Prison Life In Bolivia: Is There Any Hope?

Bolivia's prison system is notorious for its overcrowding, dilapidated facilities, and lawlessness, with food supplies and medical care often falling short of adequate levels. One notable example is San Pedro Prison in La Paz, which has gained a reputation as a tourist prison due to its unique culture and history of allowing visitors. Inmates at San Pedro have jobs, buy or rent their cells, and often live with their families, creating a society within the prison walls. While this may provide a sense of community, it also raises concerns about the potential dangers faced by inmate families.

Inmates have to buy or rent their cells

Inmates at San Pedro Prison in La Paz, Bolivia, buy or rent their cells. The prison, which was designed to hold 600 inmates, now holds nearly 3,000. As a result of overcrowding, new inmates must purchase their cells from other inmates as they are not assigned by prison officials. The price of a cell depends on its location and quality, with cells in the wealthier sections of the prison, such as La Posta, going for 1,500-1,800 Bolivianos. The most luxurious cells, which include features such as multiple floors and hot tubs, can sell for as much as $30,000.

For those who cannot afford to buy, it is possible to rent a cell from an inmate who owns multiple cells. In addition, some sections allow poor prisoners to stay if they work for the community. The process of buying a cell involves negotiating a price with the outgoing inmate and signing a sale-purchase agreement. A non-refundable fee of 20-25% is charged, which covers community maintenance, administration, cleaning, and social events.

The internal economy of the prison is driven by the inmates' need to pay for basic necessities such as food, clothing, and medicine. Inmates have various sources of income, including running small businesses, selling handicrafts, and tourism. However, the most vulnerable inmates may struggle to afford basic necessities, and the harsh conditions have led to many prisoner deaths.

The unique situation at San Pedro Prison highlights the broader issues within the Bolivian prison system, including overcrowding, insufficient resources, and a lack of official oversight.

Families can live with inmates

In Bolivia, families are allowed to live with inmates in prison. This is a result of the country's poverty and lack of social safety nets, which make it difficult for families to survive outside of prison when a primary earner is incarcerated. In addition, the country's slow judicial process means that many inmates are awaiting trial or sentencing and have not yet been convicted.

The most well-known example of this is San Pedro prison in La Paz, Bolivia's largest and oldest functioning prison. It is estimated that across Bolivia, roughly 1,500 children live with a parent in prison, though activists believe the number is much higher, especially during holidays when children visit incarcerated parents and mothers. In San Pedro alone, there are estimated to be 200 children living inside the prison walls.

Families choose to live in San Pedro because it is often cheaper and safer than living outside. Inmates must purchase or rent their cells, and the prison is divided into sections that make up a concentrated real-estate market. The wealthier inmates can buy luxury cells with multiple floors, cable television, and even a hot tub. However, most of those inside the prison live in cramped conditions, with single-room cells accommodating up to five people.

While Bolivian law allows children to live with their mothers in women's prisons until the age of six, in reality, hundreds of children, many beyond the age of six, live in low- and medium-security men's prisons. This is because many families cannot afford to live outside of prison, and they fear that their children will be abused or neglected if they are left with extended family or placed in group homes.

Life inside San Pedro is not without its dangers, especially for children. While inmates have developed their own rules and punishments, and there is little tolerance for those who have committed crimes against women or children, drugs and alcohol are easily accessible within the prison, and violence does occur. In recent years, there have been reports of children being abused and a child dying during a fight between inmates.

Despite the risks, some believe that allowing families to live with inmates can aid in their rehabilitation and make them less likely to reoffend. It provides inmates with a sense of community and family, and for some, it may be the only option to keep their families together.

There is an in-house cocaine factory

Bolivia's San Pedro Prison in La Paz is a notorious cocaine prison. In the 1990s, it was quite common for backpackers to take unofficial tours of the prison. The prison was once listed in the Lonely Planet Guide to Bolivia, and travellers paid an entrance fee to get in. In some cases, they opted to stay for weeks, partying with the inmates.

The prison was unique in that it was a microcosm of regular society, where money was king. Inmates could buy their way into better neighbourhoods, and some cells were substantially more luxurious than others. Prisoners were expected to earn a living inside and buy their cells as if they were real estate. There was a primary school for the prisoners' children, who lived with them inside the prison.

