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00:00A different world with its own rules.
00:10Cinco. We have a word here in prison. Cinco. It means fists. The fists take away the anger.
00:17Zero tolerance.
00:20We look for prohibited items such as drugs, knives, stabbing weapons, anything with the blade.
00:26All this behind bars.
00:31Gangs.
00:35Violence.
00:39Drugs.
00:42Harassment.
00:50A daily survival of the fittest.
00:53In the toughest prisons in the world.
01:01Ibagi. A city of 500,000 inhabitants in Central Columbia.
01:06The South American country is the world's largest cocaine producer.
01:10Violence among drug gangs is high.
01:13Over 13,000 people were murdered in 2023 alone, making Columbia one of the top 15 countries with the highest murder rate.
01:22The result, Colombian jails are bursting at the seams. Like Picalena prison. It's the fifth largest in the country. Over 5,000 men and women are incarcerated here.
01:37It's a high security bunker, from which no prisoner has yet managed to escape.
01:43Strict rules, monotony, and arguments among the inmates determined life in one of Colombia's toughest prisons.
01:55It's 6 AM. Picalena prison is slowly coming to life.
02:05The shift begins for the guards.
02:09One of them is 27-year-old Palomino. He has been working in the prison for a year and a half.
02:25For security reasons, uniforms may not be worn outside the prison walls.
02:33Before starting their shift, the guards change in the prison dormitory.
02:42Palomino has 12 hours of duty ahead of him.
02:45While I'm dressing, I always pray. Just for myself. I pray to protect me from bad things happening. Like a riot. Or something like that.
03:02Palomino is in a hurry. Morning roll call is about to begin.
03:07If you're late, you'll be on duty at one of the unpopular posts that day.
03:16Attention, gentlemen.
03:22Everyone eagerly waits to see where they will be assigned.
03:26Every day, prison management reassigns the guards to the various posts.
03:31It's a measure designed to prevent bribery.
03:39Fortunately, the block I'm assigned to today is rather quiet.
03:42I'm on duty there quite often.
03:45But you can never trust the peace.
03:48We always have to be alert and prepared for something to happen.
03:56Piccolenia prison consists of two areas.
04:00The entrance area with the administration, the dormitory for the guards, and a training area.
04:05Adjacent to it is the actual prison, surrounded by three six-meter-high fences.
04:15Within this area, there are seven cell blocks.
04:19Each of the blocks is structured like a separate, smaller prison.
04:23Unit 1 is the oldest part of the prison, and also the largest block.
04:27Unit 2 has space for some 800 medium-security prisoners.
04:34The isolation wing is also located here.
04:37Unit 3 is the high-security area.
04:40Unit 4 is the women's wing.
04:43450 female prisoners are serving their sentences here.
04:47Unit 5 is for prisoners serving medium sentences and remand prisoners.
04:51The so-called trusted inmates live in Unit 6.
04:58Unit 7 is the VIP block.
05:02Only former state employees and older prisoners are housed here.
05:07Anyone wishing to enter the interior of the prison must first pass the drug-sniffing docks,
05:13including the guards.
05:15running their Mini Now, says помлена in the NGO,
05:26targeting Над energia and the dels innerhalb rings.
05:29We are searching for all kinds of narcotics.
05:31We've had visitors try to hide drugs in latex, such as condoms,
05:37or in toothpaste, or coffee, and also in cleaning products.
05:41also in cleaning products. They do that to distract the scent of the drug-sniffing dogs.
05:46But that doesn't work. Our dogs always find the drugs.
05:53Palomino and his colleagues are clean. Next comes the security check.
05:59Money, alcohol, knives and cell phones are also strictly forbidden.
06:11Palomino is now on duty in Block 2, which is at the far end of the prison.
06:25Piccoliña Prison was built in 1982 and initially only consisted of Block 1.
06:31Gradually, more and more blocks were added.
06:41Block 2 is one of the most modern.
06:43Over 800 male prisoners are housed here in five units, known as pavilions.
06:49Inmates here are serving sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years.
06:57Together with three other colleagues, Palomino was now responsible for pavilions 16 and 17.
07:04Just four guards are responsible for over 400 inmates here.
07:23And they are almost exclusively murderers, drug dealers and rapists.
