1 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:10,960 [Rowe] Tacumbu Penitentiary in Paraguay. 2 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:14,840 One of the most dangerous prisons on Earth. 3 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:16,800 [prisoners clamoring loudly] 4 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,680 It's home to 4,000 of the country's worst criminals. 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,280 From drug traffickers to murderers. 6 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,480 [in Spanish] I shot him with his own weapon. 7 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:33,160 Fatal riots have earned Tacumbu a reputation for brutality and bloodshed. 8 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,240 [in Spanish] He was killed in Tacumbu in a riot. 9 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:38,320 He was beheaded. 10 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:43,280 It's so underfunded, inmates must hustle for every dollar. 11 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:45,200 This is disgusting, man. 12 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:46,680 What-- What are you looking for? 13 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:48,320 [in Spanish] Food to sell... 14 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:50,600 And only the strongest survive. 15 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,200 [Rowe] Can you imagine this penetrating your skin? 16 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,720 [in Spanish] That's life in Tacumbu. 17 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,000 My name is Raphael Rowe, 18 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,640 and I'll be spending a week locked up in this South American prison 19 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:08,040 to see what life is like when every day is a fight for survival. 20 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:12,160 I've never seen anything like it in any prison anywhere in the world. 21 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,560 It's not my first time behind bars. 22 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,840 I was convicted in the UK of a murder I didn't commit 23 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,400 and sentenced to life with no parole. 24 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,680 It took me 12 long years to clear my name. 25 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,000 Now I'm traveling the world to find out what life is really like 26 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,480 inside some of the world's toughest prisons. 27 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:49,360 Paraguay, sandwiched between Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia, 28 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,200 has become one of South America's biggest drug-smuggling routes. 29 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,360 Here in the barrios of the capital, Asuncion... 30 00:01:58,440 --> 00:01:59,440 [dog barks aggressively] 31 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:01,600 ...rival gangs are locked in a bloody battle 32 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,320 for control of this lucrative trade. 33 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:06,280 [men speaking Spanish] 34 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:11,680 Police fight an ongoing battle to stem the flow of drugs and violence. 35 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,120 But with poverty rife, 36 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,840 the locals have little choice but to choose sides. 37 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,680 Many of those arrested will end up here: 38 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,480 Tacumbu Penitentiary, in the heart of the slums. 39 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,080 I'm going to spend a week inside Tacumbu. 40 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:34,600 It's connected with gang violence and faction rivalry. 41 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,640 So much so that in the last couple of weeks there have been riots. 42 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,600 So I'm quite nervous about going in there 43 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,960 because it's the most dangerous place in this country. 44 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,000 Massively overcrowded and drastically underfunded, 45 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,360 Tacumbu is home to some of the country's most violent criminals. 46 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,200 [men clamoring in Spanish]  47 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:00,120 Just a fortnight ago, 48 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:05,040 two inmates were murdered in a riot caused by a feud between warring gangs. 49 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:07,960 [men shouting angrily in Spanish] 50 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,080 Now, I'm going to see for myself 51 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:18,280 what it takes to survive in South America's most feared prison. 52 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,400 There are 35 prison guards to 4,000 prisoners 53 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:25,200 in the prison that I'm heading to, 54 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,360 and that bothers me, that worries me 55 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,720 because who is there to protect the prisoners? 56 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:31,600 Who is there to protect the guards? 57 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:33,680 And who is there to protect me? 58 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,360 The first step is to be checked for drugs and weapons. 59 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,840 Two prisoners were stabbed to death here just a fortnight ago. 60 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:04,280 So as a new arrival, I'm expecting a full-on body search. 61 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:10,440 Knives and even guns are regularly smuggled into the prison, 62 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,120 but still all I get, is a quick pat-down with a metal detector. 63 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:20,760 [camera clicks] 64 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:24,400 So far this year, 65 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,080 there's been a death every two weeks inside Tacumbu. 66 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,280 I have to admit, I'm unusually nervous 67 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:34,400 about what's waiting for me inside the prison. 68 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:36,520 [men clamoring, whistling] 69 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:41,040 As I enter the main body of the prison, I can't believe what I'm seeing. 70 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:45,360 It's like being in a vast, overcrowded, dangerous slum. 71 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,680 These men look like they're living out here. 72 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,560 They don't even have beds, let alone cells. 73 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,200 I'm thankful to be accompanied 74 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:57,240 by Tacumbu's head of security, Julio Cesar. 75 00:04:57,840 --> 00:05:00,400 [Rowe] It looks very disorganized, 76 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:02,440 very threatening, 77 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,640 very scary. 78 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,840 How are you managing that as the head of security? 79 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:13,200 [in Spanish] At first glance, it's chaotic 80 00:05:13,840 --> 00:05:16,920 because of the overcrowding. 81 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:23,120 We've got a population three or four times 82 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,360 the capacity of this prison. 83 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,160 For my own safety, 84 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:31,600 I'm hoping this is not where I'll be staying. 85 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,520 [in Spanish] This will be your cellblock. 86 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,840 I'm relieved when the gate shut behind us. 87 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,920 This is Pavilion D, one of the many blocks in Tacumbu. 88 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,120 These cells, housing 150 inmates, 89 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,200 are funded by the Catholic church, 90 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,240 not the drug gangs that control the rest of the prison. 91 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,560 But it's the inmates who are in charge here, 92 00:05:55,840 --> 00:05:59,880 and they've appointed Edgar, who is serving a 25 year sentence, 93 00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:01,200 to run the place. 94 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:03,360 -[Edgar speaking Spanish] -Me llamo Raphael. 95 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:04,920 [in Spanish] From now on, 96 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,680 you can only leave with Edgar's authorization. 97 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:09,480 [in Spanish] I make the decisions in this pavilion. 98 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:16,360 Well, to be able to stay here, 99 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:20,040 you have to follow our rules. 100 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:25,160 Anyone can apply to live here, but it's down to Edgar who gets in. 101 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:30,120 [in Spanish] Those who don't follow the rules are kicked out. 102 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,200 Well, I'll follow any rule I need to follow to stay here 103 00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:35,400 rather than out there. 104 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,240 -Have you ever been to prison before? -Yes. 105 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,480 Have you ever killed another person while in prison? 