Old army tents left over from the Korean War house prisoners instead of cells. Will no walls or insulation around them, prisoners endure the unbearable heat of the summer, and the freezing cold of the winter. The Sheriff is a hard man who refuses to spend any more than he has to on his prisoners. Harassment and humiliation is a part of everyday life at Tent City.
Imagine a prison so fierce that guards stay outside for fear of their lives. Inside, the prisoners are in control: murderers, violent offenders, drug bosses. The inmates rule and anarchy prevails. Only the strongest survive this lawless place.
The Dallas County Jail in Texas — a supersized facility with beds for 7,100 inmates. There, inmates brought in for anything from minor crime to serial killing await their court dates. Up to 300 new arrivals come in per day. The biggest threat in the prison? Turf wars. With the surplus of inmates, there is less space to divide up between them, leading to relentless gang warfare.
With a crumbling foundation more than fit for demolition, the conditions in Sofia Central prison is inhospitable for anyone, including criminals. However, with multiple prisoner cells, bunks stacked 3 stories high and horrid isolation cells, prisoners live idly behind bars for 23 hours a day.
The two toughest divisions of the Miami Dade prison complex couldn't be more different. The Miami Dade Boot Camp gives minor offenders a chance to escape the prison through rigorous and unforgiving drills and rules. To many it is a better alternative to rusty iron bars of The Miami-Dade County Jail where murderers, rapists and robbers have their own rules of survival.
Life in one of Africa's most hopelessly overcrowded horror jail. Disease, hunger, rats and other vermin rule in Madagascar's Antanimora Prison.
The pre-trial prison Urso Branco is one of the worst jails in all of Brazil. Riots have been taking place here almost every year since 2002. Gangs battling for control of the drug business are also fighting it out behind bars. They use every opportunity to eliminate rival gang members. In the past 20 years, more than 100 people have died in riots behind the walls of Urso Branco. A sad record for Brazil.
Colony Eight – one of the toughest and most notorious prisons in Ukraine. It is said that no one has ever managed to escape from here! Over eight hundred prisoners are behind bars in Colony 8 under maximum security. Until twenty years ago, the guards even carried out death sentences at this prison. Not any more – the concept is now a different one. Plenty of “freedom” on the one hand, draconian punishment and military drill on the other. Combined with permanent supervision: Around seventy cameras in the buildings ensure that anything moving gets noticed.
Maafushi Central Prison is a high-security prison covering an area the size of ten football pitches. Surrounded by six-meter-high walls, and the sea, the facility houses up to 800 criminals under the strictest security measures. All-round sureillance by a myriad of cameras, strict rules and daily searches are the key components in the success of this prison in the middle of a vacation paradise. The prison comprises a total of nine different units: The largest of these – Unit 9 - a star-shaped building, houses prisoners with higher security level. Units 5 through 8, which surround it, are for inmates with lower security level – and those soon to be released. The women’s wing is located at the other side of the prison.A workshop area is also available, where inmates with good behavior may be allowed to work.
Exploring the largest women's prison in the Philippines: the Correctional Institution for Women. Prisoners range from petty criminals to drug dealers. And the guards are outnumbered.
Zenica prison - an 1886 fortress - is the toughest prison in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Discipline and fitness are essentials that the prison administration regularly reviews.
From rigid routines to horrendous conditions, where even gang leaders and assassins learn what fear is. That's life inside one of the harshest penitentiaries in the world.
With a capacity designed for 1500 inmates, the prison now grapples with overcrowding, currently housing over 8000 incarcerated individuals.
Witness the inner workings of one of the most heavily-guarded prisons in the country. With 500 criminals serving their sentences within its walls, the prison presents a daunting environment where the struggle for survival is a daily reality for inmates.
Explores the nuances of this formidable institution, renowned as the largest in Taiwan, which houses some of the most dangerous criminals within its walls. Operating on a system of progressive correctional treatment, the prison presents a unique and challenging environment for both inmates and the correctional staff.
The high-security facility on the outskirts of Bucharest houses some of the most dangerous criminals.