07:28Palomino and his colleagues do not carry weapons.
07:31Their only means of defense is a baton.
07:36The first step is the head count.
07:42The wardens also check that everyone is uninjured and in good health.
07:52We counted the prisoners.
07:58No one is missing.
07:59We do that every day.
08:01In both pavilions, everything is in order.
08:05Each pavilion consists of a large inner courtyard, around which the cells are arranged.
08:13During the day, prisoners can move around freely in the inner courtyard.
08:21Barbed wire on the roofs and several surveillance cameras ensure an escape is impossible.
08:27All the furnishings, such as tables and benches, wash basins and toilets, are made of metal.
08:36There is no chance of destroying them and turning them into weapons.
08:40The cells are spread over two floors.
08:47Four to five prisoners share one of the 12 square meter cells.
08:53The furnishings are spartan.
08:55Beds and the shelves for everyone are clumped together.
08:59The wash basin and toilet are in the middle of the room.
09:03There is no shower.
09:04A narrow window offers only a depressing view of the outside fences.
09:1328-year-old Carlos has been sentenced to 27 years for murder, drug dealing and fraud.
09:19Worse than being in prison is the loss of his family.
09:27In the three years I've been here in prison, I haven't been able to meet my daughters.
09:35We had a few video calls, so at least I could talk to them and see their faces.
09:41But that was it.
09:42His wife is also in prison.
09:47His wife's family has broken off all contact with him.
09:50He no longer has any contact with his own family either.
09:55To be honest, I never really talk about it.
09:59It really gets to me.
10:01It hurts a lot.
10:03In a place like this, you don't talk about such feelings.
10:06That shows weakness, and under no circumstances should you show weakness here.
10:11But it makes me very sad.
10:14Very sad.
10:15These feelings are very strong.
10:17Knowing that I'm in my hometown, that my own family lives here,
10:22and that three years have passed without anyone visiting me.
10:27The only support he receives is from his wife, Lillian.
10:31She is serving time for accessory to murder just 200 meters away.
10:35The two are allowed to see each other regularly in prison and talk on the phone almost every day.
10:42His bed is full of her presence.
10:45These are our names, Carlos and Lillian, and some encouraging words and fond memories.
10:50That's her, she said.
10:58Married couples or even entire families in prison is nothing unusual in Colombia.
11:04Drug trafficking is often a family business.
11:088.30 a.m.
11:10Some of the prisoners are preparing to go to work.
11:13Now we close all cells.
11:16This always happens after the head count.
11:20This means everyone must leave their cells.
11:24If you don't have a place to work, you have no other choice but to hang around in the courtyard for the next few hours.
11:30Closing the cells reduces the violence among the inmates,
11:43and it gives us a better overview of the prisoners and allows us to better control them.
11:48If they want to do something that's prohibited, they like to do it in secret in their cells.
11:53That's why we lock them.
11:56The cells remain closed until the afternoon.
12:00A fifth of the prisoners go to work or school.
12:15Before they leave the pavilion, Palomino and his colleagues search everyone thoroughly.
12:20We look for forbidden items such as drugs, knives, weapons, anything with the blade.
12:35Anything that is prohibited.
12:39Prisoners from different pavilions are about to come together.
12:43This creates a potentially dangerous situation.
12:46Each block has its own workshop and classrooms.
12:58This means inmates do not have to leave the block.
13:02The woodwork shop is in block two.
13:04The work here is intended to keep the prisoners busy, and show them new possibilities for their time after prison.
13:12Here, too, every move is monitored.
13:15Only those who have done nothing wrong are given a job.
13:2141-year-old Saul has been working here for two years.
13:24He used to be in the military, and was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a so-called false positive, for killing an innocent civilian.
13:37Work is a way for me to deal with the monotony here.
13:43It's a chance to escape the boredom and forget that I'm in prison.
13:47That's the most important thing.
13:54When I'm here in the workshop and I'm working, I no longer think about the fact that I'm in prison and all that.
14:02That's what I like most about my job here.
14:06There are no wages.
14:09Instead, the prison sells the goods prisoners produce.
14:12The inmates receive the proceeds, minus the cost of the materials.
14:18By working, they can also reduce their sentence.
