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[Rowe] Bogotá, Colombia.
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Capital of the world's largest producer
of cocaine.
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Behind the towering walls
of its District Prison
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lie criminals from every layer
of this blood-soaked industry.
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[in Spanish] An assassin who kills
more than three people,
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some say that they become tormented.
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[Rowe] It's a world fueled by addiction
and barbaric violence.
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[in Spanish] They took a machete
and decapitated him.
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[Rowe] My name is Raphael Rowe.
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I'm going to spend a week
locked up inside this Colombian 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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inside some of the world's
toughest prisons.
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Bogotá, Colombia.
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[siren wailing]
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I'm now in the back of a police truck,
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being transported
to Bogotá's District Prison.
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[Rowe] This vast concrete lockup
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is home to some of the city's
most violent criminals,
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many of them caught up
in the country's endless drug war.
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For over 50 years,
Colombia has been famous
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as the world's biggest exporter
of cocaine.
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With a murder rate over five times higher
than the United States,
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drug violence here
is the second largest cause of death.
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For many, the image
of a Colombian drug lord is Pablo Escobar,
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who became one of the wealthiest criminals
in history.
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But the inmates
in Bogotá's District Prison
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aren't billionaire cartel bosses.
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They're mules, hitmen
and low-level pushers.
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[indistinct shouting]
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[Rowe] I'm going to spend a week here
to find out what it's like
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for those serving time at the very bottom
of the drugs food chain.
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Like any other inmate,
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my journey to the prison
begins in a police car.
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And my destination
makes for an intimidating sight.
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This place looks like a fortress.
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I can only describe it
from what I'm seeing.
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It looks like a concrete tomb.
Somewhere where you bury people.
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Only, in this case, it's living people.
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[Rowe] New prisoners like me
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are one of the easiest ways
to get drugs into the prison.
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It means that my first ordeal
is a very thorough search.
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[in Spanish] I need you to take off
all of your clothes.
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Leave your underwear on.
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You want me to take off my clothes
down to my underwear?
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What's the gloves for?
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[guard] To prevent
any contact with bodily fluids.
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What you looking for?
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Mostly drugs.
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Marijuana, cocaine, basuco.
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[Rowe] Even more addictive than crack,
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basuco is one of the most popular drugs
in Colombia,
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a toxic mix of cocaine paste,
brick dust and sulfuric acid.
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And with no internal search,
it's the kind of contraband
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that would be easy to smuggle
into this jail.
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[Rowe yelps]
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After a freezing cold shower,
I'm given a prison uniform
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and subjected
to a detailed health screening.
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[dentist in Spanish] Number 15
has slight decay.
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[Rowe] I've never been to a jail
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where new inmates are given
this many medical tests.
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The authorities are clearly
used to treating prisoners
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with serious health problems.
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[doctor in Spanish] 60% of the people
that enter here are homeless.
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Are these drug addicts?
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[doctor] Yes, there are a lot of patients
that are addicted to drugs.
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Does the addiction problem here
cause behavior problems?
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Are prisoners more violent?
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[doctor] Yes, the prisoners
become more violent,
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but not only when
they are under the influence of drugs.
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Also, when they have withdrawals.
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[Rowe] Listening to the doctor,
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I'm worried about what sort of inmates
I'll be doing time with.
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Once prisoners have cleared processing,
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they're brought
to one of the jail's six pavilions.
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I'll spend much of my time in this jail
caged in this single concrete pit.
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And having heard just how violent
this drug-fueled world can be,
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I'm nervous about what comes next.
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[Rowe] My heart's racing
and my head is uncomfortable,
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and then there's the prisoners
to contend with.
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Drug traffickers,
drug dealers, drug users.
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I've got all that to face
in just a few seconds,
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and I'm not feeling comfortable
if I'm honest.
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[Rowe] As the guards release me
into the pavilion,
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I'm left to fend for myself.
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[inmates cheering and whistling]
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-How you doing?
-[speaking Spanish]
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-Hernán? Raphael.
-[speaking Spanish]
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-[in Spanish] I'm Hernán.
-Okay.
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The first inmate I meet
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gives me the lowdown
on my fellow prisoners.
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Who are all these men? I mean,
are they all in here for different crimes?
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[in Spanish] I'm here for robbery.
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We're all in here for different crimes,
but they put us all together.
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[Rowe] Hernán offers to give me a tour
of the block's very basic facilities.
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Bathrooms.
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[Rowe] That's to pee in?
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Urinals.
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[speaking Spanish]
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We get infections because of this.
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You have to be careful.
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And this is the toilet?
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[Hernán] This one,
I don't know if it works.
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It doesn't work.
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You have to throw water in there
to make it clean.
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[Rowe] In the cell,
it looks like I'll be sharing with Hernán
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and another inmate
awaiting trial for murder, Alexander.
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-Okay.
-[Hernán speaking Spanish]
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[Rowe] As a new prisoner,
I know I need to fit in with my cellmates.
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Okay, that's mine, right?
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[Rowe] All the same,
I wasn't expecting what comes next.
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Two hundred until you leave.
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I have to pay to sleep in this cell?
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When I arrived, I had to pay.
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Since I am here for some time now,
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now it is my time
to charge you what I had to pay.
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It is worth 200 or more.
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[Rowe] Undeterred by the presence
of the camera,
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Hernán makes an astonishing threat.
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And If I don't pay?
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You cannot tell the guards.
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If you tell them,
we will attack you with a knife.
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You want to charge me
to sleep on my prison cell bed?
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And if I tell the guards,
you will attack me with a knife?
