Behind Bars: The World’s Toughest Prisons | Rahova Prison, Romania | Free Documentary

[Music] a different [Music] world in which only the strongest endure it has happened that gods were attacked Zero Tolerance this is made from the handle of a spoon or Fork all this behind bars [Music] gangs violence [Music] drugs harassment a daily survival of the fittest and the toughest prisons in the world [Applause] [Music] Bucharest the capital of Romania a mega City with almost 2 million [Music] inhabitants in the outskirts of the city lies rahova prison a high security penitentiary that can house 1,400 inmates here surr Ed by two walls murderers rapists and human traffickers are serving their sentences escaping from here is nearly impossible each cell Wing is monitored separately cameras record all movements in its corridors prisoners are in their cells for 20 hours a day they can only leave under the the strictest security measures even a walk in the prison yard takes place in cages vova prison is one of the toughest prisons in the world 7:00 in the morning a start of the shift for chief officer Alina whether a guard or a visitor everyone who wants to enter rahova prison must first go through a rigorous Security check drugs cell phones and weapons are strictly prohibited Lova is the second largest prison in Romania hope it will be a quiet day without any incidents and that everything goes as normal after all some of the country's most notorious criminals are incarcerated here and not only that we have all kinds of prisoners here in our prison we are not only a high security prison but also have a large number of inmates on remand in addition everyone who is caught by Interpol in Romania ends up here it doesn't really matter what they've done or how long they have to stay in prison they all no prisoner has ever managed to escape over these walls aova prison consists of two security areas the outer area is surrounded by a 4 M high wall this is where the administration the visiting area and the cells for the approximately 250 low security inmates are located in the middle is the high security area it's surrounded by a 6 M High solid wall the high security area consists of seven blocks with a total of 230 cells block four is for the particularly dangerous or aggressive prisoners they are held here under special security measures the prison also houses a large kitchen and various workshops to get into the high security area Alina has to go through another Security check absolutely nothing is allowed to be smuggled into this area not even by the guards [Music] Alina is head of block four and responsible for the particularly dangerous inmates anyone who ends up in this block has either committed a particularly horrific crime or attacked a guard or inmate Alina is the only woman in this block she is responsible for around 200 exclusively male prisoners you have to be very professional in everything you do you have to be very strict like all your male colleagues and very consistent in your decisions I try to combine the two being strict on the one hand and empathetic and understanding on the other that works best for me strict on the one hand and friendly and kind on the other but this approach does not always protect her from abusive remarks and insults from the inmates sometimes the inmates say things that are a bit below the belt I just try to remain professional and not react at all at the beginning that really got to me I don't understand why you would just insult someone out of frustration or anger now I don't mind anymore they can swear to my face but they don't get even the slightest reaction from me each shift begins with a cell check three people from the prison intervention Force accompany Alina and her colleagues as a cautionary measure we have all types of prisoners who are here for all kinds of offenses including aggravated murder manslaughter rape rape resulting in death aggravated robbery and drug trafficking high-risk inmates sit behind three massive doors Alina enter colleagues check the inmates and search the cell for items such as Weapons drugs or cell phones no one is allowed into the cell not even the camera crew the risk of one of the prisoners going crazy is too high the men from the special unit keep an eye on the whole procedure from the corridor ready to crack down at any time no there have been cases where gods have actually been attacked that's why the high security cells are also fitted with double barred doors there is one directly behind the steel door and another on the inside for increased security that's why we always do the roll call as a group together with the people from the special team to ensure the extra level of security nothing has ever happened to Alina but she knows that the prisoners here won't hesitate to exploit even the slightest sign of weakness or carelessness after an hour the inspection of the cells is completed everything is in order here we found no prohibited items but that can change quickly the next inspection is slated to follow in a few hours and the other blocks to inmates begin their day with morning roll call inmates in this cell have been convicted of capital crimes such as murder manslaughter or serious fraud one of them is atash who was born in Turkey he has been sentenced to 22 years for murder since his arrest 8 years ago the process has been the same for him every morning she I get up get dressed make my bed and tidy up so that the guards have nothing to complain about at roll call then I wait