14:21Three days of work equals one day less spent in prison.
14:26My work here helps my children.
14:29I have three children.
14:31I'm trying to put some of the money away to buy tools and start my own handicraft business later.
14:37That's my goal after prison.
14:38I definitely want to continue working as a carpenter.
14:44He hopes to receive around $700 for his current work.
14:52He fully understands that working here is a privilege, especially since inmates in this shop handle sharp and pointed tools.
15:01I don't see it as a weapon, I see it as a tool.
15:08It's just a working tool.
15:10Of course, you can use it for fighting or something like that.
15:13I used to be a soldier.
15:14But I'm not here to cause stress and I won't let anyone provoke me.
15:18I won't let anyone take away the opportunities I have here.
15:22I have a family.
15:24My goal is to get out of here as quickly as possible, away from this place.
15:27However, it will be at least another 10 years before that, assuming Zaul doesn't do anything wrong in the meantime.
15:38Those who do not have a job hang out in the courtyard.
15:47In Pavilion 16, Juan Jose ensures order and discipline.
15:53Each pavilion has a boss.
15:55He settles disputes, mediates as a human rights officer in the event of complaints between the prison and inmates, and organizes communal life.
16:08Are you a cleaner?
16:09For the backyard.
16:10Yes, who else?
16:12What do you want us to do?
16:14Do me a favor.
16:16Pick up all that stuff.
16:17The towel, the shoes.
16:19Yes, of course.
16:20Pick it up.
16:21You know what?
16:22The gym should be well organized, please.
16:24I'm ready.
16:27Juan Jose has been in prison for almost eight years.
16:31The former businessman has gradually worked his way up to his position.
16:36One of the most important things he organizes, water distribution.
16:41All the water for the 200 inmates in the pavilion comes from these pipes,
16:46whether for drinking, showering, flushing toilets, or washing clothes.
16:54I select people for the various tasks based on their character.
17:01They have to be responsible and reliable.
17:04It doesn't matter whether they're new or not.
17:08They don't get paid for it or anything.
17:09But they have a task, something to do.
17:14Something to keep them occupied.
17:17If you want to get involved in this pavilion, we give you the opportunity to do so.
17:23Even if, at first glance, the jobs look like menial tasks,
17:31they offer prisoners the opportunity to move up the hierarchy.
17:35Previously, it used to be very different.
17:45Everyone just wanted to affirm their own interests,
17:48with their fists or a machete or something.
17:52That has now changed.
17:54Those who respect others are also respected.
17:56If a newcomer comes and thinks he has to destroy the peace in Carl's dress,
18:01whether out of boredom or because he's unhappy,
18:04then we make sure he goes somewhere else.
18:08Constant boredom is one of the main reasons arguments erupt.
18:12If you don't have a job, you have few ways to keep yourself occupied.
18:18Games involving cigarettes are extremely popular.
18:21Carlos also tries to somehow get through the day.
18:27Each day in prison is the same.
18:30It's a constant routine.
18:33We always get up at 6 o'clock,
18:36we are counted, we take a shower,
18:38and then we have breakfast.
18:40And so it goes on through the day.
18:43It's always the same.
18:45We try to keep occupied by playing board games and things like that.
18:51Most of the men here used to be in a gang,
18:56Carlos included.
18:59His numerous scars and tattoos bear witness to this.
19:03He is used to solving problems through violence.
19:09This fact makes it all the more difficult for him,
19:12and the others,
19:13to keep a low profile here in prison.
19:18Everything here is a challenge.
19:21The bathroom,
19:22the shower,
19:23the food,
19:25simply everything.
19:27We're always all together here.
19:30You always have to be careful and exercise restraint.
19:34If you're not in the rhythm of the prison,
19:37you're always going to be an outsider,
19:39and therefore in danger.
19:40And you can't follow your impulses,
19:43even if you pull yourself together.
19:46It still remains difficult.
19:48So many different characters come together here,
19:51and some of them are aggressive.
19:54It's a challenge every day.
19:55In the event of a fight or attack among the prisoners,
20:03the guards have an alarm button at their station.
20:06There is a control panel in the main station,
20:20on which the alarm is displayed.
20:23Then a loud siren sounds.
20:25Everyone who is somehow available
20:27has to run to the station and help out.