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I am a drug addict,
and I like to take drugs.
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For all those years that I am here,
I have always liked marijuana.
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That is why you need to pay me 200,
so I can take drugs.
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[Rowe] To begin with, I can't work out
whether they're actually serious.
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And if I don't pay?
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How can I put this? We can deal with you.
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Do you have a knife?
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I have this, and I have this.
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-Only fists?
-That's my weapons.
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Here, we use a knife.
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I survived...
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Fists are for the streets.
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I survived prison in England.
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Fists are for the streets.
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-Here there are no fists.
-[Rowe] No?
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Only knives.
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[Rowe] Unbelievably, it seems
like Hernán's threat is for real.
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If you do not pay me what I am asking for,
you will have a problem with me.
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I'd rather take my chances,
get my weapon and fight.
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That is why you need to pay me 200,
so that I can take drugs.
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I don't know how, but you have to.
You have to.
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[Rowe] It looks like standing my ground
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has been enough
to prevent a fight, for now.
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But with Hernán's threat
ringing in my ears,
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it's clear I need to find out fast
how life on the block really works.
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What other rules are there
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that I would need to know about
as a prisoner?
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You're in here for one thing,
I'm in here for another.
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If you want to stay on your own,
it's fine.
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At least you will avoid problems this way.
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You mentioned that you are a drug addict.
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Are there many other prisoners in here
who are drug addicts?
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In every pavilion,
most of them take drugs.
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But who controls the drugs?
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I am the one who controls the drugs.
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I am the one who says where they take it,
how much and when.
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[Rowe] Despite the authorities'
best efforts,
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drugs are clearly finding their way
into the prison,
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either via inmates or their visitors.
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And with Hernán now claiming
to be the block's chief dealer,
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I'm not looking forward
to my first night behind bars.
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[Rowe] If there's one thing
I'm most concerned about,
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it is going behind the door
with these two guys who use drugs.
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They could become very violent
and dangerous for me.
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They could be uncontrollable.
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I don't know what effect
the drugs will have on them.
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I'm just hoping that when I'm
behind that door with these two guys,
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they're not going to take drugs tonight.
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At 5:30, prisoners prepare
to head to their cells for the night.
175
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Once the guards are out of sight
and we're locked inside,
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it doesn't take long
for my worst suspicions to come true.
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What are you doing, Hernán?
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Rolling a joint.
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I smoke two spliffs in a row,
and my head gets like a bomb.
180
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[Rowe] You smoke all the weed
in one joint?
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You don't put no cigarette in with it?
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You just smoke it pure like that?
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[Hernán] Yes, pure.
I don't mix it. Just pure.
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If the guards smell that, do they not...
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As long as I have loads,
it's not a problem.
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If this didn't exist in prisons,
there would be a lot of problems.
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Smells very strong.
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Even he's choking,
a seasoned marijuana smoker,
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and probably avid drug-taker.
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00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:22,800
He's taken a couple of puffs,
and he's high.
191
00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:27,920
[Rowe] Hernán may only be smoking weed,
but as the block's chief dealer,
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I've no idea what else he might be taking.
193
00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:35,320
Either way, his mood starts to change.
194
00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,840
And now, he's shouting out the window.
He's high.
195
00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,040
And he's shouting out the window
to other prisoners.
196
00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:41,960
So if I wanted to sleep now,
I couldn't get sleep,
197
00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:43,800
and how quickly
could that turn into an argument?
198
00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:45,840
"Shut up." "No, you shut up."
"No, you shut up."
199
00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:47,400
Before you know it,
we're fighting in the cell
200
00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,000
and almost killing each other.
201
00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,680
[Rowe] With prisoners
shouting from cell to cell,
202
00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:55,680
there's an intimidating atmosphere.
203
00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,720
And with me banged up
with a murder suspect
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and an armed robber high as a kite,
sleeping's not an option.
205
00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:07,760
When that door is banged up,
when the lights are turned off,
206
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it's a very, very frightening experience.
207
00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,120
My concern is that,
after the threats they gave me,
208
00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:15,720
you could get very paranoid.
209
00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:20,480
Whilst on the weed, I don't know
how he will react to that drug
210
00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:24,000
or whether he has the intention
to take something even stronger,
211
00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:25,520
like cocaine or crack.
212
00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,640
[indistinct chatter in Spanish]
213
00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:29,320
I have to be very careful.
214
00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:32,840
And I don't think
I'm gonna be able to sleep.
215
00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,760
[Rowe] At 5:00 a.m.,
prisoners are released from their cells.
216
00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:52,400
I'm relieved that, so far,
217
00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,120
Hernán hasn't followed through
on his threat of violence.
218
00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:01,200
All the same, I'm still finding it hard
to adjust to my new surroundings.
219
00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:06,920
When you enter this place,
it sort of closes in on you. It's small.
220
00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,200
And it must get smaller and smaller
the more time you spend in it.
221
00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,560
[Rowe] Even when it rains,
inmates are locked out of their cells
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00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,840
and are forced to spend all day
on this single patch of concrete.
223
00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:20,720
Inmates can go for years
224
00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,800
without seeing anything
of the outside world but the sky.
225
00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:31,760
Luckily, there's a way for some prisoners
to escape for a few hours.
226
00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,480
Those admitted to the jail's work scheme
can take jobs
227
00:13:35,560 --> 00:13:40,120
ranging from simple cleaning duties
to working in the textile workshop.
228
00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,600
Today, I've been assigned a job
in the prison kitchens.
229
00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:49,520
[in Spanish] Here, we are frying potatoes,
and then we will give them to the inmates.