until I'm called to work at shares the 40 squ met cell with six other [Music] men this room here is a kitchen and a bathroom in [Music] one we cook here and make our coffee here we keep our cups and plates on the Shelf the Furnishings are worn and Spartan there is just one toilet for seven prisoners there's only one shower which also serves as a laundry [Music] room I just we have different s here we use the green one for washing clothes the red one is for showers in case there's no hot water left and we don't want to wait then we heat the water and pour it in here what else can we do showering with water from a kettle and the likelihood of being watched by the guards at all times but the worst thing here is they are never alone they often have no privacy for decades neither in the bathroom nor while [Music] sleeping we have no choice but to just deal with it we have to share everything here fortunately everyone in this cell is okay we all get along fairly well that makes it a lot easier While most prisoners have to sit in their cell for 20 hours a day atash is lucky enough to have landed one of the jobs available to prisoners I'm very happy to have this job and to be able to go to work every day when you have something to do time passes much faster at 8:00 a guard picks up atos and his cellmates for work he first searches everyone thoroughly because now they're meeting prisoners from other cells a potentially dangerous situ [Music] situation there's another check at the station exit the metal detector is highly sensitive it can even detect a SIM card straight across the courtyard is the prison's artworkshop only those who have behaved well in prison are allowed to work here the inmates do not receive any money instead they receive bonus points that they can use for visits or special purchases atash used to be a successful businessman and earned Millions a stark contrast to his work in the [Music] workshop this has nothing to do with my old life in the past I wouldn't even have thought about doing something like this not for a second but when you're in prison you break with what you did when you were free with the means at your disposal here you have to create a whole new life for yourself in prison you start all over again I is well aware that one small mistake one misstep and all his privileges will be lost anyone who ends up in rahova prison has no chance of escape the high security area is surrounded by a 6 M high wall secured at the top with several layers of barbed wire and in front of the massive wall is the so-called no man's land it's a 2 m wide strip of Earth in which every footprint is immediately visible numerous surveillance cameras record every movement along the [Music] wall on the outside there is another Solid 4 M high wall in addition to the cameras there are watchtowers at Each corner from here heavily armed guards keep an eye on the outer walls around the [Music] clock I watch every car and every person who shows up near the prison I observe their behavior if it seems strange to me I inform my superiors time and again people try to smuggle cell phones or drugs into the prison from outside people try to bring drugs into prison with the help of drones for example or they try to throw the drugs over the wall with fishing rods so far there has not yet been an escape attempt but there was once a curious Breakin attempt it happened once that former prisoners were drunk and wanted to visit their old cellmates it didn't work out but they were reunited with their old inmates again and ended up back in prison 60 to 70 new prisoners arrive at rahova prison every week every newcomer must first go through an admission process like 53-year-old dragos who was convicted of serious fraud hello are these your things yes follow me to the storage area dros is relaxed prison is nothing new to him he has already served 3 and 1/2 years 2 months ago he was released on probation then there was a change in the law and now he has to serve out the rest of his sentence here there are no prison clothes inmates have to bring their own as well as most every every day items for example storage devices uh SIM cards Chargers and kettles with a capacity of more than 2,000 volts are prohibited aside from a few items of clothing towels and a television dragos has nothing else with him I didn't have any more time to pack I hope that my family will bring me a few things the next time they visit winter clothes bedding and so on the warden has nothing to complain about a small consolation for dragos he's allowed to keep his few belongings take your luggage and close to your room the TV stays here for the time being it will be handed over to the colleagues from the technical department and checked the guard next records Ward Drago's data making him an inmate once again it's a stressful situation for the former manager I'm not feeling well at all but I have to bring this to an end in order to be free for good afterwards it's not easy especially after a few months of freedom but there's nothing I can do I have to go through with it now there's no other way toos still has just under 3 months to go as long as he doesn't misbehave in prison as the final step a body search is carried out going there first give me your jacket and remove your shirt please time and again newcomers try to smuggle drugs or cell phones into prison they are sewn into their clothes or hidden on their bodies the guard finds nothing on dragos the admission procedure is complete dragos can now go to a cell