Behind Bars: The World’s Toughest Prisons - Miami, Dade County Jail, Florida, USA | Free Documentary

a different world everybody out on the fence [Music] [Applause] [Music] with its own rules often justice in their own hands in there in the pool we drowned the sex offenders zero tolerance back to your cells gangs violence drugs you can get all drugs inside and harassment I did it to make it tough and inhumane conditions all this behind bars [Music] in the world's toughest prisons harassment humiliation pushed beyond the limit welcome to miami-dade boot camp and indeed the cup that we can refill it get it out to my bouquet going by the concept break them down at all costs until they give in or give up for those who can persevere freedom beckons those who fail end up here miami-dade county jail same prison different Department different inmates tougher inmates the toughest you're gonna get got to before the office gear by the time they do that you heard you heard you bleens some having murderers with life sentences who know the brutality behind bars your life could be taken away easy and pris varies because you round 1,500 different personalities miami-dade County Jail in miami-dade boot camp certainly the most notorious departments in one of the world's toughest prisons Miami located in the southern part of the Sunshine State Florida Miami Beach the culmination of glitz and glamour scene and BC rich and famous but when you look behind the glittering facade Miami is the second poorest city among major metropolitan areas in the United States seventeen percent of the population live below the poverty line crime rate much higher than the national u.s. average the Miami Police Department has their hands full and tough guys by the numbers final stop for most of them miami-dade pretrial detention center DC jail for short a huge rundown old building with room for 1,700 prisoners but more on that later because every few months the night behind bars begins with a unique ritual in one of the last existing boot camps in the US final preparations before the guards meet their new recruits once they come out the bus we hardly screaming we're gonna line them up after that is will lead them up to the upper bears that's we're gonna start getting a haircut then gear you know you can go to Porter car we go to Porter car and thence Crescent maybe buy time to stop it in time for the shower town the new inmates are just arriving in court 37 felons aged between 14 and 24 they've most certainly heard about boot camp but now we'll experience the reality firsthand [Laughter] [Applause] Oh a small taste of what the next month's are going to be like here do I know you for you leave confuse shock unsettle all to the max mission accomplished after only three minutes tough young guys from four different departments of Miami Dade correctional facility brought together for boot camp a very special experience no rights only obligations for example the obligation to uniform haircuts [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Robert is 21 years old but old enough for attempted murder and aggravated assault the bootcamp his last chance to escape regular prison 16 months of constant drill instead of decades behind bars younger offenders are given a second chance but there is a price to pay constant drill harassment and systematic humiliations in exchange for a sentence reduction maybe [Applause] - many of the boot camp participants can't even survive the first week [Music] [Applause] [Music] if this pass out it came to the edge sizeable we scratched not so much they're not able to do it with the holiday spirit and it constantly moving dress code comes out bad prospects for the so called cadets that's what all of them say but many won't make it [Music] [Applause] they have to make it to the full 16 months otherwise it was a useless exercise for five years now officer Jules wooden is drill instructor with a passion at miami-dade boot camp now we can refill it and teach them everything we want them to know [Applause] meanwhile the intake of rookies enters the third our continuous shouting humiliations distress and distract random targeting singling out the weak that seems to be the only constant ear now it's time for the victim [Music] [Applause] [Music] psychological abuse and torment is also part of the boot camp program and it won't be the last time [Applause] cadet Giuseppe isn't exactly fit an obvious sign of weakness in one of the world's toughest prisons the worst thing that can happen to you the officers are on the lookout for any sign of weakness and immediately sniff them out they've zeroed in on Giuseppe the physical fitness part is gonna be a challenge for him hard times await Giuseppe as well as former rust of Robert he's a knucklehead he's gonna be one of those ice that takes a while to melt he has that Oh nobody's gonna tell me what to do attitude Robert is going to be the center of attention anything but an advantage in boot camp miami-dade boot camp inside one of the world's toughest prisons physical drill taken to the limits and psychological abuse is part of the strategy the goal to break notorious offenders turn them around make them part of society again not everyone can stand the pressure one in particular is on the brink cadet Osmond is harboring a secret [Music] and driving me crazy I thought like I don't want more but more on that later Miami's Correctional Facility is comprised of several units boot camp is just one of the units the smallest and surely the one with the toughest rules particularly notorious is also another division the pretrial detention center DC jail for short a person who commits an offense in Miami lands here first the jail is a melting pot for criminals of all kinds many pretrial some sentence six a.m. officer ivory Williams begins his shift the 48 year old Williams has been working at DC jail for almost 20 years now it's supposed to be a detention center