230
00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:51,600
-This is the mask.
-Oh.
231
00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:53,280
Okay.
232
00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,320
[Rowe] I'm on the job with Ramiro,
233
00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,560
an inmate awaiting trial for fraud,
from the Nasa tribe,
234
00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,840
one of Colombia's many indigenous groups.
235
00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:06,920
It's a status that comes
with some unusual benefits.
236
00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,760
How long have you been sentenced
to imprisonment for?
237
00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:12,760
I'm not yet sentenced.
238
00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:17,440
My community will sentence me
according to the law in our village.
239
00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:20,960
The Colombian authorities cannot
sentence me according to their law,
240
00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,400
because I am native.
241
00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:28,040
Really? So, what, your community
doesn't recognize the law of Colombia?
242
00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:30,680
Native tribes are autonomous.
243
00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:36,080
They exercise their own law,
government and lifestyle.
244
00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:41,680
[Rowe] At his trial, Ramiro hopes he'll be
sent back to his village for sentencing.
245
00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:47,320
His people have other privileges
that seem at odds with the war on drugs.
246
00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:53,320
We produce coffee and coca.
247
00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:56,800
The coca is only for traditional use.
248
00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:58,960
[Rowe] For tribesmen like Ramiro,
249
00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:03,080
chewing the coca leaf
is an ancient part of Colombian life.
250
00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,800
The Colombian government allow that?
It's not against the law?
251
00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:12,720
The government has said we're
allowed to grow 1,000 plants of coca.
252
00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:16,520
It has to be only for fully medicinal use.
253
00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:22,840
We have other indigenous friends
that are in prison for drug trafficking
254
00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,720
because they have ignored
the Colombian laws,
255
00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:31,080
and they have planted
more than 1,000 plants for narcotic use.
256
00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,360
They were making basuco.
257
00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,400
[Rowe] There's a huge difference
between chewing the coca leaf
258
00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,440
and taking its more toxic form, cocaine.
259
00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,680
So it's depressing to hear
that even Colombia's ancient tribes
260
00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:50,440
are now playing their part
in this criminal industry.
261
00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,920
There's no dining hall
in the District Jail,
262
00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:02,080
so my next job
is bringing lunch direct to the pavilions.
263
00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,120
Prison grub is never appetizing.
264
00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,280
But all the same, the food this lunchtime
seems to be going down well.
265
00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:11,840
Yeah, you know, it looks cooked.
It looks well-cooked.
266
00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:14,280
And it's presentable, I must say.
267
00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:18,640
It's, you know, white rice,
a kind of bean soup,
268
00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,880
very delicious potatoes
baked by me, of course.
269
00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:34,200
[Rowe] After lunch, many prisoners
are on lockdown in the block
270
00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:35,840
for the rest of the day.
271
00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,480
Luckily, as in any Latin American jail,
272
00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,840
there's one favorite way
for inmates to fill the time.
273
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:51,720
Today's match is a face-off
between two rival teams in Liberty Block.
274
00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:56,520
I'm on the subs' bench
for the team led by my cellmate Hernán.
275
00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:59,560
After he threatened to stab me
on my first day,
276
00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,520
I'm hoping that if I can prove myself
on the pitch,
277
00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:04,760
it might be enough to clear the air.
278
00:17:04,839 --> 00:17:06,319
All these guys want to win.
279
00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,118
Even in these friendly games,
they want to win.
280
00:17:10,118 --> 00:17:12,800
And the most challenging
is not the football itself.
281
00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:14,920
It's making sure you don't turn someone.
282
00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:16,480
You kick someone by accident,
283
00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,680
they say you kick him deliberately,
there's a fight broken out.
284
00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,520
[inmates whistling and clapping]
285
00:17:22,598 --> 00:17:26,000
[Rowe] With a player down,
it's my chance to get stuck in.
286
00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:28,200
That is a foul.
287
00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:30,040
The dramas of tackling.
288
00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:32,440
[in Spanish] Are you going to play?
289
00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:33,360
You want me to come?
290
00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:34,480
Let's play.
291
00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:41,560
They got an injury, so my moment has come
for me to shine... or flop seriously.
292
00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:43,160
[blows whistle]
293
00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:50,240
[Rowe] This might only be a friendly,
294
00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,240
but there's no doubt
these inmates are playing tough.
295
00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:54,640
[indistinct shouting]
296
00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:02,440
[Rowe] And after 20 minutes of play,
I'm feeling the heat.
297
00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,720
You know when you have
that burning dry sensation in your throat?
298
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:06,800
Well, I haven't got that.
299
00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:08,920
I've got something
worse than that right now.
300
00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:15,160
[Rowe] After showing a few silky moves,
I seem to win the respect of my teammates.
301
00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:17,520
[whistle blows]
302
00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:25,040
[in Spanish] Your new name is Pirri.
303
00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:26,640
You've now been baptized
with the name Pirri.
304
00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:27,840
Okay.
305
00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:31,200
Most importantly,
even Hernán seems impressed.
306
00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,600
Pirri. So I'm now Pirri.
307
00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,400
The one thing I feel confident about,
just by taking part in that game...
308
00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,040
is I'm not just a new face on the wing.
309
00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:48,440
I've added a little bit of color,
a little bit of character to who I am.
310
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,000
And that's what prisoners do.
311
00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:54,560
For me,
it's all part of the survival strategy
312
00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,520
in whatever prison you go to.
313
00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:00,120
[Rowe] My performance in the game
314
00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,360
seems to have broken the ice
between me and Hernán.
