!
The big one!
280
00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:04,240
I don't know if I'll come out
of here alive. [chuckles]
281
00:17:04,319 --> 00:17:06,280
I mean, they have no mercy.
282
00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:08,640
[prisoner in Spanish] Come on! Harder!
283
00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,160
[exhaling]
284
00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:16,319
[prisoner] Harder! Harder!
285
00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:17,960
-[Rowe] Done.
-[Michael in English] Done, done.
286
00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:20,480
[chuckles]
287
00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,480
Oh, man. I passed?
288
00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:26,839
-Yes. [speaking Spanish]
-[Rowe] Okay.
289
00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,280
So, why do you come in here
and build your muscles?
290
00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:33,280
To keep yourself strong?
To give you status?
291
00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:34,400
[in Spanish] To let off steam.
292
00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:39,640
To release all the anger,
all the bad thoughts you have inside.
293
00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:42,600
You flush them all out with the exercise.
It all goes away.
294
00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,080
[Rowe] You don't need to be big
and powerful
295
00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:46,720
to be dangerous and ruthless.
296
00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,680
But this might give one or two
of you an advantage.
297
00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,600
[Rowe] There's a lurking brutality
and sense of hopelessness
298
00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:58,480
that hangs over life here.
299
00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,680
I want to find out more about Michael,
300
00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:05,960
who still has more than 25 years
to serve behind bars.
301
00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:09,240
When did you first come to prison,
and what was that for?
302
00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:10,840
[in Spanish] When I was 13.
303
00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:13,040
For murder.
304
00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:16,600
They were from a gang.
305
00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:21,280
I killed one. Then, another kills another,
and another, another...
306
00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:23,560
And that's how it goes.
307
00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:29,520
The family... Hey, they killed a cousin
of mine, and I killed their uncle.
308
00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:32,080
They shot me.
309
00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:35,160
How many times have you been shot?
310
00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:36,160
Eight.
311
00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,880
Hold on a minute.
You've still got a bullet in your calf?
312
00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:41,360
-Two.
-Two bullets?
313
00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:42,520
Bullet, bullet.
314
00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:43,600
What are they, souvenirs?
315
00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:44,760
[both chuckle]
316
00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,920
What was your life like
before you got involved in gangs?
317
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:50,080
Or has it always been like that for you?
318
00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:52,080
My stepfather smoked crack,
319
00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:54,120
and he beat the living shit out of me.
Excuse me.
320
00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,760
[exclaims] He hit me every day
with a leather belt.
321
00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:00,800
He was taking drugs, and beat me hard.
322
00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:04,920
Every day. I did not have a childhood.
323
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:10,480
That vicious circle of gangs,
drugs, murder, and prison,
324
00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,400
how can you escape that
if that's all you've ever known?
325
00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,320
You may try to get out of it,
but there is a lot around.
326
00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,240
There is so much evil in the world.
327
00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:20,240
Has prison changed you?
328
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:25,160
It turns some people
into monsters on the inside,
329
00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:26,760
even the ones that haven't done anything.
330
00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:32,440
There are others that it really changes.
331
00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,640
[Rowe] There was something he said to me
that was really striking,
332
00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:39,040
and it was that this is a place
333
00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:42,160
where people who come in here,
who are not real criminals,
334
00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,720
go out of here serious criminals.
335
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,840
No rehabilitation,
no preparation for resocialization.
336
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:51,640
Just a school of crime.
337
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,400
[Rowe] It's a new day in La Reforma.
338
00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:13,960
Whilst most inmates spend their time
339
00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,960
confined in the claustrophobic
living units,
340
00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:20,120
a few are lucky enough to have a real job.
341
00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,760
And today, I'm relieved
to escape the cell courtyard
342
00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:26,880
and help out in B-block's kitchen.
343
00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:34,000
Here, 30 inmates help prepare
three meals a day for over 600 prisoners.
344
00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:36,760
-[Rowe] You're Glen, right?
-Yeah.
345
00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:38,160
How are you doing, Glen? I'm Raphael.
346
00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:39,280
-Nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.