despite the fact that convicted criminals are here too [Music] officer Williams is responsible for monitoring the most serious cases in Ward six B even murderers with life sentences when a guy has a life sentence he might feel like he doesn't have anything to lose so you know with those you a little bit more cognizant of how you kind of deal with the gap at the slightest mistake could be fatal for officer Williams these guys have nothing to live for sometimes and they will if given a chance they will act out irrationally Ward 6-speed anything but cozy 8 to 16 inmates to a cell behind metal bars so the wardens have visual oversight 24/7 tough guys like animals in a cage yeah how's the same kind of guy maximum the murderers the rapists the bank robbers all that good the death penalty continues to be common practice in Florida where some of the cell block the trial will determine how long they'll have left to live currently in the Sunshine State almost 400 prisoners are awaiting execution ranking florida in second place from the number of death row inmates in the united states and those not expecting the death penalty can expect to spend decades behind bars that means in practical terms locked away 24/7 in holding cells no privacy only once a week the chance to stretch your legs in the prison yard no wonder aggression simmers just below the surface miami-dade county jail Florida a place but no room for compassion I feel sorry for them no honestly some people I'm sure there are some people who didn't do what they're in here for there is a percentage I'm quite sure not everybody is guilty but for the one who did not and so the inmates spend their days and nights behind iron bars and Miami's infamous jail the narrow cells a reservoir for dangerous criminals the inevitable close-quarters stoking aggression plenty of time to craft homemade weapons and harass fellow inmates I've seen just about everything from gang fights stabbed and shanked you know we say it's shanking that's basically a homemade or jail made knife only say somebody got shanked that means he just got stabbed up you know cut up or whatever you know he's bleeding out someone else who has pretty much seen everything Torrance 45 years old murderer sentence life he will most likely never get out of here alive he has been in prison since he was 16 for more than 29 years Torrance committed his crimes as a youth the list is long and brutal first degree murder three attempted murders all robbery would have fall and a shotgun which is why he has been behind bars for nearly three decades he is learned to stand his ground I've been incarcerated for twenty nine and a half years and I never had the chance to be around other juveniles I was sent around adults I had so many charges and and and capital offenses they tried me as adult so I was sent to adult prison at sixteen so I was in a new environment well I had a cold they had to survive because I'm around guys that been incarcerated 40 years already in 30 years and it was a self experience you know I survived it without becoming a victim to what was going on in that environment and I made it you know you know with the grace of God I made it but even if he has survived until now 24 hours a day continuously behind bars eventually it gets to everyone even torrents every single day in miami-dade is tough and dangerous go through life's in life sinners it's like it's black in front of you there's no light you know what I'm saying like the average inmate if he have a date where he's being released he have hope you know and he got light in front all he could see but with a life sentence if you're not strong mentally you'll get caught up and a lot of things that go on in a prison system a lot of guys homosexual activities they gang banging in prison and your life could be taken away easy and prison varies because you around 1,500 different personalities who's to say this guy gonna wake up this morning feeling like how you feel so you got to be real careful in prison Torrance knows how to get by yet he clings to the small chance that he might make it out one day because of changing laws his life sentence may be appealed still the chance to be released minima back at boot camp it's 3:30 a.m. it's been a week since the new recruits arrived each day has a strict and uncomfortable schedule to adhere to 4:00 a.m. sharp wake up from a deep sleep to wide-awake that is boot camp torment for Giuseppe a convicted thief it's never too early to punish mistakes acute commands to the T is zero tolerance X dreadlock guy Robert is too slow as well the fact that the cadets are not familiar with many of the commands after only one week doesn't stop the instructors from showing them up [Music] the officers are especially unhappy with 18 year old husband too slow too sloppy they are going to let him know it's after the pool first on command and under strict supervision officer wooden has already whipped countless offenders through boot camp for a lot of them once they first get here they a lot I have a lot of drugs in there in the bloodstream alcohol so after a week of working out you see that coming out of their pores and first their body breaks down was their body gets tired and they only get tired their muscles get tired but as the casino puts on one you see I like that in the tunnel the cadets are still far away from the light at the end of the tunnel out into the night on an empty stomach for their first leg the workout begins at 5:00 a.m. physically demanding as nothing before today outside for the first time Giuseppe and the other cadets are suffering sleep deprivation and hunger are part of the program to grind them down hard physical training on an empty stomach the cadets reached their limits pretty quickly after wake up inmate Robert is battling against his exhaustion and hunger no breaks are planned during morning workout only when the body fails due to complete exhaustion is the mind