315
00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,920
After the game, he even invites me
to join him for a game of chess.
316
00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:12,200
It's my chance to see
if we can resolve our differences
317
00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:13,960
and for me to find out more
318
00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:18,120
about why so many young men like him
end up dealing drugs.
319
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,800
Where do you come from outside?
320
00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,040
What community do you come from?
Is it a poor community?
321
00:19:24,120 --> 00:19:26,640
[Hernán] Bolívar City is very poor,
322
00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:30,040
and, unfortunately,
I spent my childhood there.
323
00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:33,160
Why do you think people get involved
in the drugs trade?
324
00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:37,600
People get into drug trafficking
because there is a lot of money involved.
325
00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:38,960
They have to commit crimes
326
00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:41,560
to provide for themselves
and their family.
327
00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,440
Crime is... It comes with poverty.
328
00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:49,120
You see a lot of hunger,
and you see a lot of poverty.
329
00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:51,480
They turn out bad
330
00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:56,880
because they have nothing,
not even education.
331
00:19:58,680 --> 00:19:59,680
Check.
332
00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,200
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.
333
00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:05,960
Checkmate.
334
00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:07,160
[Hernán] Here.
335
00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:08,080
[Rowe] No, no.
336
00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:09,640
-[Hernán] Here.
-[Rowe] Oh, no.
337
00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:10,720
[Hernán] Oh, yes.
338
00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:16,960
When I first met you, you came across
as quite a tough, intimidating guy,
339
00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,200
demanding money with menace.
340
00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:23,000
But today, you come across
as a slightly different guy.
341
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:27,960
Who is Hernán?
Which of those two characters are you?
342
00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,080
The only way to survive in here...
343
00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:35,760
is to take something from people.
344
00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:37,920
The truth is
that I left my kids with nothing.
345
00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:42,080
I have to find a way
to try and send them something.
346
00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:44,200
I have no other way.
347
00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:49,600
I don't have any other way in here.
Do you understand?
348
00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,840
[Rowe] There's no way for me to tell
if Hernán's attempt at extortion
349
00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,920
was meant to feed his family
or just his drug habit.
350
00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:03,800
Either way, it seems jail has done little
to change his criminal career.
351
00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,960
Poverty drives people in many directions.
352
00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,480
And here in Colombia,
in the slums where Hernán comes from...
353
00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:13,640
many people turn to selling drugs
354
00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:16,720
because it's the one way
they can make money.
355
00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:21,680
You know, people struggle on a daily basis
to feed themselves and their families.
356
00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,440
I would always argue
that there is another avenue,
357
00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,120
but sometimes there isn't.
358
00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:31,440
If I was in that predicament,
I'd probably do the same. Wouldn't you?
359
00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,000
[Rowe] It's a new day
in the District Jail.
360
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:47,600
After several days inside,
361
00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:50,400
the claustrophobia
is really getting to me.
362
00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,000
With nothing to look at
but the same four walls,
363
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,160
I can see why so many inmates
turn to drugs as an escape.
364
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,720
The jail's restricted city site
365
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,840
means there's limited space
for rehabilitation facilities.
366
00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:10,560
Crammed into the middle,
however, is a small area for workshops.
367
00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:13,800
And this morning,
I've been allowed out of the pavilion
368
00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:15,920
to help in the textiles unit.
369
00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:17,960
So what are we making here?
370
00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:23,400
[in Spanish] We're making sleeves
371
00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:27,680
to cover the arms on a jacket,
so they don't get dirty.
372
00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,640
Do you need me to iron flat
some more pieces of fabric?
373
00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,200
You can do this one.
374
00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:38,680
[Rowe] I've been assigned to work
with Mexican inmate José.
375
00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,680
[Rowe] Why are you here, José?
Why are you in this prison?
376
00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:45,240
Well, I'm here for drug trafficking.
377
00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:48,680
Forgive me, but you seem
a little bit old to be a mule.
378
00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,320
How did you get involved
in becoming a drug mule?
379
00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:54,480
[Jose] The problem was that...
380
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,080
Well, I am a mechanic.
381
00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:59,200
I was a mechanic in Guadalajara.
382
00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:02,480
So I fix two, three cars
383
00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:09,160
and this client invited me to Mexico City
384
00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:11,240
to fix some cars.
385
00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:15,480
They were a drug gang called Los Zetas...
386
00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,760
and they took me to their house.
387
00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:20,960
They took me to a basement.
388
00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:26,680
There was a friend, a boy, in front of me.
389
00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:31,000
He was told to fly to Colombia
to smuggle drugs. He refused.
390
00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:34,280
They decapitated him with a machete.
391
00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:39,120
They took away his body,
and his blood remained on the floor.
392
00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:42,600
That was Monday. On Tuesday, they told me,
393
00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,880
"You are traveling,
or we'll do the same to you."
394
00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:47,840
I said, "I'll do it."
395
00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,680
[Rowe] The Los Zetas gang
who recruited José
396
00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:57,520
are one of the most ruthless drug cartels
in the world,
397
00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:00,200
notorious for using extreme violence,
398
00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:05,160
including mass executions,
cannibalism and terror attacks.
399
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:12,720
Today, I'm in the hands
of the Colombian prison system,
400
00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,120
and I feel at peace.
401
00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:17,280
Have you heard anything from the cartel
since your arrest?
402
00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:19,200
I haven't heard anything from them.
403
00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:23,400
I just talk to my family. They are fine.
404
00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,320
Do you miss your family?
405
00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:26,920
Of course I do. A lot.