20:30Smoke gas canisters are available in every station
20:36for exceptional situations.
20:41There is a strict protocol for this.
20:44We are only allowed to use them
20:46if the life or integrity of a prisoner is in danger,
20:51or that of a guard, of course,
20:52and only if there is no other option.
20:56The gas helps to break up large groups
20:59and get the situation under control.
21:05First and foremost,
21:07Palomino and his colleagues
21:08never let the prisoners out of their sight
21:11to prevent this from happening.
21:19Escaping from Piccaleña prison
21:21is virtually impossible.
21:23The entire prison is surrounded
21:25by three fences,
21:27each six meters high.
21:29From its watchtowers,
21:31guards can keep an eye on every corner.
21:35Civilian police patrol the perimeter of the prison,
21:38just in case someone does manage the impossible
21:41and gets over the multiple walls of barbed wire.
21:49The individual blocks are additionally secured
21:52with three rows of fencing and barbed wire.
21:55Each block also has its own watchtower.
22:07Block 7 is a very special block
22:10where no ordinary prisoners are housed.
22:13The block is for older prisoners
22:15and former civil servants.
22:17Most of them are convicted of corruption.
22:19Our camera team is not allowed into the cell wing
22:23as no one is supposed to see
22:26what it looks like inside.
22:29The only thing to see is the block's workshop.
22:32This is where prisoners
22:33sew work clothes for their fellow inmates.
22:36He used to be a prison guard himself.
22:4154-year-old John Carlos was convicted of drug smuggling
22:44and corruption.
22:46At first, it was a shock for him to be on the other side.
22:49I was a bit scared at first.
22:56Fear is a human emotion.
22:57I think that's quite normal.
23:00When I was on my way here,
23:03it was a very queasy feeling.
23:05Of course, you wonder what will happen.
23:09How will they treat me?
23:11How will they receive me?
23:13I knew that if I was sent to prison
23:15and they put me in a normal wing,
23:17then my life would be in danger
23:19from the very first moment.
23:22No question about it.
23:23He worked for 30 years
23:29in an even bigger prison than Picaleña.
23:32He was even an inspector,
23:34a rank just below the warden,
23:36until the lure of money became too great.
23:44It was a bad decision that has brought me here.
23:50I failed.
23:52I made a mistake.
23:53I didn't think about the consequences.
23:58I took it too lightly.
24:01And now I have to pay for it.
24:05I was just too ambitious.
24:08If you're too ambitious,
24:10you take risks.
24:12At some point,
24:13these risks get bigger and bigger.
24:17You no longer think rationally
24:18and you risk more and more.
24:20Being behind bars himself
24:25also makes him see his former job
24:28in a different light.
24:29As a guard,
24:30he would do many things differently today.
24:33I would be much more human,
24:41reserved,
24:42much humbler.
24:44I would be much more human,
24:45reserved,
24:46much humbler.
24:47because when you stand on the other side of the bars,
24:57as a guard,
24:58you can hardly imagine how inmates suffer.
25:02suffer.
25:02A rather late
25:05realization.
25:11There is also a complete block for women
25:14in Picalenya prison.
25:16Around 450 female prisoners
25:19are serving their sentences here.
25:21Most of them for murder,
25:23drug trafficking,
25:23or both.
25:27Here too,
25:28everyday life
25:29is a constant struggle.
25:32The women are not particularly squeamish.
25:3834-year-old Erica
25:40has been here for eight years.
25:42Sometimes we can solve problems by talking,
25:45but most of the time
25:46that doesn't help much.
25:49There is no tolerance.
25:50What happens then?
25:53We grab each other.
25:55We grab each other by the hair.
25:58There is one word here.
26:01Cinco.
26:01It means something like fist.
26:03The fists take away the anger.
26:06Of course,
26:06we also try to talk to each other.
26:08And if not,
26:10then suddenly it starts.
26:11We use our fists.
26:13We fight.
26:16Or we stab.
26:18If you can't solve a problem,
26:20any other way,
26:20then you stab.
26:24You take a hairbrush or pencil
26:25and turn it into a weapon.
26:28Just take the handle
26:30and attach a pointer blade to it.
26:34However,
26:35when it comes to disputes,
26:36there is a golden rule.