347
00:20:39,360 --> 00:20:43,040
[Rowe] I'm helping former
US Marine Glen Davis
348
00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:47,680
deliver a papaya snack
to each of the six separate living units.
349
00:20:48,360 --> 00:20:50,720
-Come.
-[Rowe] All right. Okay.
350
00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:01,720
They wait for the big pieces first, right?
351
00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:07,040
50-year-old Glen has spent
most of the last 32 years in prison.
352
00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,880
At the time, his crime shocked Costa Rica.
353
00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:13,400
It was a kidnap. It was Americans.
354
00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:15,720
-You kidnapped Americans?
-[Glen] Yes.
355
00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,760
They were kidnapped.
I was gonna let them go, and...
356
00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:21,000
And he started talking, and...
357
00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:24,440
One shit leads to the other,
and I killed him.
358
00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:25,680
You killed one of the Americans?
359
00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:26,760
I killed both of them.
360
00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:27,880
-You killed both of them?
-[Glen] Yes.
361
00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:32,120
Psychiatrists have said,
from when I was a kid, I am a sociopath.
362
00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,360
[Rowe] Because Glen's job allows him
to move between units,
363
00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,680
there's no shortage of inmates
asking for favors.
364
00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:48,760
Every day, when I go to this place,
you hear, "Glen, Goofy, pass this joint."
365
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:50,320
I have to pass the joint
from there to there.
366
00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:51,640
You mean a puff joint?
367
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:53,400
-A joint, marijuana.
-Yeah.
368
00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,080
Is it a privilege or is it a risk?
Because if the guards--
369
00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:57,320
[Glen] It's both.
370
00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:00,800
-It's like a blade with two edges.
-Yes, two edges.
371
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,480
Because if I say no to my people...
372
00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:08,160
I live here. I am not gonna be popular.
373
00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:09,600
I do whatever they want.
374
00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,960
If they give me a dead person,
chopped, cut real nice in a bag,
375
00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:15,760
I'll carry it and throw it away for them.
376
00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:19,760
Doesn't your little errands
that you do for some of these guys pay?
377
00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:22,760
They pay drugs, and I smoke pot.
378
00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:26,160
Are drugs quite prevalent in here?
379
00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:28,720
I get you anything you want. [laughs]
380
00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,400
Really. Whatever you want.
381
00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:37,080
You said to me
that you do a lot to survive.
382
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:38,520
-What are your limits?
-Okay.
383
00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:39,440
[Rowe] What wouldn't you do?
384
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:43,360
If you ask me to pass you on
a blade, a knife, I will not,
385
00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:47,440
'cause today, you and I are friends.
Tomorrow, I don't know.
386
00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:50,400
And that knife that I brought you
could be good for me.
387
00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:57,160
[Rowe] These guys,
they just ooze this violence,
388
00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:02,840
and I've seen that look in many men's eyes
in prison, myself.
389
00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:08,600
He said everything about this place
is kill or be killed,
390
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,400
survive or be crushed.
391
00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:18,440
[Rowe] The key to doing time in this place
seems to be:
392
00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,120
keep your head down,
do what's asked of you,
393
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,160
and don't stand out from the crowd.
394
00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:26,800
But there's a small group of prisoners
395
00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:30,040
who are potentially
more vulnerable than others.
396
00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:31,840
And I'm keen to find out
397
00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:36,000
how they survive
in this hostile, macho environment.
398
00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:40,600
-Hi.
-[Jason] Hi.
399
00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:42,600
-Your name is?
-Jason.
400
00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:43,560
-Jason.
-Samantha.
401
00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:44,520
-Samantha?
-Samantha.
402
00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:46,680
-Jason Samantha or Samantha?
-Samantha.
403
00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:47,920
-And yours?
-Elian.
404
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,400
Elian. Nice to meet you. Raphael.
405
00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:53,120
I understand that you guys
are in a relationship, right?
406
00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:58,320
[in Spanish] Yes, we are a couple.
We've been together for ten months.
407
00:23:58,400 --> 00:23:59,960
We are together in the prison.