406
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,080
[Rowe] Most inmates can't wait
to get out of this prison,
407
00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:37,280
so it's shocking to find a prisoner
so scared of the cartels
408
00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:39,560
that he's relieved to be inside.
409
00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:43,840
If his story is true, and I have no reason
to doubt what he told me,
410
00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,840
it's got to be one of the saddest,
horrifying stories I've heard.
411
00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,360
And this is a consequence
of drug trafficking. This is what happens.
412
00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:55,920
He's a mule, and there are
many, many, many stories like his.
413
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:02,520
[Rowe] Coping with the hopelessness
of a long sentence in here is tough.
414
00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,960
While some get by watching TV
or just sleeping,
415
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,720
others turn to a higher power.
416
00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,200
[all in Spanish] ♪ How is it possible
To live without you, Jesus ♪
417
00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:18,240
♪ You are the foundation of my life ♪
418
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,200
-[singing continues]
-[Rowe] For two to three hours every day,
419
00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:25,000
this free church group meets
to sing and pray.
420
00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:26,720
And I'm surprised to see
421
00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:31,000
that one of their lead preachers
is my cellmate Alexander.
422
00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,200
When I first met Alexander,
who's leading this group,
423
00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:37,320
he was threatening
to cause me physical harm.
424
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:39,400
He was threatening to stab me.
425
00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:45,360
Now look at him. He's there...
clapping hands and singing to Jesus.
426
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,120
I mean, the two just jar, don't they?
427
00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:51,520
Today, Alexander might be a man of God,
428
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,680
but on the outside,
he was a member of a brutal drug gang.
429
00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:01,920
Police regularly clash with gangs
like these to round up dealers.
430
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:06,800
Yet the street pushers are only
the most visible part of the problem.
431
00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:12,440
Each gang also employs
dedicated teams of hitmen, or sicarios,
432
00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:15,560
who protect their territory
with lethal force.
433
00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:20,400
Alexander himself
is awaiting trial for a murder
434
00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:24,200
allegedly committed
while he was a member of a drug gang.
435
00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:27,320
He's reluctant to speak
about the charge on camera,
436
00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:33,400
but he has agreed to talk about his life
in one of Bogotá's most violent cartels.
437
00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:38,840
What was your position
in this drug trafficking network?
438
00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:43,920
I was selling for a while,
and I was packing large quantities.
439
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,240
What drugs are we talking about?
440
00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:48,000
Basuco, cocaine, marijuana.
441
00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:52,480
You know of guys
that have committed murder
442
00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:56,680
in the name of the drug trafficking gang
they work for?
443
00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:01,200
Yes, of course. I met plenty of them,
444
00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:05,760
and you always hear
about the murders they committed.
445
00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:09,320
What kind of person are they?
446
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,920
They prefer being alone
or only with other sicarios.
447
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:18,120
An assassin who kills
more than three people,
448
00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,680
some say that they become tormented.
449
00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,920
That's their lives. It's not a happy life.
450
00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:29,280
How much do they earn
for every murder they commit?
451
00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:32,600
Whenever they killed someone,
they would get a bonus.
452
00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:38,400
They'd get two million pesos ($700 USD)
or a motorcycle as a gift.
453
00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:42,200
They would get a paid holiday
or something like that.
454
00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:46,840
You were involved in the drug trafficking.
455
00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:50,440
What were the rewards like
before you ended up in prison?
456
00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,000
When you're involved in it on the outside,
457
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:58,400
all you think of is drinking,
women and taking drugs.
458
00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:01,800
And you believe it's great like that.
459
00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:06,760
But in reality,
this left me without my family.
460
00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:10,160
I'm now on my own.
461
00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,520
To think that this is now my life.
462
00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,000
There is nothing to be gained
from drug trafficking.
463
00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:22,560
I destroyed lots of families,
simply by selling them basuco.
464
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:27,320
I realized here that, in fact,
what I was doing was worse
465
00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,080
than what the sicarios do,
466
00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,000
because I was killing people slowly.
467
00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,040
[inaudible]
468
00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,920
[Rowe] For the poor, drug trafficking
may seem to offer a way to a better life.
469
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,640
But for Alexander, it's a false promise.
470
00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,200
[singing in Spanish]
471
00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,960
[Rowe] Everybody I've met so far
are small-time drug dealers.
472
00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:58,640
No one here I've met has benefited
in any way, shape or form
473
00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,560
from being involved in drug trafficking.
474
00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:04,080
These are not even the foot soldiers.
475
00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,600
I would say that these are lower
than the foot soldiers.
476
00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:10,880
These are the ones that the cartels,
and even middle dons,
477
00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:17,240
are prepared to sacrifice in order
to profit from their drug trafficking.
478
00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:30,120
[Rowe] After almost a week inside,
479
00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:35,120
I'm starting to understand the devastation
caused by Colombia's drug trade
480
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:36,760
on the lives of its poor.
481
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:41,880
But the influence of the cartels
doesn't stop at the prison gates.
482
00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:43,000
I've seen for myself
483
00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:46,800
how narcotics are clearly making their way
inside the prison.
484
00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:51,680
So today, I'm swapping sides
to see what life is like for the guards
485
00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:54,040
in this endless game of cat and mouse.
486
00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,840
Officer Ochoa is one of the trainers
487
00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:00,400
leading the prison's new team
of sniffer dogs.
488
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:05,840
What is the dog trained to sniff out?
Is it just drugs? And what kind of drugs?
489
00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:10,280
[in Spanish] Among these narcotics,
we have LSD, marijuana
490
00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:13,520
and all the cocaine derivatives.