106 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:43,120 No. 107 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:46,240 -Do you take drugs? -I don't take drugs. 108 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,360 Try and get on with all fellow inmates. 109 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,840 Uh, rapists, kidnappers, murderers, drug traffickers... 110 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,360 We all live in this block. 111 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:00,880 How long are you serving, Edgar? 112 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,400 I was originally sentenced to nine years. 113 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,760 And what was the crime you committed? 114 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:08,920 I'm here for drug trafficking. 115 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,800 They caught me with 1,500 kilograms of drugs. 116 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:15,120 Should I be scared of you? 117 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,800 You're the boss. You're the man who runs this place. 118 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,720 I am here to help and not for others to fear me. 119 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,640 I respect you and you respect me back. 120 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:28,080 I'm relieved when Edgar agrees I can stay in Pavilion D. 121 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,920 [in Spanish] I'm taking you to your cell so you can meet your cellmates. 122 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:31,840 [Rowe] Okay. 123 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,840 But apprehensive about who I could be sharing a cell with. 124 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:42,360 -[man in Spanish] Hi. -Justo? 125 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:43,400 [Justo] Yeah, what's up? 126 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:44,760 How are you? 127 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:46,240 Nice to meet you. Raphael. 128 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,240 -[in Spanish] Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you. 129 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:49,680 [Justo] Welcome to our modest home. 130 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:54,200 Edgar has paired me with Pavilion D veterans, Diego and Justo. 131 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,960 This is a small space for three grown men. 132 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,400 [Justo in Spanish] You get used to it with time. 133 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,120 There are many other inmates who are way worse off than us. 134 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:07,240 [Rowe] So which one's my bed? 135 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:08,520 Yours? [laughs] 136 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:09,440 This is yours. 137 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:12,880 Oh, I got the cat-- The cat paw quilt cover. 138 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:15,040 Well, this is really nice. Isn't it? Can I try it out? 139 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:16,320 Let me see if it's comfortable? 140 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,000 -[laughs] - Okay, let's see how this works for me. 141 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:24,560 This is really claustrophobic, but I must say this is soft. 142 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,400 A lot of the guys would die for a bed like this, right? 143 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,920 [Diego in Spanish] Sometimes you can get killed over a mattress. 144 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,240 Do I have to pay for this mattress and this bedspread? 145 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,600 In this pavilion you don't need to pay, but you have to pay in other places. 146 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,400 Other places outside of this pavilion, 147 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,600 where you pay for your mattress and your bed. 148 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,800 [Rowe] Staying in this cell, I don't have to pay for it? 149 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:53,960 Yeah, but there are almost 50 regulations that you have to obey. 150 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,560 Because the Catholic Church funds Pavilion D, 151 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:01,160 they also set the rules, 152 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,800 which include going to Sunday service. 153 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:07,360 [Diego in Spanish] For example, 154 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:10,280 you can't carry any sharp weapons or knives. 155 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:15,920 It's forbidden to drink alcohol, to consume cocaine. 156 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:18,000 [Rowe] What about this one? 157 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,760 [in Spanish] It is strictly prohibited to urinate, 158 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:25,560 wipe your snot, and defecate on the floor. 159 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,120 And these are not the kind of things I do 160 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:30,840 and so I think I'll get on quite fine here. 161 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,200 Um, but I suppose in order for me to feel safe 162 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:36,280 in this cell with you two guys, 163 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:39,480 I need to find out a few things about you. 164 00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:42,680 What you've done, how long you're serving, how long you've been in prison? 165 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:43,680 I know nothing. 166 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,800 [in Spanish] Now, I'm here for aggravated robbery, 167 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,600 but before, I was here for murder. 168 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:51,040 You're a murderer? 169 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,760 There's even a dead security guard 170 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:55,920 because of me. 171 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:00,280 Justo may be a murderer, 172 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:02,720 but as long as he follows the numerous rules 173 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,280 set down by the church in Pavilion D, 174 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,920 he can live in relative comfort and safety for free. 175 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:10,680 -[prisoners whistling] -[cell doors locking] 176 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:14,240 Given the way the men outside this block are struggling to survive, 177 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,600 it seems a price worth paying. 178 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:27,520 [buzzer sounds loudly] 179 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:30,680 [Rowe] It's really early in the morning. 180 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,680 It's just gone 5:30, um, but these guys are ready to go. 181 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:39,040 Bloody cockroach walking across the table. 182 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:45,680 Lack of money means guards here are outnumbered, 125 to 1, 183 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:49,320 but they still have the basics like roll call. 184 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:52,160 [guard coughs] 185 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:54,800 Roberto... 186 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:55,920 Sí, señor. 187 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,000 -[guard indistinct] -[man] Señor! 188 00:10:58,640 --> 00:10:59,720 [guard] Partio... 189 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,800 One of the conditions of staying in Pavilion D 190 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,200 is that prisoners must work for at least four hours a day. 191 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:07,720 Raphael Rowe. 192 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:09,000 Señor! 193 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,520 Justo, a carpenter by trade, 194 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:15,480 offers to show me his work making traditional drinking horns. 195 00:11:15,560 --> 00:11:17,720 [in Spanish] I'm going to put this on your lap, 196 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:19,320 so you don't get dirty. 197 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,240 Do you make them as a hobby, or are you selling these products? 198 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:25,280 Yes, I sell them. 199 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:30,000 At the moment, I spend the money on food. 200 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:34,120 How important is money to survival here in Tacumbu? 201 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,320 If you don't have money, 202 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,680 if you don't have friends, then you are nobody in life. 203 00:11:40,560 --> 00:11:44,880 In this environment, in this place. 204 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,880 It seems that at Tacumbu, you need to pay your way. 205 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:54,160 To pay mine, I've been allocated a job in the prison kitchens, 206 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,800 but getting there will mean leaving the safety of Pavilion D. 207 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:03,720 Am I free to go from Pavilion D to anywhere else in the prison 208 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:04,880 I want to go? 209 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:05,800 Yes. 210 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:10,240 But to avoid violence, you have to avoid the wrong places. 