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Walked through San Pedro prison in La Paz 30 years ago. I had head from other’s that had visited that there were a couple Americans there. It brought them some stuff. Turned out that although I had never heard of them, they were from the same area I was from. They had known Klaus Barbie (a butcher of Leon infamy ) there. THey had tried smuggling and got caught. One had money and paid the judge a couple K. He received 3 yrs. The other didn’t and got 6 for the same charge.

They gave me a tour of the grounds and cell blocks. San Pedro was very spartan and nearly unsurvivable without access to money to the point that you bought your room. It was a city inside the prison with people bringing in stuff for prisoners to sell. A very large group of homos ran a wood shop and sold furniture to people outside the prison.

Prisoners really ran the asylum.

That’s like most Latin American style prisons

The inmates run the house and the police or army runs the wall and only go in the prison in force or in certain administration or maintenance areas

The cells which are usually like dorms or efficiencies are prisoner managed

It’s about money and power

Gangs run the prisons or cartels or both

A partnership between cartels and street gangs pretty much

Some even run their own food service and your wife or family as well as whores can stay with you a certain amount like extended conjugal visits

Some Mexican prisons the family lives inside and come and go to work and school while man does his time

Many prisoners get informal furloughs to go do the bidding of their criminal bosses with prison as the alibi

Some used to get hired out as death squad operators to get out early

It’s truly a bizarre prison style with inmates frequently heeled as well

Rife for corruption and mordida

There are bad English language prisons too

Antigua....Her Majesty’s....rough

Spanish Town in Jamaica ....after 90 days you get weekend furloughs

Fox Hill Bahamas..,,brutal I had a buddy there....36 months...8 to a an old 1700s cell..,,,shit bucket passed around.....slop bucket for food

Water hose once a week

Blanket and stone floor for mattress

It was no joke

Still

Western Hemipheres worst hands down is National Penitentiary Port Au Prince Haiti
Rue Champs du America

I was almost put there but escaped via private plane middle of the night to Dom Rep

Peoples decayed corpses have been found in the darker recesses

Starvation

No water

And if they have a warrant or writ for a family member but can’t find them

They simply take someone other family and hold them 2-3 years

The quake knocked it down so I have no clue about now

I had a buddy from Dallas who did a year at Carcel Modelo in the Chapeniero district of north central Bogota

Horrible place for violence but if you had cash and friends it was a breeze

He knew Gonzalo Gacha from Muzo mine so he was untouchable and women whenever he wanted and street food and good quarters with Gachas militia folks inside

If anyone you ever know gets locked up in a hard place

Get there quick

Have money available and be prepared to pay for life and freedom

Find out who has biggest influence inside

I have another story about a Medellin prison that ended badly for a boy from south Alabama who had his shrimp boat in the wrong ocean