26:40If we see the guards coming,
26:42it's over immediately.
26:43As long as no one is seriously injured,
26:45there are no problems.
26:46My problem is love.
26:49Otherwise,
26:50in the end,
26:51everyone will have to pay for it.
26:54It also applies to women.
26:56If you don't have a job,
26:58you have to spend the day in the courtyard
27:00and just kill time somehow.
27:03The women's cells are also only 12 square meters in size.
27:08Up to six women share a cell.
27:10Some of them sleep on mattresses on the floor.
27:16The bathroom consists of just a wash basin and toilet.
27:22Those who don't want to use one of the communal showers in the courtyard
27:25can shower over the toilet bowl.
27:34We lay towels on the floor
27:35and then sit down on the toilet.
27:39We soap up
27:40and then get up
27:42to thoroughly scrub ourselves.
27:46Then we sit down again
27:47and pour water over ourselves
27:49and it runs down the toilet.
27:52That's how you sit there.
27:53To wash your feet,
27:58we put a foot on here
27:59and then soap it up
28:00and wash it off.
28:04Privacy is not an option.
28:09While almost everyone in Pavilion 23
28:11has a prison sentence of over 20 years,
28:14things are a little quieter
28:15in the second pavilion for women.
28:18Around 80% of the prisoners here
28:20are on remand.
28:21Lillian,
28:23the wife of inmate Carlos,
28:24is also sitting here.
28:26Today is a good day for her.
28:28As a reward for going to school,
28:31the judge has confirmed
28:32that she will be released from prison sooner.
28:34This document means a lot to me.
28:41It eases my concerns,
28:42at least a little,
28:44because now I can see my family
28:47and children again sooner.
28:50They deducted 528 hours of my sentence.
28:54That amounts to 22 days.
28:58It doesn't sound like much,
29:00but in prison every day counts.
29:02She got 13 years
29:03for being an accessory
29:04to the murder committed by Carlos.
29:06We did it together.
29:08I've never accused him of that
29:10and I never will.
29:12I told him this many times.
29:14We're both here
29:15because we both did it.
29:17We're both guilty.
29:17Lily and Carlos
29:20have been a couple
29:21for nine years.
29:23Despite being in prison,
29:24he is still
29:25the man of her dreams.
29:30It's not easy
29:32because of the distance.
29:35But after everything
29:36we've been through,
29:38we're both still alive.
29:40We'll get through this
29:41and then we can move on
29:42with everything we had planned,
29:44with our dreams
29:45and our love.
29:52And I ask God
29:55to give us the opportunity
29:57to get out of this,
29:58to move forward,
29:59to be able to give our daughters
30:00a great future,
30:02to be able to be with them
30:03and fill them with love.
30:07Whether she still sees it that way
30:09when she gets out
30:10it remains to be seen.
30:12Carlos will still have
30:14at least another
30:15ten years ahead of him.
30:19Natalia is the guard
30:21in charge today.
30:23She knows only too well
30:24how high the potential
30:25for aggression
30:26is among the women.
30:28This is why she and her colleagues
30:30regularly carry out
30:31unannounced searches.
30:33searches are randomly conducted
30:41by the female guards.
30:56They often try to hide marijuana
30:57or other drugs
30:58in their shoes
30:59or some sharp objects
31:02they make themselves
31:03that they can then try
31:04to attack other inmates with.
31:07They most often hide things
31:09in their shoes.
31:10They most often hide things
31:11in their shoes.
31:12The rules are strict.
31:21Lighters with spindles
31:23are prohibited.
31:24With a little skill
31:25you can build a kind
31:26of metal saw
31:27from the coiled wire
31:28that produces sparks.
31:31The guards always stay together
31:33during the search.
31:35They know only too well
31:36that the prisoners
31:37are not to be trusted.
31:38Hey, stop it.
31:54Get your hand out of there.
31:57This prisoner seems
31:58to be trying to hide something.
32:01And indeed, Natalia
32:03finds a pair of scissors.
32:07The scissors are confiscated.
32:08She could attempt
32:10to hurt another prisoner
32:11with them.
32:14Natalia is alarmed.
32:16She now takes
32:17a much closer look
32:18at the prisoner.