ready for unconditional surrender at least that's what the officers think Giuseppe continues to fall further behind during the running any sign of weakness is a magnet for the instructors you whispering right we don't whisper here boot camp all right now you a whole left behind which means you gotta sprint around and catch up with everybody else after one and a half hours of a hard physical workout the cadets are finally allowed to take a short break by now Giuseppe has figured out that his slowness wasn't the only thing he was punished for I was talking what I was running never gonna do Guiseppe isn't the only one who is completely exhausted others are in despair as well I think it's unnecessary you could be hurting yourself and they still don't care serious injuries during boot camp are not uncommon fatalities due to exhaustion and physical abuse have also occurred in US boot camps nevertheless no pity to be found here he felt weak he didn't want to run so because he didn't want to run it's no problem getting push-up position but a lot of times they feel like that they don't want to do it when they don't want to do it this is most of the recruits have understood that showing weakness doesn't get them very far so they learn to suffer in silence [Music] Hey when during training it's their job to make sure they stay healthy they don't stay healthy they kept a little program before sunrise it's already 85 degrees fahrenheit in Miami keeping hydrated is crucial the ration for the cadets only 200 milliliters meager and is everything only on command divided over the day it will be exactly two and a half liters even if it seems absolutely inhuman boot camp provides a second chance young offenders between 14 and 24 years of age can drastically shorten their sentences but they have to go through hell to get there 16 months of complete surrender according to the wardens a lesson for life break them first then build them up again not every cadet can stand the strain an average of 10 percent drop out during the first week for those who fail the program it's straight back to a rest a completely different world in itself the guards venturing into a Cell only if they outnumber the inmates Miami's toughest criminals are in there atmosphere in the holding cell tents Terkel armed robbery is one of 16 inmates in the cell he shares it with other felons murderers and rapists everybody had their own reasons for doing what they did some people killed some people at the end some people are organized crime waters well and being in the cell we all want survival strategy in here according to Terkel the only rule is there are no rules so how do you survive and one of the toughest prisons around respected Navy and they respect you if you psyche of you crazy you do a lot of things that people don't like your time gonna be all respect your fellow inmates and don't attract attention the most important rule in one of America's toughest prisons there's not a lot of room in the cell we got a pisser right yeah we got the [ __ ] right here you family you always keep this area nice keep it right cuz people use the bathroom did we clean up everyday in here you know everybody you know if you make a mess you're cleaning up privacy forget it the men's sleep in rusty bunk beds on thin plastic mats belongings are stowed below on the damp ground the choice of your sleeping place can determine if you survive the night but I prefer to be able to top place I see everything observe everything my mom's right can't nobody get to me on the top mark if they can hey coming back on the bottom bunk you chop somebody get to you you try you get you can't get a fight of it that's the difference between the bottom of the tie track to me any location advantage counts when you have to survive among murderer rapists and other violent offenders many are organized in gangs useful for gang members dangerous for everyone else that doesn't seem to intimidate Terkel to me a gang gay men but being affiliated with a bunch of [ __ ] that's gonna take your money I'll tell you to do something that that's what the gang is to me I'm not with I'm for sale I'm a one-man on all that gang members and all that done now you can't get me like that I could be cool with you there would be bound but as in being in the gang and throwing up all them crazy signs and I trained myself as the case than when I know I'm not lying that ain't me tough words in a Cell where Terkel can never be sure if he'll get help from an officer in the event of an altercation you gonna get got to before the officers get here if anything go down you're gonna get got to me because they got to come to all these games and come through all that by the time they do that you heard you heard you bleedin something happened sometimes they make it in time if they pay attention to the camera or if they hearing what's going on in the cell sometimes they don't how very prophetic turkle's words turn out to be minutes after this interview alarm and Terkel cell brawl among prisoners one of them has a black eye and is taken away it's Terkel what happened did he say something wrong we'll find out later back in miami-dade boot camp clear message to all now memorize the basic rules loud and clear but cadet Osmond can't concentrate [Applause] that's how smart you are so get all that crap it's on your mind off your mind and get boot camp on your mind so you get past this get through this and become a productive citizen that's what you're expected to do that's what the judge wants you to do I don't know why they gave you the opportunity to come here but you get all that on your mind get it off your mind get bouquet boring mind do you understand that son all right sir the drill sergeants have quickly recognized Osmonds learning difficulties despite this fact he gets no special support only special hardships cadets who were unsure themselves or anxious attract the instructors attention one after the other