Behind Bars 2: The World’s Toughest Prisons – Bogota, Colombia Part 1

The Carcel Distrital is a small, yet tough prison located in the heart of Bogotá, Colombia. Despite being home to just under 1,000 inmates, the prison’s strict approach to discipline and order is reinforced by the 170 staff members who work there.

This red brick institution is known for its numerous problems, including gangs, drugs, and weapons. In addition, every day, fights for power usually end in severe injuries. Injuring themselves is a way for many prisoners to handle their hopelessness. Others can only suffer life in prison by taking drugs, and getting them is all too easy. The location of the prison facilitates smuggling, and one good throw over the prison walls and the drug package is inside the yard.

Gangster bosses do their business and make their money in prison, often by blackmailing other inmates. If caught, they will be put in isolation for a few days. But for the prisoners, the prison within the prison makes their despair even worse.

All of them share one goal: turning their backs on the harsh life in prison and never coming back. Unfortunately, this is a goal that few will achieve.

If you are curious to learn more about the Carcel Distrital and the lives of its inmates, we highly recommend watching the documentary about this institution. It provides a gripping and unfiltered look at the reality of life inside this infamous prison.