211 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:12,000 Where is the wrong places? 212 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:14,600 The Tinglado where they smoke drugs. 213 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:15,800 What is your advice? 214 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,480 You should know when to mind your own business. 215 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:22,160 We're talking about life or death here. 216 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:24,520 It's as serious as that, is it? 217 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:26,560 Yes, it is. 218 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:28,880 To get to the kitchen, 219 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,760 I've got to leave this relatively safe, clean and privileged pavilion. 220 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,720 And get through the hellish Tinglado. 221 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:42,840 [prisoners clamoring] 222 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:46,560 The men here look underfed and desperate. 223 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:49,240 It's overcrowded, 224 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,520 and there don't seem to be any guards keeping control. 225 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:58,120 This feels like a dangerous, dirty, lawless ghetto. 226 00:12:59,560 --> 00:13:01,440 [Rowe] And they call this The Tinglado. 227 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:06,960 It's kind of a corrugated, iron roof cover for guys that sleep out in the open. 228 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,960 I've never seen anything like it in any prison anywhere in the world. 229 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,720 The Tinglado is where you end up if you don't, or won't, 230 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:21,960 follow the rules in the pavilions. 231 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,760 I really can't believe what I'm seeing. Openly, in the prison yard, 232 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,520 these guys are just hitting the crack pipe. 233 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:29,160 They're just smoking it. 234 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:31,640 Not one, not two, but loads of these guys, 235 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,800 they're just wandering around looking for it and smoking it. 236 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:36,720 I can't believe what I'm seeing, to be honest. 237 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,520 There's no guards. There's no authority. There's nobody. 238 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:44,320 In fact, the guards that are here are doing absolutely nothing to stop them. 239 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,320 Inmates in the Tinglado clearly have nothing. 240 00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:55,240 So I'm wondering how they survive and pay for their drugs. 241 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,080 [accordion plays] 242 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:09,160 As I watch, a wagon laden with prison waste arrives in the Tinglado. 243 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,080 From what it looks like, is that they brought this, um... 244 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:20,400 makeshift trailer where the prisoners-- Hold on a minute. 245 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,000 What are you doing? What are you looking for? 246 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:25,800 [in Spanish] Anything valuable. 247 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,400 What is in here that could be valuable? 248 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:30,320 Food to sell... 249 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:32,040 What is that? 250 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:32,960 Flour. 251 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:34,400 [both speaking Spanish] 252 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:35,600 -Flour? -Yes, flour. 253 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:36,560 Come on, help me. 254 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,640 He's looking for food. This guy's asked me to help him 255 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:41,400 look in this rubbish for-- 256 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:43,040 Oh, that's food? Tomato? 257 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:46,320 The man's name is Esteban. 258 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,440 And it seems that if you've got no money at Tacumbu, 259 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:53,040 sifting through the prison's waste is how you raise it. 260 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:54,640 [in Spanish] Onion. 261 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:55,720 Oh, look. 262 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:56,960 [prisoners shouting] 263 00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:01,400 This is disgusting, man. 264 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:02,920 Tomato. 265 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:05,840 -Okay, what's this? -Banana. 266 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:09,320 How much can you sell some pasta that you find in this shit for? 267 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:10,600 1,000 guarani. 268 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:14,040 Someone's gonna pay you 1,000 guarani for some pasta? 269 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,080 If you make it with love, it's very tasty. 270 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:19,920 What else is valuable in here that you can sell? 271 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:22,080 Soap, brushes, cigarette butts. 272 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:23,800 When you're looking for stuff here, 273 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:25,880 and there are other guys looking for stuff here, 274 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:27,600 do you fight over what you find? 275 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:29,800 There are many fights. 276 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,680 Now there are few people because they don't want to be on camera. 277 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:34,400 Yeah. Okay, that's fair enough. 278 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,360 How long have you been in prison doing this? 279 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:39,440 Scavenging through this stuff, finding things like this? 280 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:40,960 Two years. 281 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:43,240 What is the best thing you ever find in here? 282 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:45,000 Money, drugs. 283 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,720 There's no money or drugs in this waste today, 284 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:55,000 but Esteban seems to prize plastic bottles. 285 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:00,160 The guys are digging in here to try and find anything they can to sell. 286 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:01,800 It's a commodity. 287 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,720 This is the lowest of the lowest, but they can make just a fraction 288 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,840 of a... of a dollar to pay for their drugs. 289 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,720 The economy inside this prison is like nothing you've seen before, 290 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:15,120 but there is an economy. 291 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,480 Even for the guys scavenging in this rubbish. 292 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:21,040 Esteban may eat or sell some of the food he finds, 293 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,880 but dinner for most of the men is provided by the prison kitchen. 294 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,360 And that's where I'm supposed to be working. 295 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,600 [tense music playing] 296 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:34,560 -Diego? -Hola! 297 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:36,000 -Diego? -[in Spanish] Yes. 298 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,400 Diego is the head chef here at Tacumbu, 299 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,640 cooking for over 4,000 prisoners twice a day. 300 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:45,840 [Rowe] So what are you preparing for the prisoners today? 301 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,720 [in Spanish] Noodles. Meat with noodles. 302 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:50,680 And what can I do to help you today? 303 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:52,280 Lift these pots. 304 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,400 This food keeps men like Esteban alive 305 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:59,600 and the prisoners that prepare it get a regular wage, 306 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:02,680 keeping them out of the Tinglado poverty. 307 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,040 How much do these guys get paid? 308 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:07,760 [in Spanish] Some of them are paid $10. 309 00:17:07,839 --> 00:17:09,359 Others, $15. It varies. 310 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:14,400 I get more or less $20 a week. 311 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,880 I believe this is the most privileged workplace 312 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:19,040 in this prison. 313 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:25,240 As well as his pay, Diego gets time off his sentence. 