408
00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:04,960
The truth is, it's an experience
you don't see often,
409
00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:10,280
because we suffer
from discrimination, contempt,
410
00:24:10,360 --> 00:24:12,880
since people do not like it.
411
00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:17,320
They look down on people like us.
412
00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,640
[Rowe] Elian is doing time for robbery,
413
00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:25,400
and Samantha is serving 11 years
for smuggling drugs into prison.
414
00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:32,680
Have you experienced threats,
or people attacked you,
415
00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,480
or tried to attack you
because you're Samantha?
416
00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:38,560
A prisoner came from down over there
with a big piece of steel.
417
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,040
He wanted to kill me
because he hates gays.
418
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:46,280
So, I looked at him and told him,
"Come on, let's fight."
419
00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:49,120
I said, "I'm not afraid of anybody."
420
00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:54,440
So, the guy shut up and left me alone,
but he wanted to kill me.
421
00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:58,000
If I'd not said anything,
he would have killed me.
422
00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:02,600
How do you protect each other
from the threats of violence
423
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,280
from those who don't like
that you are in a relationship?
424
00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:08,080
[in Spanish] Well,
I mostly take care of her.
425
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:12,080
Not so much her of me,
because I always need to protect her
426
00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,040
from people that want to hurt her.
427
00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:18,120
Wouldn't it just be easier
to hide your relationship,
428
00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:21,440
and sort of have a secret relationship,
429
00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:25,760
rather than face the threat of violence
from these guys every day?
430
00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:29,040
I am like this, and why should I hide it?
431
00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:30,240
I like it.
432
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,400
And if it makes
someone else uncomfortable,
433
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:34,760
then it's not my problem.
434
00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:41,040
How do you get intimate with each other,
with so many eyes around all the time?
435
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:45,120
We sleep together in the same room,
in the same bed.
436
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:50,920
The person above us, sleeping above us,
sometimes gets bothered by it.
437
00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:53,000
Sure, he doesn't like it,
438
00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:56,480
but what can we do
if we are deprived of liberty?
439
00:26:00,120 --> 00:26:03,240
[Rowe] The couple are keen
to show me where they sleep.
440
00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:06,240
The love palace. Let's see this space.
441
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:11,360
They even have a little cat.
442
00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,720
So, this single space for the two of you?
443
00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:18,840
Yes, for us two together.
He sleeps there, and I sleep here.
444
00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:22,440
-So, you fasten it here firmly.
-[Rowe] Right.
445
00:26:24,360 --> 00:26:26,320
That gives you your level of privacy.
446
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:27,240
That's how it's more private.
447
00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:28,160
[Rowe] And then this one...
448
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:33,560
I admire your bravery
in the face of the hostility
449
00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,600
you face from other prisoners.
450
00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,280
It's a struggle that we overcome
every day like this.
451
00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,200
But it doesn't matter. We're strong.
452
00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:43,880
[Rowe] What's the matter, Elian?
453
00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:45,480
[Samantha speaking indistinctly]
454
00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:49,560
He is very sentimental.
Yes, he cries a lot.
455
00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:53,080
So, there you go. The thing is
you cry because you're sentimental.
456
00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:55,320
And, well, the important thing
is to keep going,
457
00:26:55,400 --> 00:27:01,160
and that God always gives you strength
to see things differently.
458
00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,200
Elian and Samantha met ten months ago
459
00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:14,720
in one of the most violent,
decrepit places I've ever been in.
460
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:16,120
They talk about being bullied.
461
00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:20,600
They talk about people threatening them
with dangerous weapons.
462
00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:24,280
But despite that,
they stand up for who they are.
463
00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:26,960
[Rowe] They talk about being in love,
464
00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,840
and their relationship seems
to give 'em the strength to survive.
465
00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:43,160
After experiencing life as an inmate,
466
00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,960
today, I'm joining
guard Victor and his team
467
00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,880
to find out how they manage
this violent prison population.
468
00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:54,240
What do you look for
when you carry out cell searches?
469
00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:58,920
[in Spanish] What we are looking for
is drugs, sharp weapons,
470
00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:03,360
cell phones, SIM cards to be used
with the phones.