the officers take the 18 year old to task why Ostman is unfocused the photo falling out of his locker could be an indication but for the officers to deal with it would be to deal with the people behind the crimes that doesn't happen here according to cadet Robert it did between Jonas brother you're using power I feel passionate about it yeah but not in a way as like controlling people they see how robots function like robots a bootcamp principle functioning reliable on demand the ideal cadet but Robert is considered stubborn boot camp hasn't broken him yet family time not right I don't like to think about outside I'm incarcerated just Chyna focus the drill officers are focusing on Robert and his nobody has got to tell me what to do attitude besides his list of offenses is two pages longer than the rest of the group's murder aggravated assault fleeing it Lou at all I can't take it back can't press the rewind button so I'm just mistake on me there's no better next time under normal circumstances he would be serving a 30 year sentence for those offenses but the judge saw potential in Robert although not much of that is evident right now let me say push people to if he really wants to change improve himself only time will tell during boot camp Giuseppe at 18 years of age belongs to the younger cadets still he is here for a reason five armed burglaries [Music] well I was going into houses with a weapon certain things happened then I got caught cops showed up and there was witnesses and phone calls and things started adding up but Giuseppe shows some insight what does boot camp means to me a second opportunity if it weren't for boot camp I could be doing god knows how many years in prison and prison is a nice place talking is forbidden in boot camp at all times no matter with whom therefore Giuseppe is now in trouble for the third time getting smoked is boot camp slang for some serious physical activity what are we doing bossman knows boot camp punishment as well the drill instructors know he is one of the weaker links today the 18 year old is far away with his thoughts he has recently become a father there's a great feeling but it was a bad feeling knowing I can't be there for her at this moment two months before the birth of his daughter Osman was arrested the 18 year old allegedly stole cars and robbed a bodega with his accomplices mistake following the wrong people being a good friend in fact police and judge disagree whether Ostman is actually guilty or just a follower he still won't be able to see his daughter for a while my daughter she was just born March 22nd she just made a month what I got to get home to she not my eyes my eyebrows my nose my head the pressure the constant screaming no privacy and being away from his newborn daughter too much for the young cadet and driving me crazy that's all I got on my mind I gotta make you frost when a lot is at stake no mistakes are allowed and you have to follow all the rules to survive food camp and walk out of here is a free man after 16 months and there are many rules one of the most important to remember every sentence begins and ends with sir and never left the warden in the eye the daily routine is just that routine brainwashing and workout the constant repetition of all the rules should provoke the cadets whoever is angry makes mistakes and mistakes are punished every movement must be fast every answer loud and clear true to the motto each violation means punishment physical torment in the form of push-ups sit-ups or squats in addition if one cadet makes a mistake the drill instructors often punish the rest of the group as well those who do not follow the rules end up back behind bars and it's pretty brutal there as inmate Terkel knows too well he just shown us his cell a few minutes later he was being led away with a black eye what happened [Music] an altercation with a fellow's cellmate and when the inmates of cellblock 6b argue they argue with their fists which have left traces on turkle's face I say one thing on their own camera that Sugarman said the person is in there in that game felt like oh you put my name out there you put our gang out there so you gotta tighten up all right I'll give you issue we waited to y'all left he called me out and I gave him his issue simple as that with a punch list with him well here I'm gonna see him I want to see how he look this all I got I wonder what he and we was fighting for a minute those Terkel won't be going back to that cell the officers bring him to a different cell block for his own protection a new day dawns at miami-dade County Jail shakedown day once a month the most experienced wardens gathered together the cells will be entered and turned upside down without warning for good reason they get comfortable when you don't do it so to make them uncomfortable so they don't know how and where it's a hat stuff because they're very creative so they don't have enough good time to find different places to hide things [Music] everybody has to leave the cells 10 officers are on duty three-d-- have pat-down the inmates and to monitor them officer Williams is here too contraband once it is determined the prisoners aren't carrying any weapons the cells are searched the guards take anything that could be a potential risk for example misused bandages which the inmates can use to strangle themselves or others nothing remains unsearched not even the laundry with success over what the inmates do they think they make book this fruit fermenting inside of the glove they're making some type of alcoholic beverage to drink lo and behold the prisoners have hidden a homemade cocktail in the dirty laundry bag tightly sealed with a creative closure they have nothing but time the discovery has consequences for the inmates and they know it - bad luck so basically what I happen is we'll charge him for contraband for possession of contraband he'll go through a hearing a disciplinary hearing and then