314 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,400 Three months for every year he works here. 315 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:35,480 [in Spanish] This is where we prepare the vegetables. We chop them. 316 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,720 [Rowe] It-- It's acceptable to most people 317 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,080 outside of prison that prisoners would have to have access to knives 318 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:46,440 in a kitchen to cut carrots and other bits of food that... 319 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:51,520 But I see knives out there among some of the kinda lawless people. 320 00:17:52,120 --> 00:17:57,000 [in Spanish] It's normal. We all have knives here. 321 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:00,360 This is the knife I keep in here. 322 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:02,600 That's your weapon? 323 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:05,840 -Yes. -This makes it very real, doesn't it? 324 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,040 Can you imagine this penetrating your skin? 325 00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:12,680 Can you imagine somebody using this against you? 326 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,720 Or you having to use this against someone to defend yourself? 327 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:21,280 That is the threat men like Diego face every day. 328 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,800 That's right. That's life in Tacumbu. 329 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:33,080 Have you ever witnessed somebody use a knife in the prison? 330 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:35,240 Yes. Thousands of times. 331 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:38,040 Thousands of times. 332 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:40,400 Only a few years ago, 333 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:44,040 two prisoners were killed when kitchen equipment broke down 334 00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:47,040 and desperate, hungry prisoners rioted. 335 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,240 So there's always huge time pressure on Diego 336 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:54,080 to feed the thousands of prisoners waiting impatiently. 337 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:56,360 At what time will you feed the prisoners? 338 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:58,880 [in Spanish] Dinner is served at 5:00 p.m. 339 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:00,720 Why do you serve dinner so early? 340 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:01,960 For safety. 341 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:07,400 Because later on it gets dark and there are fewer guards around. 342 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:09,480 The inmates are left alone 343 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:14,520 and they fight, stab one another. 344 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,360 The rich prisoners, like my block boss Edgar, 345 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:21,440 would never lower themselves to eating this food. 346 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,560 But the poor prisoners eagerly queuing depend on it to survive. 347 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,680 And these meals are all the prison give them. 348 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:33,000 Anything else, a blanket, 349 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,720 clothes, they have to earn money to buy. 350 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:38,440 [Rowe] You might think handing out four buns 351 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,280 to desperate hands is an easy job... 352 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:43,720 [chuckles] but I'm feeling the pressure here. 353 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,360 I really am because it's endless. 354 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:50,480 But the containers that they're using to collect their food-- 355 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,240 I mean, the guy's having this thing put into a bottle. 356 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:56,840 There is not a plate in sight. 357 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,000 It's a... It's a sad, sad sight. 358 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:01,240 But even in this chaos, 359 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,680 there are opportunities for inmates to conduct business. 360 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:10,400 Suddenly, Esteban's hunt for plastic bottles begins to make sense. 361 00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:15,280 When... When I saw Esteban with his bag of bottles, 362 00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:16,680 this dirty bag of bottles, 363 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:20,000 I thought to myself, "What the eff are you gonna do with them?" 364 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:21,920 But I've just seen him out there 365 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:28,360 getting paid buns for dirty plastic bottles. 366 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:34,520 So, what to me and you might look like... rubbish, 367 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,160 Esteban has got a little... 368 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,040 a little business going on. Unbelievable. 369 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,760 As the Tinglado prepares to settle down for the night, 370 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,360 Esteban offers to show me his sleeping arrangements. 371 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:56,560 [in Spanish] That's where my bed is, a sheet. 372 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,360 It's a sheet. 373 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:02,920 Why'd you keep your sheets up there? 374 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:04,200 So nobody steals them. 375 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:06,720 This is your bed space? 376 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:07,640 Yes. 377 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:08,920 I always sleep here. 378 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,720 If somebody come and slept in your spot, would it upset you? 379 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:12,960 Yes, we would fight. 380 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:16,920 Do you feel threatened here all the time? Is it a violent place? 381 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:18,520 It's constantly dangerous. 382 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,200 You wouldn't wish this upon your worst enemy. 383 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,680 Like many of those living in the Tinglado, 384 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:30,680 Esteban ended up inside because of his drug addiction. 385 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:32,840 Deep down inside yourself, 386 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:35,640 in your heart of hearts, 387 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,760 how do you really feel about the person you are today? 388 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:40,040 [in Spanish] Humiliated. 389 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:43,520 That's only here in prison. 390 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,680 On the outside, my family has everything, they have money. 391 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:51,960 I have to get out of here, freedom. 392 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:54,960 Conditions here are shocking 393 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:58,680 and I'm not surprised bloody riots are a regular occurrence. 394 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:00,680 With so few guards, 395 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:04,720 the most they can do is try and stop violence breaking out more often. 396 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:09,320 To find out what it's like trying to keep this place under control, 397 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:13,680 I'm joining Julio and Jose on their patrol around the prison. 398 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:17,640 [Rowe] Walking through that scrum of prisoners feels to me that every time 399 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:21,800 I walk through there, one of them wants to attack me or take something from me. 400 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:23,440 Is it as dangerous for you? 401 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:25,000 [in Spanish] In the beginning, you do. 402 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:28,320 You do feel intimidated when you first start, 403 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:32,320 but with time you get used to it and it becomes a routine. 404 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:34,560 [Rowe] What I find crazy is... 405 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:37,680 Look, I mean this guy has a knife just in his hand. 406 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:39,600 Where do they get these knives from? 407 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:44,320 This is where they rip the bars off and they sharpen their knives. 408 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:45,640 Lopez! 409 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:50,520 [speaking Spanish] 410 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:52,760 [in Spanish] Then they come here... 411 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:56,040 to sharpen the ends. 412 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:58,080 [in Spanish] They play loud music 413 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,400 when they're making a noise breaking them off, so... 414 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:03,760 we can't hear them doing it at night. 415 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,840 [Rowe] And they literally melt the plastic around the bottom of the bar 416 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:09,400 and use that as a handle. 417 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,320 You know what's crazy? A bar that is supposed to be keeping 418 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:14,680 these prisoners in prison are being ripped off 419 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:16,600 and used to harm other prisoners. 