471
00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:05,880
Also, the so-called chicha,
472
00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:11,000
a home brew that they drink.
473
00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,760
[Rowe] The officers carry out
cell searches on a daily basis,
474
00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,640
often acting on tip-offs
from other prisoners.
475
00:28:18,120 --> 00:28:21,480
But inmates never make it easy
for the guards.
476
00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,280
[in Spanish] What is all the fuss about?
477
00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:25,760
Turn around.
478
00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:28,240
If you want you can hit me,
but I'm a senior citizen.
479
00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,520
I am here. I am here.
480
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:35,320
But calm down. We are only asking you
to turn around to make an inspection.
481
00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:36,280
As simple as that.
482
00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,240
You gonna bum me against the wall?
483
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:45,520
Shall I lower my pants?
484
00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,000
[Rowe] This time, the search
revealed no contraband.
485
00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:53,480
But it's a constant battle for the guards
to control these dangerous prisoners.
486
00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:05,800
Inmates caught being violent
or with deadly weapons
487
00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:08,800
are moved to the most secure section
of the prison.
488
00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:15,840
I'm now being taken into La Reforma's
maximum security prison within a prison.
489
00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:21,880
It holds some of Costa Rica's
most ruthless organized criminals.
490
00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:24,560
They're so dangerous,
the guards are cautious
491
00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,080
about taking me into this complex.
492
00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:29,480
The man responsible for managing
493
00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,720
La Reforma's most volatile
and violent inmates
494
00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:35,040
is head guard Juan Luis.
495
00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,880
Good morning. Nice to meet you.
496
00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:41,080
Can I have a look around?
Can you show me around?
497
00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:42,840
[in Spanish] Yes, sure.
No problem about that,
498
00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:46,320
only that you must also wear the vest
for your own protection.
499
00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:51,440
I've never been in a prison
500
00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:55,040
where it's been necessary,
in the cellblock,
501
00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:57,400
to put on something like a stab vest.
502
00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:01,120
I mean, that is an indication
of how dangerous this place is,
503
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,480
and the sorts of criminals
that these guys are dealing with.
504
00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:18,000
Each cell in this section
holds two to four prisoners
505
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:20,560
and has a small outdoor area.
506
00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:24,560
I've never seen anything like this before.
507
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,560
We are walking along
this kind of caged landing
508
00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:34,680
where the guards
can see down into the cells,
509
00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:36,640
where the prisoners are being kept.
510
00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:40,840
[Rowe] It feels a bit like
being at the zoo.
511
00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:45,360
What's it like working here for you
and for your fellow officers?
512
00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:46,840
It's very stressful.
513
00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:51,080
It's stressful because we are here
locked in living with them.
514
00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:53,120
You have to keep calm,
515
00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:57,640
because we have situations
where we have to be patient with them.
516
00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:03,400
They insult us.
Sometimes, they throw shit at us.
517
00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,680
[Rowe] Despite the intense security
in this block,
518
00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:10,560
in 2011, prisoners attempted
a mass breakout.
519
00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:16,640
They took control of the situation
by taking hostages,
520
00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:19,480
with firearms and sharp weapons.
521
00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:23,680
One of our guards lost his life
in the incident.
522
00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:28,120
Are any of the prisoners
involved in that escape still here?
523
00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,960
And would it be possible for me
to meet that prisoner?
524
00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:32,120
In a cell, it's not convenient.
525
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:34,280
We would have to take him to a location
526
00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,760
where you can speak to him
without having a great deal of danger.
527
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,320
[Rowe] As we're talking,
trouble kicks off in the cells below.
528
00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,080
[Rowe] From down there,
it looks like this guy is...
529
00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:48,000
Is that normal,
that he's burning a newspaper?
530
00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:50,360
[Juan Luis] They make fire
to get attention,
531
00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:52,360
so that the guards go in.
532
00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:57,520
The guard did paint a very grim picture
of their existence here.
533
00:31:57,600 --> 00:31:59,640
He said every day
they come into this job,
534
00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:01,680
it's stressful.
535
00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:06,440
They're constantly abused
and spat at by the prisoners.