track [Music] it's his last walk in the open air for the time being he arrives in block three this is where convicted prisoners and prisoners on remand are held hello your name dros parents name date of birth Georg and Eugenia 1971 like all newcomers dragos is first placed in a special quarantine cell he has to stay there for 3 weeks during this time inmates undergo health and psychological [Music] checks beds and a television there's not much else here for dragos being back in a cell is an absolute nightmare a nightmare that he thought he had left behind him oh I feel a but nobody has any sympathy here especially not the other prisoners and dragos now has to get along with [Music] them head guard Chris is in charge of block 3 he checks the 220 inmates several times a day we have criminals here who have been convicted of pimping or computer crime or attempted murder I check whether the cell is clean and of course of course how the prisoners are feeling whether they are agitated or have any problems time and again there are arguments among prisoners arguments that can easily end up in a fight if the guards don't quickly intervene we have the most problems with repeat offenders in other words those who have been to prison before and then committed another crime many of them are involved with organized crime in a way they are our loyal customers but we don't give up and try to change their behavior for the better as much as possible in his 5 years as a guard he has learned one thing above all else never trust a prisoner most of them have hidden interests and try to trick us but they don't succeed you can tell by looking at them I have a lot of experience and can tell when someone is up to no good they think we don't notice but the truth is we're watching them all the time in his office he shows just how dangerous prisoners can be his colleagues found this homemade weapon just a few hours earlier during a body search this is made from the handle of a spoon or Fork they make it by grinding the handle on the floor if you do that for a long time you get something like this fortunately they rarely use such weapons against us guards mostly they want to settle accounts with each other used correctly you can seriously injure or even kill someone with this weapon anyone caught with one of these ends up in Wing four the wing for serious problem cases for particularly aggressive prisoners as a last resort so so to speak there is a padded cell there are no furnishings and it's padded all around there's no chance of doing anything here prisoners can be kept here for up to 48 Hours a measure that seems to work hardly anyone ends up here twice the prison kitchen is located in the middle of the high security wing around 3 and a half thousand meals are prepared here every day inmates do the cooking jonuts has been working in the kitchen for a year and a half he is currently preparing [Music] lunch today I'm making braced cabbage with pork and vegetables I'm cooking that now I fry the onions and carrots first and then add them to the cabbage before going to prison yonuts worked as a Salesman and had nothing to do with cooking like most of his colleagues in the beginning for me it was just a job but now I really enjoy cooking I really like working here time passes much faster when you have a task it also earns me bonus points the prisoners cook under the supervision of Officer Alexandro he is a guard and trained Chef he's also responsible for all knives in the kitchen every inmate has to sign for their knife if one is missing at the end of the day the guards know exactly where to look for it every inmate has to sign for the knife so the first thing we do is check when and to whom the knife was issued we make a note of all this when we hand it out if we can't find it in the kitchen we look to see which cell block he's from search everything there until it turns up so far however it has never come to that of course it's dangerous but as long I treat inmates with respect and I'm friendly to them I haven't had any problems yet why would they want to do anything to me anyway fortunately the inmates in the kitchen seem to think so too do something to Big Papa never why jobs in the kitchen are in high demand no one wants to risk losing that privilege the prison spends around $2 a day per inmate on food the dishes are usually quite simple it's not so easy to cook for so many people I can't be guided by my own taste especially when it comes to Salt and Pepper I'm always very reserved about that there's a store here in the prison yard where the inmates can buy spices like salt and pepper before the food leaves the kitchen Alexandro tastes every dish perfect once the sh has approved a dish it is placed in heat retaining containers and delivered to the [Music] cells those who don't trust the cooking skills of Chef Alexandro can buy their own food in the prison Supermarket every inmate is allowed to shop here once a week today it's at Tasha's and the cat's turn the supermarket is well stock from sweets dairy products sausage and meat to fresh [Music] fruit we always shop for the whole sell and then share the food when we cook something a salad or other thing we do it together and then sit down as a group to eat atash and his cellmates would love to cook also unusual dishes but that is simply not [Music] possible it's a shame that we can't cook here properly we can only heat up things in a microwave and of course we can buy salad mayonnaise and so on but there's nothing that you need