32:19Is she hiding
32:20something else?
32:28It could have contained
32:30alcohol
32:30or something else
32:32that's forbidden.
32:35But despite a thorough search,
32:37she finds nothing
32:39except the scissors.
32:47After an hour,
32:48the search is completed.
32:57Natalia shows why
32:59she confiscated
33:00the harmless-looking
33:01craft scissors.
33:02The women made this
33:07themselves from a pair
33:08of scissors.
33:11One prisoner used them
33:12to attack another inmate.
33:16The fight happened
33:17about a week ago,
33:18and the victim
33:20was injured
33:20in the ear.
33:22The attacker
33:23actually wanted
33:24to slash her face,
33:25but she only
33:25caught her
33:26on the ear
33:26and arm.
33:27fortunately,
33:30we were able
33:31to separate
33:31the two quickly.
33:35An argument
33:36between two prisoners
33:38can quickly turn
33:39into a mass brawl
33:40or even a riot.
33:45By now,
33:47it's lunchtime.
33:48each block
33:52has its own kitchen.
33:58Three meals a day
34:00are prepared there.
34:04Meat is served
34:06at least once a day.
34:11The inmates
34:12do the cooking.
34:13one of them
34:18is 43-year-old
34:19Gustavo.
34:21He has been
34:21behind bars
34:22for 17 years.
34:27This is one
34:28of the best jobs
34:29in this prison.
34:30Actually,
34:31in any prison
34:32in Colombia.
34:34If you work
34:34in the kitchen,
34:35you always have
34:36enough to eat.
34:38And we're busy
34:39all day.
34:40The pay here
34:41is also good.
34:43you not only
34:44get a reduction
34:44to your sentence,
34:46you also get
34:47paid money.
34:49We earn the legal
34:50minimum wage
34:50here in Colombia.
34:51That's great.
34:54That's around
34:55$350 a month.
34:57In prison,
34:58that amounts
34:59to a small fortune.
35:00Gustavo used
35:01to be a teacher
35:02until he was
35:03sentenced to
35:0427 years for rape.
35:06In Colombia,
35:07it's a crime
35:08that's harshly punished.
35:09I used to make
35:13eggs for my children
35:14and occasionally
35:16for lunch.
35:19Here is where
35:20I learned how to
35:21cook for a thousand
35:21people,
35:22and quickly, too.
35:24It wasn't easy
35:25to learn.
35:26It's a large
35:27kitchen here.
35:28I also had to learn
35:29how all the equipment
35:30worked, for example.
35:31He is now
35:34an absolute
35:35professional
35:36and already
35:37has plans
35:38for his time
35:39after prison.
35:40I'm thinking
35:44about opening
35:45my own small
35:46restaurant.
35:48I enjoy cooking.
35:50I know I'll never
35:51be able to go back
35:52to my job as a
35:53teacher, so I think
35:54that's a good idea
35:55for a fresh start.
35:59In five to six
36:00years, he could
36:01be released on parole
36:03and realize his dream.
36:06Before the food
36:07is served, a civilian
36:09cook checks the taste
36:10and temperature once
36:11again.
36:13The prison management
36:14attaches great
36:15importance to quality
36:16as the food is an
36:18important factor
36:19in the prisoner's mood.
36:28The prisoners eat
36:29in the block's
36:30huge dining hall.
36:32Leftover food in the
36:34pavilions would
36:34quickly attract pests.
36:39Here, too, every movement
36:45of the prisoners
36:46is strictly monitored.
36:51To avoid arguments,
36:53everyone gets
36:54exactly the same amount.
36:56Food is eaten
36:57from plastic containers,
36:59another safety measure.
37:01Of course, not everybody
37:03is totally happy
37:04with the food.
37:09The food is sometimes
37:11a little cold
37:12or not quite tender.
37:17And the portions
37:17are very small.
37:22It doesn't fill you up.
37:26We are left hungry.
37:29But we still enjoy the food.
37:31There are no supplements.
37:37If you have a job
37:38or a family
37:39who sends money,
37:40you can buy extra food
37:42in the prison store.
37:44Let's go.
37:45Go.
37:45Back to the pavilion.
37:47Come on.