536
00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:10,440
The guards have agreed
to let me talk to one of the inmates
537
00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,280
who was involved in the attempted escape.
538
00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,280
-[Rowe in Spanish] Hello.
-[in Spanish] Hello.
539
00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:16,200
[in English] How are you doing?
540
00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:17,400
How you doing? All good?
541
00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:19,000
-Nice to meet you.
-Yes.
542
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,200
[in Spanish] My name is Raphael.
543
00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:23,680
-Raphael. Juan Carlos.
-Juan Carlos.
544
00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,080
[in English] How did you end up
in maximum security?
545
00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:27,960
How did you end up in here?
546
00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:29,720
Lots of fighting.
547
00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:31,400
Life inside here is tough.
548
00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:36,440
One must pass time,
so time goes by faster.
549
00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:40,200
What was you sent to prison for
in the first place?
550
00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:42,280
Well, for murder...
551
00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:46,840
and robbery.
552
00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:50,040
-And how long is your sentence?
-[in English] Fifty years.
553
00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:53,120
Fifty? And how long have you served?
554
00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:54,520
Twenty years.
555
00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,800
I hear that you were involved
in an attempted escape.
556
00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,440
This place, Juan Carlos, is so secure.
557
00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,800
How did you get out of here,
in the first place?
558
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:08,160
[in Spanish] Two, three people
from the system helped.
559
00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:14,120
[Rowe] Corrupt guards smuggled in guns,
and inmates took prison officers hostage,
560
00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,360
using them as a human shield.
561
00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:18,680
How far did you get?
562
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:20,800
Where the entrance is, over there...
563
00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:26,560
around 300, 400 meters there outside.
564
00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:29,600
[Rowe] A shoot-out between the inmates
and the police
565
00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,360
left a guard and two prisoners dead.
566
00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:36,560
Did you believe that you could
actually get out of here and get away?
567
00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:38,200
We thought we could...
568
00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:43,680
with the hostages and everything,
but it was tough.
569
00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:46,720
It was tough. It was a stupid thing to do.
570
00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:52,280
[Rowe] He says he's trying
to become a different person
571
00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:53,200
because he's had enough.
572
00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:55,160
But it wasn't that long ago,
573
00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:59,880
he was deemed to be
so dangerous, so violent,
574
00:33:59,960 --> 00:34:04,760
that he has been locked up
in this cage, in this animal pen.
575
00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:06,640
This zoo, if you like.
576
00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:11,080
[Rowe] The attempted breakout in 2011
was a tipping point
577
00:34:11,159 --> 00:34:14,880
that led to a reevaluation
of Costa Rica's prison system.
578
00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,719
The conditions in maximum security
are tough.
579
00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:22,760
Unbelievably,
I'm told it used to be worse.
580
00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:29,840
Until last year,
581
00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:34,000
the prison's solitary confinement cells
were notorious hellholes.
582
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:39,159
I'm meeting up with Alex,
a fellow prisoner from B-block,
583
00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:41,199
who spent three years locked up here.
584
00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:44,920
[in Spanish] In part, it was violent
because we were very violent.
585
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:46,480
We were asking for it,
586
00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:48,960
and that was the only way
the police could have control.
587
00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:50,840
No guard liked working here.
588
00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:55,120
[Rowe] Alex has served 40 sentences,
589
00:34:55,199 --> 00:34:58,880
the first for attempted murder,
at the age of nine.
590
00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:05,280
That was my cell. The bed was here.
591
00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,600
[Rowe] Area F, nicknamed the Tombs,
592
00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:12,040
was forced to close
because of inhumane conditions.
593
00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:17,400
Here, shocking brutality was committed
by both inmates and guards.
594
00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:21,360
What is the worst thing
that happened to you in Las Tumbas?
595
00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:23,600
There was a lot of hostility.
596
00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:30,200
I have seen many inmates with cuts,
any number of them stabbed.
597
00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:37,120
There have also been many killed,
shot in that patio.
598
00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:40,480
You had mentioned also that the brutality
599
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:45,360
led to people like yourself
cutting yourself.
600
00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:48,680
I was cutting myself
at least three times a week.