491
00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:16,320
[Rowe] Today, the guards
have received a tip-off
492
00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,360
that there may be narcotics
in an inmate's cell.
493
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,400
Officer Ochoa and her dog, Waco...
494
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:24,080
-Let's go, boy.
-[Rowe] ...get to work.
495
00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:27,840
The introduction of these dogs
496
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:31,320
has dramatically reduced
the level of drugs found in the prison.
497
00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:33,800
Nothing has been found.
498
00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:35,920
[Rowe] But as I've seen with Hernán,
499
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:40,720
many inmates are clearly finding ways
to get around the system.
500
00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,000
I'm curious to find out for myself
501
00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:47,120
just how easy it might be
to deceive these new sniffer dogs.
502
00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:52,520
The sniffer dog didn't find anything
during the genuine cell search.
503
00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:56,560
So what they've suggested is that
they will give me a bag of marijuana,
504
00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:58,160
I will plant it in the cell,
505
00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:00,240
and the dog will go in
and see if they can find it.
506
00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:04,480
Just to stimulate and demonstrate
how the dog finds drugs.
507
00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,120
[Rowe] Having spent
12 years in prison myself,
508
00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,080
I know a thing or two
about hiding contraband.
509
00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:14,320
So what I'm going to do is take this weed,
510
00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:18,600
I'm going to actually wrap it up
in this piece of tissue paper...
511
00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:24,280
and then I'm going to put
this tissue paper under this bar of soap
512
00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:29,000
to try and put the dog's scent
off of the weed.
513
00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:33,480
Okay, señora, you can go in now.
You can go in.
514
00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,920
During my time in prison, you know,
I smoked the odd joint.
515
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,600
So I had to hide it
from the sniffer dogs and the guards.
516
00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:47,240
So I've got some experience with this.
517
00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:51,640
After a few minutes of searching,
518
00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:54,760
it looks like my years of experience
have paid off.
519
00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:57,520
I've not made it easy for the dog,
put it that way.
520
00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:00,520
And he's really struggling.
521
00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:04,720
But just when the search
is almost called off,
522
00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:06,840
it looks like the game may be up.
523
00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:10,200
The dog is right near where I planted it.
524
00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:11,680
I think it's found it.
525
00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:18,080
Well done, champion.
526
00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,200
[Rowe] This time round,
it's a win for the sniffer dog.
527
00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,120
But the drug use
I've seen with my own eyes
528
00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:30,400
tells me that the guards
are ultimately fighting a losing battle.
529
00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:33,720
I admire their tenacity
in wanting to reduce
530
00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:38,040
the consumption or smuggling of drugs
into this prison to zero.
531
00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:40,800
Do I think they will be successful?
No, I don't.
532
00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:42,280
[metal detector beeps]
533
00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:47,040
[Rowe] Searching for drugs isn't
the only challenge facing the guards.
534
00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:57,560
Colombian jails also have
a dire reputation for prisoner violence.
535
00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,320
In the worst cases, the prison's riot team
536
00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:04,000
are prepared to take down
mass disturbances with force.
537
00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:06,920
To limit smaller outbreaks,
538
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:11,040
the best method is to extract
and isolate inmates causing trouble.
539
00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:15,280
So I'm now being shown
the solitary confinement area,
540
00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:20,320
the punishment cells where prisoners
are taken and kept on their own
541
00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:22,400
for breaking the rules.
542
00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:24,800
And it looks quite stark.
543
00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,560
[Rowe] If the pavilions
feel like graveyards,
544
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:30,240
these cells are coffins.
545
00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:35,480
It's down to officers like Hurbey Marin
to police this bleak world.
546
00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:39,720
This is a very different space
to the cell blocks
547
00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:42,400
where most of the prisoners are held.
548
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:44,760
What is this used for?
549
00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:50,160
[in Spanish] When a prisoner is breaking
the rules in the blocks
550
00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:55,080
up to the point that his life and health,
551
00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:58,160
and also of other prisoners, is at risk,
552
00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:02,560
we have to use this place
to separate them,
553
00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:06,680
so that they do not harm themselves
and other prisoners.
554
00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:10,760
Can they have luxuries and privileges
like they have over in the normal blocks,
555
00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:12,679
or are those privileges taken away?
556
00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:18,000
They still have the right
to make a phone call.
557
00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:21,520
They can go out to do sports.
558
00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:24,280
[Rowe] Officer Marin seems to be painting
559
00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:27,880
a relatively rosy picture
of life in solitary.
560
00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,679
The reality, however, may be different.
561
00:34:31,639 --> 00:34:36,120
Convicted thief Luis is on lockdown here
for his own protection
562
00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:38,199
after a run-in with his cellmates.
563
00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,320
How often do you get out of the cell
564
00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:44,280
to go on exercise
or recreational activity?
565
00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:46,960
[in Spanish] I don't have
any recreational activity here.
566
00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:49,320
I'm just allowed to go out
two or three times a day
567
00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:52,719
for 15 minutes to make a phone call.
568
00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:54,880
So two times a day
to make a telephone call,
569
00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:58,480
otherwise you're in that cage
for the rest of the day?
570
00:34:58,560 --> 00:34:59,640
Yes, sir.
571
00:35:00,240 --> 00:35:04,160
But you have the choice
to take part in sport
572
00:35:04,240 --> 00:35:07,320
or other activities
that would get you out of your cell?
573
00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:09,280
We're not allowed.
574
00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:14,720
Which must put you under extreme pressure,
mental pressure. How is that?