37:50The prisoners
37:51reluctantly return
37:52to the confines
37:53of the pavilion.
37:54In the afternoon,
38:01prisoners in Pavilion 16
38:03head to the exercise yard.
38:05They are allowed
38:06onto the sports field
38:07once a week.
38:09The prisoners
38:10are searched beforehand.
38:12It is difficult
38:13for the guards
38:14to keep an eye
38:15on everyone
38:15on the large sports field.
38:18And Palomino
38:18actually makes a find.
38:21A drug pipe.
38:22The owner
38:23is now
38:24in a lot of trouble.
38:26A discovery like this
38:28can lead to a change
38:29in the security level.
38:31They are then
38:31moved to a different block
38:33or even placed
38:33in solitary confinement.
38:35Or they simply
38:36lose certain privileges.
38:38That almost
38:39always happens.
38:41The prisoners
38:42have one hour.
38:44Most of them
38:44use the time
38:45to let off steam.
38:47Soccer
38:48is very popular.
38:49Everything looks peaceful,
38:51but Palomino knows
38:52it can't be trusted.
39:00We have to be
39:01very vigilant out here
39:03because the main entrance
39:05to the block
39:05is at the back.
39:09There is a high risk
39:11that prisoners
39:12will seize the opportunity
39:13and try to escape
39:15via the nearby
39:16main entrance.
39:17Carlos is completely
39:20in his element.
39:22He played for a soccer
39:23club as a youngster.
39:25His chances
39:25of a professional career
39:27were not bad at all.
39:29But then money
39:29and drugs
39:30became more important.
39:32It was, of course,
39:38my dream
39:38to become a great footballer.
39:40And if I had the chance,
39:42I'd still love
39:43to become one.
39:44It's still my passion.
39:46To be honest,
39:48sometimes I still dream
39:49of being a great footballer
39:51or a great goalkeeper.
39:53Maybe I'll get another chance.
39:54Since Carlos
39:57will be almost 50
39:58when he is released,
40:00it is a rather
40:01unrealistic dream.
40:03But for the moment,
40:04at least,
40:05soccer allows him
40:06and the others
40:07to forget
40:07everyday life
40:09in prison.
40:11The women
40:12are also
40:13granted yard time.
40:15They are allowed
40:15outside twice a week.
40:18And,
40:18as we'll see
40:19in a moment,
40:20they use this time
40:21for dating.
40:22Inside,
40:24in the courtyard,
40:25you often feel
40:26very cramped.
40:27It's confining.
40:28It's terribly loud
40:29and there are so many
40:30people there
40:30that it's hard to think.
40:32You can't really
40:33be carefree.
40:34I feel much
40:35freer out here.
40:36I can sit down
40:37and think,
40:38talk and even
40:39be sad sometimes.
40:41Here I don't have
40:41the pressure
40:42of constantly
40:42being watched
40:43by others.
40:44It's different here.
40:48But for the women,
40:49the most important
40:50thing is that
40:51the courtyard
40:51is used
40:52for a kind
40:53of dating spot.
40:55From here,
40:55they have a clear
40:56view of Block 5.
40:58They use
40:59a specially developed
41:00sign language
41:01to communicate
41:02with the male
41:03inmates there.
41:08Kaolina explains
41:09how the sign language
41:10works.
41:12For example,
41:13we use letters.
41:14This is an A,
41:15this is a B,
41:16this is a C,
41:17this means D,
41:18and this is an E.
41:20This means I have
41:21a favor to ask.
41:23This is a heart.
41:24And these are many,
41:25many, many kisses.
41:29Kaolina has been
41:30in Piccolenia prison
41:31for a long time.
41:32She uses every second
41:34in the yard
41:34to chat.
41:35I'm talking to my husband
41:41Fabian right now.
41:44I said hello to him.
41:46Hello, my love.
41:49And another heart.
41:51I said I love you.
41:54I really love you.
41:57We got together
41:58three years ago
41:59and got married.
42:00We got to know each other
42:01through the court chat here.
42:08A prison love story.
42:10A lot has changed
42:12for Kaolina
42:12as a result.
42:15I'm very happy
42:16to have him.
42:18You're under constant
42:19pressure here in prison.
42:22Most everyone here
42:23is very lonely.
42:24Most have no one.