an oven for for security reasons hot plates are not permitted in the cells after 15 minutes atash has finished his weekly shopping he pays using a card that every prisoner has I receive around $500 a month from my family I use it to buy food and pay for phone calls I often call home these things are very expensive here in prison I need a lot of money for that every month T this Purchase cost him the equivalent of around $25 it's significantly more expensive than in a normal Supermarket but prisoners have no choice but to accept the high prices it's early afternoon newcomer dragos has now completed his first few hours in rahova [Music] prison after 2 months of Freedom he first has to get reaccustomed to the prison routine [Music] again it was very nice to be what can I say my family was very happy but they also knew that I might have to go back so we couldn't really be too happy I started thinking about my future home but a lot has changed in the three years I was in prison but in the two months Doos has been on the outside not much has changed in prison one thing in particular has become very clear nothing to do time doesn't pass very quickly we chat and tell stories it's good that there are so many of us the first few days the quarantine are the hardest during this time is the time you have to adapt to life here the others in the cell are all in prison for the first time they need help from someone with experience I give them advice on how best to behave he has learned a lot in his 3 years in prison there's one piece of important advice dragos can give the others we can't choose our cellmates fortunately there's almost always someone with whom you get on well and can talk to that's important if you talk too much to the wrong people it quickly leads to arguments and arguments are no good in here in the late afternoon it's yard Duty guards pick up the prisoners cell by cell and take them outside but not even here is there a tiny bit of Freedom the yard walk takes place in large cages the men are allowed to spend 2 hours a day in the fresh air prisoners don't have many options here a pullup bar a bench a urinal and a telephone that's about all there is the yard is very important to us very important it brings variety we also meet other inmates here when you sit in a cell with six people for weeks on end at some point you've basically told each other everything but the most important thing here in prison is time if you have something to do time passes much more quickly the yard walk also offers the opport Unity to come into contact with other prisoners even if conversations are only possible through a wall the cage here is like the radio so to speak you find out the latest news who's been released who's come in what their sentence is what they've done nothing really important but that's the only news in here you need something to think [Music] about under the watchful gaze of the keepers stragos and the others spent another hour and a half running up and down the cage without complaint just to enjoy at least a little variety those who behave in an exemplary manner work hard and keep away from disputes with other inmates have the chance to be transferred to the semi-open area of the prison here prisoners can move around freely for a large part of the day even if they are still under strict observation the aim is to prepare prisoners for life in Freedom Stefan Alexander has only been in this wing for a short time but it feels like a different world to him I spent 5 years in the high security sector I've been here for a month and a half now it feels really good I can do things with the other inmates we have a program all day it's good for the psyche it helps him get through the tough time here in prison better the entire Wing is only a few years old the cells are modern bright and comparatively well [Music] equipped prisoners can look out the windows under the high security area as a kind of warning nobody wants to go back there I've realized how important my family is for me I never want to go back to prison I want to be close to my family my parents and there's nothing in the world that's worth it no money or anything else that's worth going to jail nothing is worth being in prison the former bodyguard could be released on parole in a year and a half he is already thinking about his future of course it will be difficult for me because I have a criminal record and won't be able to get a certificate of Good Conduct from the security company but I'm a healthy person who likes to work if you want to work you'll find an opportunity I think I'll do something with Sports I work here in prison as a sports trainer I want to do something like that on the outside until then he must not get in trouble for anything otherwise he will quickly end up back in the high security [Music] Wing it's slowly getting dark in Romania's second largest prison [Applause] all the prisoners are now in their [Music] cells dinner is served at 5:00 p.m. meals are eaten in the cells there is no dining room for security reasons the guard doesn't even open the door the food is shoved through a hatch dinner time gentlemen what do you have potatoes and porridge again please potatoes and porridge potatoes and porridge does it look good yeah it's okay give me potatoes please atash and a cellmates eat together every evening this is how they intend to maintain a bit of normality hardly anyone touches the food from the prison kitchen the answer to the question of how it tastes is carefully