420 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:18,880 -Thank you for showing me. -You're welcome. 421 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:21,840 Just inside the main gates at Tacumbu, 422 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:25,800 there's a poignant reminder of how dangerous this prison can be 423 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:27,840 for the guards that work here. 424 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:30,360 -What? What is that? -[speaking Spanish] 425 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:33,040 [Rowe in Spanish] What do you call it? 426 00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:35,080 [in Spanish] She's the patron saint of the guards. 427 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:37,440 The Virgin of Mercy 428 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,840 and these are our colleagues who died in service. 429 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:44,840 He was killed in Tacumbu in a riot. 430 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,680 He was killed in an ambush in a massive escape. 431 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:50,400 He was beheaded. 432 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:52,480 They cut off his head! 433 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:53,400 Yes. 434 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:57,080 And he died in a fire here. 435 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:02,080 A fire that was started by the prisoners during the riot? 436 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:03,000 Yes. 437 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:06,600 When the riot started, he was taken hostage. 438 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,280 And he was shot. 439 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,280 And so, what's... What's the purpose of the shrine? 440 00:24:12,360 --> 00:24:16,600 I appreciate that it's there so people can come and say prayers for him. 441 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,600 Why is it here inside the prison? 442 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:24,120 We made it so everybody who comes in sees it. 443 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:34,440 With so few guards to police so many violent prisoners locked in here, 444 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:37,800 I'm not sure I'm even safe in Pavilion D. 445 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:43,480 [Rowe] Although I'm in this pavilion 446 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:47,240 and it's a lot more secure than what it is out there, 447 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,080 is there a threat that they can get into here? 448 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:55,920 You know, some of those desperados, those guys who need and want their drugs? 449 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:58,840 [in Spanish] Chances are slim. 450 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:04,040 The guys here have everything, they have their knives everywhere. 451 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:07,520 So if there's trouble, or danger, 452 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,440 the guys bring them out to defend themselves. 453 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:13,920 That's good to know. 454 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:17,960 A riot broke out at a nearby prison recently 455 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:19,720 and spread to Tacumbu. 456 00:25:20,120 --> 00:25:21,560 The guards withdrew, 457 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,680 leaving Pavilion D inmates to defend their block. 458 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:30,640 Would I be expected to get involved in protecting the pavilion? 459 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:34,160 [in Spanish] Yes, that's the law of the prison. 460 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:38,560 Because if there are riots, the guards leave 461 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:40,320 and the inmates take charge. 462 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:42,520 No cameras, 463 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:48,080 no press, no guards, no directors, 464 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:49,120 nobody gets inside. 465 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:50,040 Fuck me. 466 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:56,120 It's not surprising that men riot over the terrible conditions in the Tinglado. 467 00:25:57,120 --> 00:26:02,080 In Tacumbu, as in the outside world, money buys you a better life 468 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:06,040 and people will go to extremes to protect what's theirs. 469 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,000 It's my third day inside Tacumbu. 470 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,400 'Cause you can come, you can brush your teeth, 471 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:23,680 you can wash your face, you can shower, 472 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:25,040 but you never feel clean. 473 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,000 Just something about this place, 474 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:31,240 the smell, the dirt, the crumbliness of the whole prison... 475 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:33,600 No matter how many times you wash, 476 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,240 how many times you try and keep yourself clean, 477 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,200 I feel dirtier and dirtier every day I'm here. 478 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,480 But at least I'm inside Pavilion D, 479 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:46,920 a world away from the hell outside. 480 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:50,280 The only thing that separates us in here 481 00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:52,400 from them out there is money. 482 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:57,240 I'm amazed to discover that my block boss, Edgar, 483 00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:59,280 runs his own laundry business. 484 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:03,800 What would it cost me to have everything that I've got on cleaned 485 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:05,080 and returned to me? 486 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:08,560 [in Spanish] Everything you're wearing would cost you 33 cents. 487 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:10,920 But because we're friends, would I get a discount? 488 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:15,520 No, there are no discounts or credit here. 489 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:18,640 Can prisoners make enough money in here 490 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:19,880 to become wealthy? 491 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:25,120 My income from my businesses here 492 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,880 is around 3 million per week, 493 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:31,080 approximately $500 of profit. 494 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:32,640 Five hundred dollars a week? 495 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:37,520 So for some people, they're better off in prison than they are on the outside. 496 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:38,440 Yes. 497 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,560 I made less money outside than I do here. 498 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:49,520 When I got into trouble, I lost my house and everything I owned. 499 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:54,240 After six years in prison, working legally here, 500 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:59,080 I was able to buy a new house for my family. 501 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:04,160 It seems incredible that prisoners can earn so much cash 502 00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:06,880 whilst being incarcerated for their crimes. 503 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,760 Pavilion D is just one small part of Tacumbu. 504 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:16,440 And I'm shocked to discover that there's an entire section of the prison 505 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:19,920 where inmates can set up and run their own business. 506 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:24,200 With so little funding from the government, 507 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:27,840 private enterprise is encouraged throughout the prison 508 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:29,080 by the authorities. 509 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:32,320 What-- What is it that you're making? 510 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,520 [in Spanish] I am making a pionona. 511 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:40,120 Pionona is like a croissant filled with toffee. 512 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:45,320 This area is called the marketplace and they've got everything here. 513 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:50,400 It's like walking into another world. I mean, this is crazy. 514 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:55,640 There are restaurants for men with money who don't like the prison food. 515 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,960 A barbershop, a computer technician, 516 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:04,120 and even a carpenter who makes bespoke furniture for wealthy prisoners. 517 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:08,800 But unlike Pavilion D, running a business or living here 518 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:10,240 doesn't come for free. 519 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,400 To stay in this part of the prison is considered a privilege 520 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,720 because you have to have the means to stay here. 521 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:20,040 For example, it would cost you $150 a month 522 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,080 to sleep on the floor in this space. 