World’s Toughest Prisons: Bolivia, Mexico & Colombia

00:00:00 Bolivia: San Pedro Prison
Imagine a prison so fierce that guards stay outside for fear for their lives. Inside, the prisoners are in control. The inmates rule and anarchy prevails. Only the strongest survive this lawless place.

00:46:55 Mexico: El Hongo
El Hongo – a high-security bunker in Mexico´s desert. Sensors, cameras, mobile phone jammers – this prison is high-tech. Snipers on fifteen guard towers make sure nothing gets in or out. El Hongo is deemed incorruptible – in a country where corruption runs through all levels of society like cancer. Organized crime, cartel bosses, corrupt government members – the prisoners here could endanger the safety of the entire country. Anyone who makes trouble will be sent to the punishment block. With sentences up to seventy years, some inmates have nothing to lose.

01:31:28 Colombia: Cárcel Distrital
It's small but it's tough: The Carcel Distrital in Bogotá, Colombia.
The prison staff of 170 ensures stern discipline and order within the red brick walls - on a daily basis. The 1000-plus inmates aren't used to rules.

02:16:06 Colombia: Picaleña Prison
The country's fifth-largest prison houses over five thousand men and women. No prisoner has ever escaped. Carlos, 28, is serving 27 years for murder, drug dealing, and fraud, while his wife Lilian, incarcerated just 200 meters away, is serving time as an accessory to murder. Family imprisonment is common due to the familial nature of drug trafficking. Carlos's weekly highlight is courtyard time, where inmates can play football or other sports.