formulated nobody wants to offend the guards a today the food is not really to our liking it's just the way it is what can we do but since today was a shopping day we have enough food to eat in fact everyone who can afford it feeds themselves the prison food ends up in the trash after dinner the long monotonous evening Begins for the [Music] prisoners atos talks to his family on the phone almost every day all sell have their own telephone each inmate is allowed a maximum of 60 minutes per day provided they have enough money 60 Minutes costs about $8 unaffordable for many even if I can't see my parents and my wife as long as we can talk to each other we are close the phone calls help me a lot I can talk about my worries and for a moment forget about my situation here that helps me a lot so I actually make use of my 60 Minutes almost every day fortunately I get enough money for my family to pay for it while atash and the others are kept busy by their work during the day things turn quiet and somewhat dreary in the evening the nights are the worst because you have a lot of time to reflect you think about your family back at home and what you've done what it would be like if none of this had happened if we hadn't ended up here yes that's true sleeping is very difficult here the nights are [Music] long on important days like family birthdays or public holidays it's almost unbearable Alexandro has been in rahova prison for 5 years for manslaughter he used to be a member of an ultra football group prison saved my life if I wasn't here I'd probably be dead and by now the football I loved going to football games and fighting with other people I really believe that I wouldn't be alive today if they hadn't arrested me instead he now has the death of another human on his conscience he killed his adversary in a fight he got 10 years for it I was 23 years old when that happened and I ended up in here I don't know I think it was adrenaline adrenaline I loveed that Adrenaline Rush of being in the stadium lighting flares throwing fireworks getting dressed up and facing the police I miss it but there's no way I'll ever do it again never again he still loves football he watches every game on television he has created his own personal wall of memories on his [Music] cabinet they remind me that I was strong that I was there and that I'm still strong no one can stop us no one can stop us we are stronger than you you can't do anything to us because we are united that's our motto the ultra group group used to be his life his [Music] family no today it doesn't mean as much to me as it used to no it's just stickers could it be he is being a bit untruthful to himself but for the sake of his young son he never wants to return to that scene this is him shortly after he was born I couldn't be there because I was in prison I want to see him as soon as possible he's the reason why I've changed if Alexandro continues to do nothing wrong he can be released on probation in two years atash on the other hand has at least eight more years ahead of him I think about that incident almost every day that day that changed my life it was just one moment and it changed everything I mean I could have died too just because of a few seconds that's why everything is different Now aash does not yet have a plan for his future after prison he still has too much time to serve until then but while in prison he has clearly realized one thing family is the most important thing in life the most important thing of all you should make the most of every moment with your family in the past I didn't really recognize the value of family and spent far too little time with them today I see it differently when I'm out I want to spend every second with my loved ones there is actually nothing more important in in the world what import she while atach can only dream of a life outside the Prison Walls for newcomer dragos it is well within his grasp in just under 3 months he will finally be a free man [Music] again as a responsible person I have of course already made plans I want to go back to work I don't think it matters much that I have a criminal record because in my job as a manager you just have to be good nothing else matters and I have a lot of experience in my job I experience let's hope he's right because many former prisoners can't find a job and slip back into [Music] crime it's 9:00 in the [Music] evening the guards checked the cells one last time while his colleague interrogates the prisoners guard yutz checks the bars on the windows I can hear from the noise whether the bars have been manipulated the guards take their time for the Roll Call they thoroughly check the cell and the mood of the prisoners now at night when everything is quiet and the prisoners are alone with themselves and their thoughts that danger of something happening is greatest an escape attempt a fight or even a suicide it takes an hour for the guards to check all the cells in the wing everything's fine no special issues or problems after roll call it's bedtime everything becomes quiet in hovah [Music] prison in 8 hours a new day will begin for the 1,400 prisoners at rahova a new day and one of the toughest prisons in the world

Channel: Free Documentary

Views: 267,202

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), prison documentary, behind bars, prison documentary maximum security, prison documentary 2024 maximum security

Id: CVngg4jpumk

Length: 48min 7sec (2887 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 10 2024