523 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,760 Anywhere between $500 and $650, 524 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:29,320 it would cost you to sleep in one of the rooms 525 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:30,960 that they've made behind there. 526 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:33,840 And the guards are in on it, so they take a cut. 527 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:35,600 But the prisoners run it. 528 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,360 [Latin American music plays] 529 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:43,760 This place is crazy. 530 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,240 Like a mini-town within the prison, 531 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:49,200 where enterprising prisoners are seizing the chance 532 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,280 to make themselves some money. 533 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,800 There are even pool bars for the inmates who can afford it. 534 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:56,840 How're you doing? 535 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:58,560 [in Spanish] My name is Raphael. 536 00:29:58,640 --> 00:29:59,800 -Pablo. -Pablo. 537 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:01,600 -[in Spanish] Very good. -[in English] Can I give you a game? 538 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:02,960 It looks like you're setting up. 539 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:04,880 -Good, perfect. -Okay. 540 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:06,720 Okay. So where's my stick? 541 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:08,720 -This one? -Yes. 542 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:13,840 Oh! 543 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:17,280 I'm moving. Okay? 544 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:18,320 You worried? 545 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:19,960 You worried? 546 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,160 Do you own a shop or anything in here? 547 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:25,000 I do. 548 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:27,480 I'm a tattoo artist. 549 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:29,840 I should have guessed, right? 550 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:31,560 [chuckles] I should have guessed. 551 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,680 Pablo offers to take me on his next tattooing job. 552 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:38,840 As he collects his equipment from his room, 553 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,640 which he pays $350 a month for, 554 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:45,880 I'm struck by the irony of prisoners having to lock their own cells. 555 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:51,200 Before he sets up, I'm keen to find out how he ended up here. 556 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:53,600 [Rowe] You've got a lot of tattoos yourself, 557 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:55,920 in particular the teardrops on your eyes. 558 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:57,440 What do they represent? 559 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:00,920 [in Spanish] It represents all the suffering 560 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,000 I've lived with since I was born. 561 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:06,000 You've obviously had a hell of a life story 562 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:07,440 'cause you've got a lot of tattoos. 563 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:10,640 My life story is complicated. 564 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:15,320 Pablo killed his father, who he alleges was abusive. 565 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:18,080 [in Spanish] I decided to confront him. 566 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,000 He was a very powerful person, very wealthy. 567 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:24,520 He said that no one would believe me. 568 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:26,800 Because he was very wealthy. 569 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,200 I decided to stand up to him and he started to threaten me. 570 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:32,320 I shot him with his own weapon. 571 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:36,200 Do you regret doing what you did, Pablo? 572 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:39,200 I do regret it. He was my father. 573 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:43,560 What were you eventually convicted of in the courts, Pablo? 574 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:47,040 I'm in here for murder. 575 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:48,480 First-degree murder. 576 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:49,480 Twenty years. 577 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,240 Pablo's client today is the boss of this block. 578 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:56,640 So no pressure. 579 00:31:57,680 --> 00:31:59,080 [Rowe] What tattoo are you having? 580 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:01,320 -[man in Spanish] A dry tree. -Take your shirt off. 581 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:07,560 What kinds of tattoos do you do more than anyone or... 582 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,400 [Pablo in Spanish] I always give them ideas 583 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:12,440 that suit their personalities. 584 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,280 Feel like giving it a go? 585 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:18,760 Are you up for it? 586 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:20,280 I... [splutters]  587 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:22,360 You know it's gonna be spoiled, right? 588 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,640 You know I'm not gonna be able to-- I've never done this before, so... 589 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,320 You... You are taking such a risk. 590 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:33,040 No. You can do it. It's pretty easy. I'll talk you through it. 591 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:34,320 Let me--  592 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:36,000 -[chuckles nervously] -[Pablo laughs] 593 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:39,080 You're smiling. If I was you, I wouldn't be smiling. 594 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:41,000 [tattoo machine buzzes] 595 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:43,960 I can imagine that botching the permanent body art 596 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:47,760 of a high-ranking inmate is an occupational hazard. 597 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:50,760 All right. That's enough. 598 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:53,240 I'm getting carried away. I'm thinking I'm doing a good job. 599 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,200 And that's not bad though, is it? That look bad? 600 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:56,120 [in English] Not bad. 601 00:32:57,120 --> 00:33:00,400 I'm relieved to return the tattoo needle to Pablo. 602 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:03,120 Leaving Pablo in the marketplace, 603 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:06,360 I'm struck by how this town in a prison 604 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:09,920 is giving inmates the means to lead a life away from crime. 605 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:14,240 It's rehabilitation by accident for the lucky few. 606 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:16,880 Back on Pavilion D, 607 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,960 Justo's finished work, and he is heading off to the gym. 608 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,560 He says he has a friend there he'd like me to meet. 609 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:27,600 In the well-used prison gym, 610 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:31,600 Justo introduces me to his sparring partner, Richard. 611 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:36,440 Hi. 612 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:39,160 How do you know each other? 613 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,520 [in Spanish] We met in jail. 614 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:43,880 [in Spanish] We were roommates. 615 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:47,680 Okay, so did you learn to box while you was in prison? 616 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,840 The truth is that I was a professional boxer when I was outside. 617 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:52,840 Richard, do you have a nickname? 618 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:54,880 Do they call you something? 619 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:59,560 Yes. My father, who was a boxer, too, was known as the Panther, 620 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:02,560 so I was called The Little Panther. 621 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:09,360 However, now that I'm a grown-up, they called me Panther. 622 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:15,600 But I grew apart from him when I fell into criminality. 623 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:18,960 My dad was heartbroken 624 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:24,000 and wasn't proud of me anymore. 625 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:27,120 Do your family visit you? Does your dad come and see you? 626 00:34:27,199 --> 00:34:29,480 Yes, he came once. 627 00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:33,760 I don't know how many years ago, maybe four years. He came once. 628 00:34:34,679 --> 00:34:37,880 The reason why I want to get on track again 629 00:34:38,639 --> 00:34:44,080 is that I want to reach my father's level. 630 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:47,480 I want to reach the goal my father had set for me 631 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:51,080 before I got into criminality. 