601
00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:54,360
And I remember that... in terms of food.
602
00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:59,400
I couldn't... I did not have strength
in my arms. I was so weak.
603
00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:02,440
As best as I could, I would
put it on the floor and eat like a dog.
604
00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:05,760
What's the worst that you did to yourself?
605
00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:07,120
I also took a shaving knife.
606
00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:12,840
I would hold myself here like this,
cut myself, and it would open up.
607
00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:15,200
The same here.
608
00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:22,920
I had a hole
in which I was putting a toothbrush.
609
00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:26,520
What was it that made you do
such horrible things to yourself?
610
00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:29,160
Well, the cell was overwhelming me...
611
00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:35,720
Being locked up,
the atmosphere we lived in...
612
00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:38,760
Not only did I consider guards my enemy,
613
00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:41,680
but also inmates next to me
and the ones next to them.
614
00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,520
It was one of the most
harmful coexistences here
615
00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,160
that I have ever experienced.
616
00:36:48,240 --> 00:36:49,960
So, that made me believe
that I was not worth anything.
617
00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:53,240
So, I'm going to do this to myself
to go to the hospital, get out for a bit.
618
00:36:55,800 --> 00:37:01,680
The pain, and scars, and damage
he inflicted on himself is frightening.
619
00:37:02,240 --> 00:37:05,640
I spent 12 years in a single cell,
so I know how tough it is
620
00:37:05,720 --> 00:37:09,480
to keep yourself sane
banged up, behind the door, on your own.
621
00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:13,360
He is tormented by the things he witnessed
622
00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:16,160
and the things he personally experienced.
623
00:37:16,240 --> 00:37:20,120
It's just horrible.
These places mess up your mind.
624
00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:23,760
And there is no question, in my mind,
that Alexander and men like him
625
00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:26,200
have been messed up by this confinement.
626
00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:39,080
The closure of Las Tumbas
was the start of an overhaul
627
00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:41,920
of the way Costa Rica
treats its prisoners.
628
00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:44,520
Despite public opposition,
629
00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:49,040
they opened a controversial
and radically different new facility.
630
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:53,720
It's my last day
inside La Reforma prison complex,
631
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:58,080
and I have been transferred here
to this new, modern part of the prison,
632
00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:01,480
and it's where they aim
to rehabilitate offenders.
633
00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:05,400
Compared to the squalor
I experienced on B-block,
634
00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:07,520
I'm amazed at what I'm seeing.
635
00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:11,800
This is very different
from the other part of the prison.
636
00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:14,400
[in Spanish] This is
a place of low security.
637
00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:18,440
So, what sort of prisoners do you have
in this part of the prison?
638
00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:19,600
It varies.
639
00:38:20,240 --> 00:38:23,880
They need to meet the requirements
of the program.
640
00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:27,680
[Rowe] An inmate has been assigned
to help me acclimatize
641
00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:29,000
to my new surroundings.
642
00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,640
My name is Jani. Pleasure to meet you.
What is your name?
643
00:38:32,720 --> 00:38:34,120
-Raphael.
-Nice to meet you, Raphael.
644
00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:36,720
So, I've just come
from over there to here.
645
00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:38,200
-Was you over there?
-[Jani] Yeah.
646
00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:39,320
I've been there a lot.
647
00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:41,680
You're pretty much making a transition
from hell to Disneyland.
648
00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:42,920
You call this Disneyland?
649
00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:44,840
Yeah, I don't know if I should
call it Disneyland,
650
00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:48,240
but we have no stabbings here.
We have no drugs here.
651
00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:52,000
-We have no illicit businesses, right?
-Right, okay.
652
00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:54,160
Everything is calm. You want a tour?
653
00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:56,680
-Yeah, give me a tour.
-All right, let me take you on a tour.
654
00:38:57,240 --> 00:39:02,040
[Rowe] American expat Jani is doing time
for robbing drug dealers.
655
00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:07,000
Do you have the freedom
to walk where you want, when you want?
656
00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:09,760
We can go out,
and we can walk around every day, all day.
657
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:11,160
We can pretty much do whatever we want.