575
00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:17,200
I feel safer here, in this place.
576
00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:22,200
In the pavilion,
I have to coexist with 150, 160 people.
577
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,640
So living together is impossible.
578
00:35:25,720 --> 00:35:29,120
There are problems for everything:
a phone call, even over a snack.
579
00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:33,560
There are all kinds
of confrontations here: fights, knives...
580
00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:39,560
[Rowe] It's chilling that life
in the drug-fueled pavilions
581
00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:44,560
can be so violent that Luis actually
prefers to live in a cell this size.
582
00:35:47,720 --> 00:35:50,640
[Rowe] There's very little
natural light in here.
583
00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:54,440
Just at the top there,
there's a little bit coming in.
584
00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:58,520
But otherwise in here,
it's very claustrophobic.
585
00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:02,000
I can't imagine spending time
in this cell.
586
00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:04,400
And I've done
a lot of solitary confinement,
587
00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:07,600
and the cells I was in were bad,
588
00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:12,240
but I've never been in anything
as bad as this.
589
00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:13,920
But, boy, what a small space.
590
00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:17,440
I'm already beginning to feel
like I need to take deep breaths...
591
00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:20,960
[exhales] just to make use of the space.
592
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:25,080
But when that door's shut
and you've been breathing for hours,
593
00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:28,320
I can imagine that it closes in
more and more.
594
00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,880
But that's what these places
are designed to do.
595
00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:35,440
They're designed to make you
not want to spend time in here.
596
00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:39,200
So why prisoners would want
to come here voluntarily...
597
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,640
They must be in a really bad place
or feel really threatened.
598
00:36:47,720 --> 00:36:50,840
[Rowe] Until the prison gets to grips
with its drugs problem,
599
00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:53,080
the violence here will continue.
600
00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:58,840
But the prison has made a start
by inviting a very select group of inmates
601
00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:02,400
to therapy sessions
that tackle their addictions.
602
00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:06,440
[in Spanish] Take a random card.
I want you to take it, each of you.
603
00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:10,760
And after taking it...
604
00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:16,480
think about how this card
relates to your life.
605
00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:19,760
[Rowe] This particular exercise
uses picture cards
606
00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:23,840
to help inmates confront the damage
caused by their drug addictions.
607
00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:29,040
[in Spanish] With this, we see how many
people suffered because of drugs...
608
00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:33,160
how many died.
609
00:37:33,240 --> 00:37:39,520
Because of drugs, I have made mistakes
that destroyed my life.
610
00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:42,080
Because of drugs...
611
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:45,440
I have killed people,
612
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,000
not only by shooting them
613
00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:51,560
but also by hurting their hearts...
614
00:37:52,720 --> 00:37:54,160
and harming them.
615
00:37:54,720 --> 00:37:58,920
[Rowe] I'm impressed by the willingness
of these hardened criminals to open up.
616
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:03,120
And before long, it's my turn to step up.
617
00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:10,720
My question is, "How is your life
related to what you see in the picture?"
618
00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:16,640
So, my card shows a person...
619
00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:24,400
lying in the middle of a very open space.
620
00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:29,160
I have experienced the confinement
of a prison cell for many, many years.
621
00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:32,160
So this is where I am now.
622
00:38:32,240 --> 00:38:35,280
I'm free, and I'm living in an open space.
623
00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:41,240
It's useful having guys
in a tough environment like a prison
624
00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:44,520
talk about their emotions and feelings
and reflect on their past.
625
00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:49,720
But it's sad to think that, still,
50-60% of prisoners in this prison
626
00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:51,040
are addicted to drugs.
627
00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:55,120
And that tells me that they're failing.
They're failing to tackle the problem.
628
00:38:55,200 --> 00:39:01,200
Twenty guys attending sessions
four or five times a month is not enough.
629
00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:04,240
It's not enough
to tackle the problem they face.
630
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,960
[Rowe] It's my final day
in this Colombian prison.
631
00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:22,440
And for my cellmate, drug trafficker
and murder suspect Alexander,
632
00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:24,600
it's a very special morning.
633
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:30,520
Alexander is going to have
a conjugal visit with his new bride,
634
00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:33,200
the woman he married only a week ago.
635
00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:38,400
I'm told that Alexander
will take his wife to his cell...
636
00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:40,800
where they'll consummate their marriage.
637
00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:43,840
It's not the ideal place,
but it's all they've got.
638
00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:46,720
And I'm sure
they're both very excited by it.
639
00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:48,920
[chuckles]
640
00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:53,720
[both speaking Spanish]
641
00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:58,600
[Alexander] No, I didn't think
you were going to make it today.
642
00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,360
-I've been waiting and waiting.
-[Astrid speaking Spanish]
643
00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:02,760
You look beautiful.
644
00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:05,240
You look like a princess. Look at you.
645
00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:06,720
[Astrid chuckles]
646
00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:10,200
[Alexander] You are all nice and chubby.
647
00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:17,360
I've got another surprise for you.
648
00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:25,280
I had it made especially for you.
649
00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:27,680
[chuckles]
650
00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:33,560
[Rowe] Alexander, how you doing?
651
00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:34,720
Good morning.
652
00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:36,400
-Astrid?
-Good morning. I'm Astrid.
653
00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:38,560
Raphael. Nice to meet you.
654
00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:39,720
[Astrid] Likewise.
655
00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:43,800
Ah, you seemed very happy
when you saw your wife this morning.
656
00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:46,200
Every time she comes,
she makes me really happy.
657
00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:50,760
Every eight days, when I get to see her,
my heart is just ready to burst.
