Behind Bars

Colony Eight - one of the toughest and most notorious prisons in Ukraine. It is said that no one has ever managed to escape from here! Over eight hundred prisoners are behind bars in Colony 8 under maximum security. Until twenty years ago, the guards even carried out death sentences at this prison. Not any more - the concept is now a different one.

The Maldives - THE ultimate holiday paradise in the Indian Ocean attracts more than 2 million visitors from all over the world - every year! But not on every island there is a party going on...Those caught by the police - inhabitants and tourists alike - end up in Maafushi Central Prison, located on Maafushi Island, about 30 kilometeres away from the main island of Male.

The pre-trial prison Urso Branco is one of the worst jails in all of Brazil. Riots have been taking place here almost every year since 2002.

The "Correctional Institution for Women" is the oldest and largest women's prison in the Philippines. Prisoners range from petty criminals to drug dealers, from murderers to gang members. The guards are outnumbered. Your best bet at keeping prisoners under control: Strict rules that everyone must adhere to. Over and over again there are checks, to ensure no one has managed to escape.

Zenica prison - the biggest and toughest prison in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The eighteen eighty-six fortress still stands to this day. Zenica has room for almost a thousand inmates. From minor offenses such as robbery to war criminals, there are currently five hundred and fifty prisoners behind bars. They are to be resocialized in three groups and reintegrated into society.

The few Correction Officers who work here, risk their lifes every day to keep the prisoners inside. Especially during the day, because then more than a thousand prisoners are not locked up. More freedom for PDLs means less control for correction officers. A permanent balancing act.