658
00:39:11,240 --> 00:39:13,760
We get locked down at 8:00 at night.
Like I said, this place is Disneyland.
659
00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:19,920
[Rowe] Built to house over 700 inmates,
this brand new section of the prison
660
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:24,520
has an education unit, workshops,
a multipurpose gym,
661
00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:28,280
a soccer field, a laundry, and kitchens.
662
00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:34,960
Despite all these facilities,
I am told this unit is not yet full.
663
00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:39,280
So, all that overcrowding in hell,
and the guys don't want to come here?
664
00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:40,600
Yeah, they don't want to come here.
665
00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:44,120
There's a lot of things here
that you can't do, that you can do there.
666
00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:45,680
People make money in prison.
667
00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:48,320
The typical Costa Rican,
you send him to prison,
668
00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:50,280
and he sees that
as an opportunity to make money.
669
00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:54,920
A nobody outside, he gets drugs for cheap,
and he puts him in prison,
670
00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:56,480
and he's got a whole bunch
of addicts around him
671
00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:59,040
that are his best friends.
And now he's somebody.
672
00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:03,680
[Rowe] Prisoners here have to sign
a contract, promising to behave.
673
00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:06,880
Have you known of guys
being evicted from here?
674
00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:08,160
[Jani] Yes, he's actually
a friend of mine.
675
00:40:08,240 --> 00:40:09,680
He had somebody send him drugs.
676
00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:11,520
There's lots of snitches here, too.
677
00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:13,760
So, security finds out about it.
678
00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:15,960
They go and pick him up.
The next day, he's gone.
679
00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:17,720
He gets sent back to hell, right?
680
00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:21,440
This is my bedroom.
681
00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:23,000
[Rowe] Eight of you sleep in here?
682
00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:24,280
Yeah, eight of us sleep here.
683
00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:28,480
Everybody has a bed,
a box, and a footlocker.
684
00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:31,720
[Rowe] In stark contrast
to the rest of La Reforma,
685
00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:36,360
here inmates are offered the opportunity
to turn their lives around.
686
00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:38,720
[Jani] Like a drug addict, right?
687
00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:43,000
You can send him to rehab
1,000 times, right?
688
00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:45,840
You could send him to prison 1,000 times.
689
00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:49,440
The only way that you change
is doing it yourself, all right?
690
00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,160
[Rowe] But turning your back
on fellow criminals
691
00:40:52,240 --> 00:40:54,400
can have dangerous consequences.
692
00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:57,800
In the kitchen, I'm joining Marco Antonio,
693
00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:01,440
an inmate brave enough
to break from his life of crime.
694
00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:04,680
What is it that you want me to do?
What can I... How can I help?
695
00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:06,280
[in Spanish] We need to peel
those sweet potatoes
696
00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:07,840
because we are making them mashed.
697
00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:12,560
So, you must cut off both ends
and peel them.
698
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:16,400
What are you in prison for?
699
00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:22,440
Twenty-three years for murder
using an armablanca... with a knife.
700
00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:23,360
[Rowe] Did what?
701
00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:29,440
I'm safe though, right?
You're not in the murdering mood, right?
702
00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:31,960
-[in English] No problem. [chuckles]
-Okay. [chuckles]
703
00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:33,320
Now, we've established that.
704
00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:35,800
The prison must obviously trust you now
705
00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:40,200
to allow you to still
openly hold a knife like this.
706
00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,480
[in Spanish] Yes, we've won their trust.
Thanks to God.
707
00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:44,880
It's not like they just give it to you.
708
00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:49,160
In here, I was given the opportunity
to study. I've got many diplomas.
709
00:41:49,720 --> 00:41:51,000
[Rowe] It's so calm here.
710
00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:55,640
It seems the different environment
creates different behavior.
711
00:41:55,720 --> 00:42:02,200
What did Marco Antonio have to do inside
to get accepted in this program?
712
00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:06,200
I wanted it. I wanted...
I was tired of suffering,
713
00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:10,960
tired of seeing my mother cry and cry
every time she came to visit.