632 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:54,400 That's what I'm showing tomorrow. 633 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,440 You're in prison. Where are you going tomorrow? 634 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,560 Tomorrow, for the very first time in history, 635 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:03,960 I'll fight for the South American Championship 636 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:04,880 inside this prison. 637 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:08,680 You're fighting... tomorrow... 638 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:11,280 for the South American Championship? 639 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:12,680 No way. 640 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:13,880 Exactly. 641 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:17,760 God. 642 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:26,000 In fact, Richard's comeback has less to do with God 643 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:28,840 and more to do with Tacumbu's prison director 644 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:32,280 who's financed Richard's comeback over months of training. 645 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,080 He's even secured sponsorship 646 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,880 and got the event televised live from the prison. 647 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:40,280 Ding-ding! 648 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:43,040 -[prisoners laughing] -[Rowe imitates crowd cheering] 649 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:48,520 Good luck. 650 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:50,200 Good luck tomorrow. 651 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:51,680 [exhales deeply] 652 00:35:52,240 --> 00:35:55,840 I wish the Panther well, but from what I've seen of Tacumbu, 653 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:59,280 the prison would be better off spending precious time and money 654 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:02,920 trying to eradicate the violence and rampant drug-taking. 655 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:06,360 It's a point I'm keen to put to the man responsible, 656 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,440 Prison Director Jorge Fernandez. 657 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:14,160 How do you tackle the drug problem that runs through this prison? 658 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:15,880 [in Spanish] Yes, we're working on that. 659 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:19,120 We have recently requested from the government 660 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:20,880 more funding for guards. 661 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:24,120 When we get a sufficient number of guards, 662 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:27,800 we will be able to avoid these scenarios that you're talking about. 663 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:32,240 We have proposed building a rehabilitation center. 664 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:36,960 The problem is that our justice system believes that they should be in prison 665 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:39,800 and not in rehab. 666 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:41,600 However, we've improved the food. 667 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:46,040 If these people didn't eat well, 668 00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:49,080 their average lifespan was only about one year. 669 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:53,800 The only way they can survive is eating good food. 670 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,800 But with money in such short supply, 671 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:01,560 I'm keen to know why the director is investing so much 672 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:03,240 in the Panther's comeback. 673 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:06,720 Your... Your involvement in the Pantera's fight, 674 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:11,440 is that a sign that there is hope among this mess, among this chaos? 675 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:12,920 [in Spanish] Yes, for sure. 676 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:17,440 This month he should be having his parole approved. 677 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:19,480 With effort and dedication, 678 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:23,560 he'll leave here and he'll reintegrate into society, for sure. 679 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:27,320 And-- And that in itself is an achievement, is it? 680 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:29,800 That one man among 4,000... 681 00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:32,840 bringing hope to others. 682 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:35,640 Yes, to help him accomplish his dream 683 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:40,920 and place him as a role model to the other inmates. 684 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:45,560 Unfortunately, with the amount of people we have, the time that we have, 685 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:47,960 we can't give everyone a chance. 686 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:51,880 Only those we consider capable of working outside. 687 00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:58,120 So they could have a job and survive out there 688 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:01,040 with the skills they learned in prison. 689 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:07,360 Some inmates have managed to turn Tacumbu into a money-making opportunity, 690 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:10,000 learning business skills along the way. 691 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:14,320 But it's necessity driving this informal rehabilitation, 692 00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:17,680 and I'm not sure I buy into the director's belief 693 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:21,000 that the Panther will inspire all the prisoners. 694 00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:25,120 But his fight is certainly going to be quite a show. 695 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:32,760 It's my final day at Tacumbu, 696 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:35,080 and I'm amazed to find that this morning, 697 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:37,760 the prison is even more crowded than usual. 698 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:44,080 This is one of four weekly visitors' days. 699 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:47,080 [Rowe] This is really strange 700 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:50,480 because traditionally, prisoners have visits in visiting halls 701 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:52,400 where the guards can observe what they're doing 702 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:54,000 so no contraband gets in. 703 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:55,760 Here, 704 00:38:56,520 --> 00:39:00,880 their visitors are in the very place where they're locked up overnight. 705 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:06,040 Three thousand relatives have arrived to see their loved ones. 706 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:09,040 It's an opportunity for enterprising inmates 707 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:10,720 to make a little pocket money. 708 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:15,640 My cellblock boss, Edgar, is no exception. 709 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:17,880 Edgar, how're you doing? 710 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:20,120 -[in Spanish] Hi, Raphael! How are you? -Good to see you. 711 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:21,480 -Good? -Are you well? 712 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:22,600 [in English] Yeah, yeah. 713 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:23,760 You're working today. 714 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:27,360 [in Spanish] I am working. It's visiting day, we're making food. 715 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:31,480 Okay, so you're not having visits. You're just providing food for visitors? 716 00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:34,720 No, I do have a visitor. She is my missus, she works with me. 717 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:36,600 -Oh, this is your wife? Ah! -Yeah. 718 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:37,880 -Hello. -Hello. 719 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:39,480 Are you doing something at the moment? 720 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:40,960 You want me to do something? 721 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:42,120 I need help here. 722 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:43,720 Okay. What do you need me to do? 723 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:46,160 You are going to deliver food. 724 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:51,760 I popped in to see Edgar for one minute and he's put me to work straight away. 725 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:54,480 Edgar is a shining example 726 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:57,960 of the prison director's do-it-yourself philosophy. 727 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:00,400 With thousands of hungry guests, 728 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:03,000 he's launched a successful food business... 729 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:07,280 with its own kitchen-to-cell delivery service. 730 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:10,600 It looks like I'm going to a special cell, actually. 731 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,120 Hola! Ah, you're welcome. 732 00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:16,680 -Hola! -[man speaks Spanish] 733 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:17,960 [Rowe] Okay? 734 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:24,440 You know, that looked like a really posh kingpin's cell, you know? 735 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:25,640 That was a big... 736 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:27,680 What looked like the, um... 737 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:29,760 you know, the presidential suite. 