658
00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:55,280
What's it like for you, Astrid?
I mean, this is your love nest.
659
00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:57,640
What do you feel about this place
660
00:40:57,720 --> 00:41:01,080
being the place
where you can get close to Alexander?
661
00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:05,440
For a woman,
it's frustrating and it's difficult
662
00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:09,000
because you always have an aspiration
for a better place.
663
00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:11,800
But I suppose we just have to try
664
00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:13,840
and not dwell on the fact
that we are in a prison.
665
00:41:13,920 --> 00:41:16,040
Do you get angry with Alexander
666
00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:19,120
because he got himself
into this situation?
667
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,080
I had always asked him
to quit taking drugs.
668
00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:25,000
When he'd stop doing it,
obviously he'd end up in a foul mood.
669
00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:27,640
We would fight a lot,
670
00:41:27,720 --> 00:41:30,920
because there were certain things
that I could never share with him.
671
00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:35,480
Well, I am scared.
I am scared that this might happen again.
672
00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:38,280
What was the hardest thing
for you, Alexander?
673
00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:43,040
For me, the hardest thing really
is not to be with her,
674
00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:46,680
and also to have wasted all this time
we could have had together.
675
00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:49,600
I wasted it all.
676
00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:52,960
But, you know,
I try not to make life more difficult
677
00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:54,560
by thinking about those things,
678
00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:57,480
because I trust her.
679
00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:01,040
I really trust her,
680
00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:03,800
and I know she's not gonna let me down.
681
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:09,760
[Rowe] Even the hardest critic
682
00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:14,840
of prisoners having
anything near like a privilege
683
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:17,880
would be moved by their story.
684
00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:22,120
It's hard for me to say
whether she knows what she's getting into.
685
00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:26,480
But do I believe
that she will be able to endure
686
00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:29,640
many years of him being in prison? No.
687
00:42:29,720 --> 00:42:32,320
I don't think a relationship like theirs,
688
00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:37,400
which is at the moment
flowing in the love cycle,
689
00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:41,280
will last if he ends up doing
a very long sentence.
690
00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:45,400
[Rowe] Whether or not
Alexander's relationship lasts,
691
00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:47,880
I'm impressed
that the prison supports policies
692
00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:51,920
like conjugal visits
that improve prisoner behavior.
693
00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,320
Compared to other prisons in Colombia,
694
00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:59,200
there's no doubt that the District Jail
is making a sincere attempt to liberalize.
695
00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:03,560
All the same, there's no denying
the scale of its chronic drug problem.
696
00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:13,080
To find out more about how the authorities
are trying to meet this challenge,
697
00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:16,840
I've come to meet prison director
Dr. Sonia Niño.
698
00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:19,760
I was told by the medical staff
and the social workers
699
00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:24,040
that a huge proportion of prisoners
coming into the prison
700
00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:26,080
suffer from serious drug addiction.
701
00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:30,520
[in Spanish] What do we do with prisoners
addicted to drugs?
702
00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:36,640
We offer them special attention.
They receive psychological help.
703
00:43:36,720 --> 00:43:40,160
There's an occupational therapist,
social worker,
704
00:43:40,240 --> 00:43:41,400
even a doctor comes to see them.
705
00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:45,040
They participate in all the activities
706
00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:49,520
they have in the prison.
707
00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:51,280
We keep them busy.
708
00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:55,840
Even with the effort, one of the things
that struck me more than anything
709
00:43:55,920 --> 00:44:00,680
is the amount of men
in the recreational area,
710
00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:05,000
in their cell blocks,
that are just idly hanging around
711
00:44:05,080 --> 00:44:07,360
for 12 hours
when they're out of their cell.
712
00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:10,040
We have seven units here, right?
713
00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:14,440
Two of these are for sex offenders.
714
00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:21,440
These particular inmates
are not released from their units,
715
00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:26,920
but 95% of inmates take part
in activities outside of their units.
716
00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:35,640
I can't buy the fact she said
95% of prisoners in this nick
717
00:44:35,720 --> 00:44:38,920
have meaningful activity
outside of their block,
718
00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:40,520
because that's not what I saw.
719
00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:43,840
There's just not enough space
in this prison
720
00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:47,320
to provide, in my view,
the meaningful activity
721
00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:50,800
that prisoners need to occupy their time
722
00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:54,640
and prepare them for resocialization
and rehabilitation.
723
00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:59,640
[Rowe] The District Prison may not be
the dirtiest or most violent lockup
724
00:44:59,720 --> 00:45:01,280
I've done time in,
725
00:45:01,360 --> 00:45:05,320
but the desolate lives of its inmates
make it one of the bleakest.
726
00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:09,760
From street dealers
working with lethal hitmen
727
00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:13,360
to drug mules
threatened with barbaric violence
728
00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:16,480
and junkies scarred by years of addiction,
729
00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:20,560
these are the casualties
of a parasitic business
730
00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:23,480
in which very few ever get rich.
731
00:45:25,040 --> 00:45:25,880
[exhales sharply]
732
00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:27,720
I've been impressed by some of the ways
733
00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:30,400
this prison is trying
to reform its inmates.
734
00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:32,680
But it's also a reminder
of a bigger problem.
735
00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:37,280
The vast majority of prisoners locked up
in Colombian jails for drug trafficking
736
00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:40,480
are small-time enforcers,
mules and drug pushers.
737
00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:43,920
And until Colombia
can deal with its own drug addiction,
738
00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:46,680
jails like this will continue to fill up.
739
00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:01,560
[dramatic music playing]