714
00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:15,240
If you hadn't been transferred here
a year ago,
715
00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:18,040
where would Marco Antonio be now?
716
00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:20,840
Possibly,
I would have another conviction...
717
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,720
or even be dead.
718
00:42:24,800 --> 00:42:26,840
It would have been bad.
It would have been bad.
719
00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:30,040
It would have been bad. That's the truth.
720
00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:35,840
Marco Antonio, he said
when this place came onto his radar,
721
00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:39,880
he knew it was an opportunity
for him to embrace...
722
00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:44,840
a change. And he said himself,
if he didn't change
723
00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:49,040
and he were still in that environment,
he might be dead.
724
00:42:57,120 --> 00:43:00,680
[Rowe] In stark contrast
to where I've spent the last few days,
725
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:03,240
it seems that prisoners here have hope.
726
00:43:03,720 --> 00:43:06,200
To find out
why it's so radically different
727
00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:08,560
from the old part of La Reforma,
728
00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:13,320
I am meeting up with Costa Rica's
Justice Minister, Marco Feoli.
729
00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:18,120
I mean, I would describe La Reforma
as a hellhole on Earth.
730
00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:22,320
It's overcrowded. It's menacing.
It's threatening.
731
00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:26,360
It's a scary place
for visitors, for prisoners,
732
00:43:26,440 --> 00:43:28,000
and the guards that work there.
733
00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:32,800
[in Spanish] The concept of punishment
is embedded in our DNA.
734
00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:38,360
Historically, this has led to the gradual
transformation of prisons...
735
00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:42,040
into places that are just holding pens,
736
00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:44,120
and the consequence of this
has been overcrowded jails.
737
00:43:44,200 --> 00:43:47,640
It's a mistake,
because the results are plain to see.
738
00:43:47,720 --> 00:43:52,840
It's very progressive.
Why did you build this place?
739
00:43:54,320 --> 00:43:57,800
I would like to think that,
little by little,
740
00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:00,680
we will transform not just the concept
of prison itself,
741
00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:04,120
but also the idea that people outside
can have of what a prison can be.
742
00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:08,520
You might not believe this,
but this prison also has many critics,
743
00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:11,360
because there are those that think
that the people need to suffer,
744
00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:14,240
and it has to be a kind of vengeance.
745
00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:19,040
This is absurd, because
if I'm treated like I was a beast,
746
00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:21,320
then there is no way that I can
come out of prison a better person.
747
00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:23,880
[Rowe] He believes in what he's doing.
748
00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:26,320
He thinks prison should be somewhere
749
00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:30,480
where prisoners and criminals
are treated humanely and with dignity.
750
00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:35,360
And by doing that, you can bring about
a change in that individual.
751
00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:39,440
[Rowe] It remains to be seen
how long this radical approach will last.
752
00:44:40,240 --> 00:44:43,280
Public opinion, he said,
are not on his side.
753
00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:45,840
People here, in Costa Rica,
754
00:44:45,920 --> 00:44:48,480
believe that criminals
should be locked up,
755
00:44:48,560 --> 00:44:50,080
and the key thrown away.
756
00:44:50,560 --> 00:44:56,160
He just hopes that whoever replaces him
will continue the progress
757
00:44:56,240 --> 00:45:00,400
that he believes
that this country's prison system needs.
758
00:45:01,080 --> 00:45:05,080
[Rowe] It's the end of my week
in Costa Rica's La Reforma Prison.
759
00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:11,120
From my time with Michael, in the squalid
and overcrowded cells of B-block,
760
00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:16,920
to the new wing, where even the most
violent inmates are learning to reform.
761
00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:21,680
I've seen the best and the worst
of what prison can be.
762
00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:27,400
It's extraordinary how this prison
is trying to change,
763
00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:29,600
but its reforms are under serious threat.
764
00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:30,760
Like anywhere in the world,
765
00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:35,880
spending money on rehabilitating
convicted criminals doesn't win you votes.
766
00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:39,800
And if the opposition here
continues to grow against the reforms,
767
00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:45,120
then this radical social experiment
will come to an abrupt and early end.
768
00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:53,200
[dramatic music playing]