738 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:32,320 One happy customer. 739 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:36,320 [Edgar in Spanish] I'm going to count it. 740 00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:42,240 Maybe not in South America, but in the world outside of Paraguay, 741 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:44,960 people would find this bizarre and strange 742 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:47,400 that your wife and yourself are allowed 743 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:49,920 to run a restaurant in the prison selling food, 744 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:51,520 handling real money. 745 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:54,040 It's not that strange. Because if we don't work, 746 00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:55,320 there's no money. 747 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:58,320 And we have kids to feed. 748 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:01,760 How did you and Edgar meet? Did you meet, um, on the outside? 749 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:05,280 Were you married on the outside, or did that all happen with you in prison? 750 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:07,320 [in Spanish] Here, we met here. 751 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:09,840 -Oh, you met together in prison? -Yes. 752 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:10,760 Oh, really? 753 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:12,360 How did that come about? 754 00:41:12,440 --> 00:41:15,520 Because you don't just wander down the prison corridor and get chatted up 755 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:17,080 by Edgar, did you? No. 756 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:19,960 So how did you meet Edgar in the first place? 757 00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:22,040 No, I didn't come here looking, 758 00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:24,240 neither did I expect to find my husband here, 759 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:25,840 but it happened. 760 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:27,240 You're a brave woman. 761 00:41:27,720 --> 00:41:30,560 The fear is always present, but what can you do? 762 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:31,680 I have to come. 763 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:33,840 What do you think is going to happen when he comes out? 764 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:35,960 Because there will come a time when he's released 765 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:38,400 and all this will be left behind. 766 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:45,160 Our idea is to set up this kind of business on the outside. 767 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:49,160 So it's slowed down a little bit. So can I take my break now, boss? 768 00:41:49,240 --> 00:41:50,080 [in Spanish] Yes. 769 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:52,840 Have I passed the test though? Will I be paid? 770 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:54,280 I suppose so. 771 00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:55,720 You're a tough boss, man. 772 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:56,960 Good luck, Teresa. 773 00:41:57,440 --> 00:41:58,560 This guy's tough. 774 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:01,760 Is it a good thing? Of course, it's a good thing. 775 00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:05,240 He's earning legal money inside a prison. 776 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:09,600 A prison that hasn't the resources to provide him with anything. 777 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:13,240 So he's doing it himself and that in itself has got to be praised. 778 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:15,920 His wife is in here. 779 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:18,040 Is she safe? How dangerous is it? 780 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:21,640 She is aware of the risk, and she's prepared to take those risks, 781 00:42:21,720 --> 00:42:24,800 because she believes that what they've got going on here 782 00:42:24,960 --> 00:42:29,560 will change his life when he gets outside, and that's all that really matters. 783 00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:34,280 Edgar may have had to rehabilitate himself, 784 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:38,000 but I feel he has a good chance of turning his life around. 785 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:42,640 Now, as the sun sets over Tacumbu, 786 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:46,200 it's almost time for the Panther's shot at redemption. 787 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:53,160 The security is really high tonight. They've got some Special Force guys here. 788 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,840 Um, but I'm gonna go in and see how they're preparing 789 00:42:57,200 --> 00:43:00,120 for what's gonna happen in the next couple of hours 790 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:04,800 He's looking pretty, pretty relaxed. 791 00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:06,680 I don't want to interfere. You focus. 792 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:12,920 The fight itself is in a hall right next-door to Tacumbu. 793 00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:17,480 A few inmates have been allowed to attend and will sit alongside 794 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:20,840 members of the public, high-profile politicians, 795 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:23,000 and specially-invited guests. 796 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:26,000 Richard is still hoping his estranged father, 797 00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:28,880 the Panther Senior, will be one of them. 798 00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:33,680 [in Spanish] I'm grateful for those who made this possible. 799 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:39,120 To the people God put upon my path to make this tournament come true. 800 00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:43,680 To my dad, who has been the driving force for me to... 801 00:43:44,240 --> 00:43:45,480 And right on cue, 802 00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:49,640 his father, who he hasn't seen for four years, arrives. 803 00:43:49,720 --> 00:43:51,720 [man in Spanish] Here is your dad for you, Panther. 804 00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:53,640 Oh! 805 00:43:57,360 --> 00:43:59,720 [reporter in Spanish] You can see this is an emotional moment 806 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:02,840 [crowd applauds]  807 00:44:04,080 --> 00:44:08,080 How could I doubt becoming the champion 808 00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:10,720 when I have been given this gift. 809 00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:12,440 [fight official announcing in Spanish] 810 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:15,720 With sponsorship from a major gas company, 811 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:18,960 the fight is being transmitted live to the nation. 812 00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:20,640 [boxing bell rings] 813 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:27,600 [intermittent shouting] 814 00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:31,520 After the fatal riots of a fortnight ago, 815 00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:37,080 Tacumbu finally seems to be gaining media attention for the right reasons 816 00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:40,240 as Prison Director Fernandez was hoping. 817 00:44:45,240 --> 00:44:47,120 [audience shouting] 818 00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:51,960 Prisons are usually geared towards either punishing or rehabilitating. 819 00:44:52,320 --> 00:44:56,560 But here, inmates must rely on their own strength of will to survive. 820 00:44:58,720 --> 00:45:01,320 Maybe it's the desire to show his dad, 821 00:45:02,480 --> 00:45:06,520 or maybe prison life has focused Panther's hope of a better future... 822 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:08,120 [audience cheers] 823 00:45:08,200 --> 00:45:11,960 ...but he demolishes his opponent after just two rounds. 824 00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:13,480 [cheering, whistling] 825 00:45:13,560 --> 00:45:15,000 [Rowe] Well done, man. Well done. 826 00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:16,800 You did The Panther proud. Well done! 827 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:22,440 The Panther's victory may succeed in raising the prison's profile, 828 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:24,920 but without serious funding, 829 00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:30,240 surely Director Fernandez can only manage Tacumbu's deep-rooted problems, 830 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:31,640 not solve them. 831 00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:40,960 [metal door screeches] 832 00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:43,600 [exhales heavily] 833 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:47,000 That's the end of my time in Tacumbu. 834 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:49,720 The prison director is doing the best he can to improve 835 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:53,280 the conditions in this complex, wild, and dangerous prison, 836 00:45:53,480 --> 00:45:56,320 but keeping inmates alive and the murder count down 837 00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:58,640 is probably the best he can achieve. 838 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:02,080 For me, prison should be about turning men out better 839 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:03,440 than what they entered. 840 00:46:03,720 --> 00:46:06,200 But with so many prisoners carrying knives 841 00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:08,880 and allowing drugs as the price for peace, 842 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:12,960 probably the best thing for Tacumbu is to raze it to the ground.