they'll charge us according to that whatever that charge holds and then he'll be placed in administrative confinement pending disciplinary confinement the maximum penalty every inmate is afraid of the box the prisoners nickname for the isolation cell solitary confinement no human contact except some officers no daylight no sounds in the 75 square feet hole when the iron bar slides into place it's like being buried alive if the Bucks producer lands inside the box will be determined in the next few days in the meanwhile the officers continue their search the contraband can be hidden anywhere especially I sank your drugs home eight night for drugs drugs are regularly smuggled into prison there's various ways Justin come in visitors attorneys officers counselors nurses its various ways because this is a public building this was nothing but traffic in and out in and out in and out all day too many hands in the pot for now only one discovery the fermented orange juice inmates file back into the cell and the door closes [Music] back to boot camp physical training and mental drill alternate throughout the day Guiseppe realizes the seriousness of the situation I mean I knew it was a physical program but not as intense as it was but it's this a prison you got one don't wanna touch it sure the last name one screwed it all up meal time it should be the highlight of the day especially when you consider that the recruits burn a lot of calories due to the extreme workouts but even during meal time there are rules many unusual rules without rhyme or reason right your arm does not go on my armrest that is not for you get it for decoration great [Music] food as means to an end as additional drill unit in which it is all about one thing watch yourself pay attention many of the cadets have learned to hate these meals but when you're starving you still eat it to survive as always the clock is ticking eight minutes then everything has to be off the plate eating please use only one hand why no good reason except that it's less comfortable [Music] constant physical activity makes the recruits hungry but the administered amount of calories is calculated enough to survive not enough to satiate robert has given up thinking a bootcamp meal will fill him up mrs. survive I don't eat oatmeal just eat it to me for one of the cadets appears to get it right put it on my stomach and I said quickly willing me without question like a robot the same applied to the drill instructors dream we don't socialize you don't crack us man and friend a meadow your instructors mean business they gotta understand that chill instructors mean business miami-dade County Jail and miami-dade boot camp two of the world's toughest prisons in boot camp 16 months psychological and physical torment the three things that count most discipline discipline discipline whoever doesn't fall into line is forced into line many break under the pressure miami-dade pretrial detention center DC jail inhuman accommodations in old holding cells packed with hardened felons people in a permanent state of alarm prison yard outings rare for some no hope lives that will end after decades behind bars the prospects whoever can endure the torment in boot camp has a chance a chance that the torture will eventually end a chance to avoid spending many years with the toughest criminals in the world [Music] you don't know who's watching my you see they're right there I can see you need to make you turn this way they're gonna come and tell you to turn that way so you've never gone but what can you do it's better than prison there's people in prison that are never coming out and little guy like me isn't gonna make it in prison one of the inmates who probably won't make it out ever again [Music] Torrance murderer but he won't give up hope and is betting it all on an appeal and a former renegotiation of his sentence it's gonna go well I believe in God he brought me down here for nothing so he choose me Turco the robber is getting out in a year enough time to dream about the big things and little things [Music] I see my life doing big things when I get out there I don't plan on coming back to jail planning on having a job getting the house getting married another thing I regular human it's supposed to do it osmond has only one goal getting through boot camp so that he can finally hold his daughter in his arms I see my future good face gonna have to change for my daughter and also I would have the really cares about me we've been trying to make it do the right thing for a long time so and Robert he's not so sure if he'll make the transition to a legal existence let me try to change somebody try that's all the best thing you can't do how much I got in Florida - the same joke the next 16 months will determine which of the cadets will survive which of the cadets will use this last chance the best-case scenario you have 37 cadets are here now all 37 go home live well become doctors and lawyers but reality it's not like that worst-case scenario you have many that will go to prison you have something that will get out and will die and you know some that will go back to the old way of living only time will tell and only the future when those would happen the future and freedom were behind bars in miami-dade county jail and boot camp two of the world's toughest prisons

Channel: Free Documentary

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Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, miami, usa, united states, jail, behind bars, full documentary crime, full documentary prison, free documentary prison, free documentary behind bars, documentary movies - topic, hd documentary becoming human episode 3, behind bars full episodes, jail documentary, prison documentary, documentary, prisons usa, miami prison, miami jail, behind bars usa, behind bars miami

Id: iAW9gjurr8g

Length: 48min 0sec (2880 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 05 2018