42:29No one they can talk to.
42:31I have him.
42:33I share my worries
42:34with him.
42:36We laugh
42:36and we also talk
42:38on the phone
42:38about everything.
42:41In 12 years,
42:42the first time
42:43I think I fell
42:44really in love
42:45with someone.
42:46Then it's time
42:48for her to say goodbye
42:49for today.
42:50Ladies, time's up.
42:55We're going back.
42:59It will be another
43:00two days
43:01before the women
43:02will be allowed
43:03outside again.
43:14The cell closes
43:15at 4 p.m.
43:18Ladies, headcount.
43:20Reluctantly,
43:23the women
43:23follow the instructions.
43:25Natalia and her colleagues
43:27count the prisoners
43:28one last time
43:29for the day.
43:42Then everyone
43:43goes back
43:44to their cramped cells.
43:46They won't be unlocked
43:47again until 6 o'clock
43:49the next morning.
43:5114 long hours
43:52and 12 square meters
43:54and without
43:55any privacy.
44:03Erica tries to stay
44:05occupied by drawing.
44:07She sends the pictures
44:08to her daughters
44:09or swaps them
44:10for other things
44:11in prison.
44:13The 34-year-old
44:14is serving time
44:15for drug dealing
44:16and murder.
44:17Her story
44:18is typical
44:19of many in here.
44:21I come from a neighborhood
44:22where there are drugs
44:23everywhere.
44:24A lot of drugs,
44:25a lot of crime
44:26and you see people
44:28getting killed
44:28all the time.
44:29I then became a member
44:33of a gang.
44:36I mainly did it
44:37for the money
44:38and I liked it.
44:40I always wanted
44:41more money.
44:43I sold more
44:44and I said to myself,
44:45come on Erica,
44:46do that too,
44:47kill people for money.
44:50It was only here
44:51that I understood
44:52what I was really doing.
44:55I truly wish
44:55I could turn back time
44:56and change a lot of things.
45:00Erica has decided
45:02to change her life,
45:04primarily because
45:05of her three daughters.
45:15I keep thinking
45:16about the time
45:17after prison.
45:19I know I'll never
45:20be able to go home again.
45:23I still have
45:24too many unpaid bills there.
45:26that means
45:29I'll have to go
45:30somewhere else
45:30and start all over again.
45:37I look for a job.
45:39I don't know,
45:40in a restaurant,
45:41in a bakery
45:42or a supermarket.
45:45In any case,
45:47I want to be
45:48a good role model
45:49for my daughters.
45:53With good behavior,
45:54she can be released
45:55in around six years.
46:05The men
46:05are now also
46:06locked up
46:07in their cells.
46:10While many of them
46:11are thinking
46:12about their time
46:13after prison,
46:14Carlos
46:15has no plans yet.
46:17I don't really think
46:20much about the time
46:21after prison.
46:22And I've kind of
46:23forgotten about
46:24these three years
46:25I've been living here.
46:26I try to live
46:27every day
46:28as if it were my last.
46:30I don't count the days.
46:32I don't count how long
46:33I've been here,
46:34nor how long it will be
46:36before I get out.
46:37It doesn't make sense.
46:39My sentence
46:40is far too harsh for that.
46:42So far,
46:45there hasn't been
46:46much in the way
46:47of discernment
46:47or the willingness
46:49to change.
46:53What depresses me
46:54the most
46:55is that I can't
46:56fulfill my responsibility
46:57as a father.
46:59That's what bothers
47:00me the most.
47:02It really hurts.
47:04But I don't regret
47:05what I've done outside.
47:07It was necessary.
47:08I don't regret it
47:11because I had to show
47:12who I was
47:13and what my place was.
47:18Carlos will spend
47:19at least another
47:2020 years behind bars
47:22without seeing
47:24his children grow up.
47:31As night falls,
47:32things slowly become
47:34quiet again
47:35in Picaleña prison.
47:36until the next morning
47:40when a new day begins
47:41in one of
47:43Colombia's
47:44toughest prisons.
47:45prison,
47:49a great job.
47:55.
47:55.
47:56.
47:58.
47:59.
47:59.
48:00.
48:00.
48:01.
48:03.
48:11.
48:12.
48:13.
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