The prison was also a highly efficient cocaine factory. A vast majority of the inmates were incarcerated for drug charges, and the prison was producing enough cocaine to supply both the inside and the outside. Inmates produced the drug within the prison walls, selling it externally and using it themselves, while the poorer prisoners smoked base, the residue left over from the manufacturing process.

The prison was controlled by a prisoner hierarchy, with the only guards being on the perimeter to stop escapes or quash riots. Prisoners with no money or power suffered a miserable existence, forced to sleep in squalor on cold concrete.

Prisoners run the prison

Bolivia has 54 prisons, incarcerating 16,613 people as of March 2017. The prison population is growing rapidly, and overcrowding is a serious issue, with the total prison population at three times the capacity of the prisons.

The Penitentiary Regime Directorate manages the prisons, but generally, prison officials only control the outer security perimeter of these institutions. The interior is under the control of the prisoners themselves, with inmates directing gang activity from behind bars.

One of the most notable examples of this is San Pedro Prison in La Paz, Bolivia's largest prison. San Pedro is renowned for being a society within itself, where inmates have jobs, buy or rent their accommodation, and often live with their families.

• Leadership and Governance: San Pedro Prison has a unique system of governance, with elected leaders enforcing the laws of the community. Each sector annually elects a delegate (leader) and a financial secretary. These leaders primarily enforce the laws through stabbing. Disciplinary secretaries are in charge of taking disciplinary actions to punish those who break the rules. Inmates who repeatedly break the rules can be sent to isolation cells or transferred to the maximum-security Chonchorro Prison by a section representative.
• Housing and Real Estate: When an inmate enters San Pedro Prison, they must purchase a cell from the prison mayor or a freelance real estate agent. The price of cells varies depending on their quality and location within the prison. The prison is divided into different sections, each with its own rating indicating its housing quality. The higher-end communities, such as Posta, Pinos, and Alamos, act like gated communities and are generally safer. The lower-end communities house drug-addicted inmates and are considered more dangerous, especially at night.
• Economy and Trade: San Pedro Prison has its own economy, with inmates having various jobs such as messengers, hairdressers, and shopkeepers. The prison also had an illegal tourist trade before 2009, where tourists could pay to enter the prison and go on tours, sometimes even staying overnight. Inmates also profited from the sale of cocaine to tourists. In addition, there is a gambling trade, with betting on inter-section football matches, and a thriving craft industry, with many inmates selling handmade crafts to visitors.
• Social Life and Amenities: San Pedro Prison has a wide range of amenities and social activities. There are restaurants, markets, billiards, poker, chess, and video games. There is also a small football pitch where teams from each sector compete regularly. The prison has a hotel for visitors, a hospital, and multiple churches. Wives and children of inmates are allowed to live with them inside the prison walls and often provide an important link to the outside world, bringing in items to be sold in the markets.
• Crime and Punishment: There is little tolerance for crimes against women or children within the prison community. Inmates who commit such crimes are strongly disciplined, often facing severe punishment or even death. Those who survive must pay for their treatment in the prison hospital.

In summary, while the Penitentiary Regime Directorate officially manages Bolivia's prisons, the reality is that prisoners have a significant amount of autonomy and control within the prison walls. This is especially true in the case of San Pedro Prison, where inmates have created a complex society with its own rules, economy, and social structure.

Tourists could bribe guards to enter

San Pedro Prison in La Paz, Bolivia, is a prison like no other. It is a society within itself, with inmates having jobs, buying or renting their accommodation, and often living with their families. Prior to 2009, tourists were able to bribe guards to enter the prison, where they would gawk, shop, dine, and even do drugs.

The process of bribing one's way into the prison was not without its risks. Tourists would have to navigate the dangerous and corrupt city of La Paz, where police corruption and bribery were commonplace. Once at the prison, tourists would pay a bribe of around $57 USD or 400 Bolivianos to the guards at the perimeter to gain entry. They would then be searched by the guards and instructed to leave before 6 pm and not to take any pictures. Despite the dangers and legal issues, San Pedro was estimated to have had approximately 50 tours daily.

The tourist trade in San Pedro was fueled by the sale of cocaine base to visiting tourists, which provided a significant income for some prisoners. The prison was also home to a variety of businesses, including hairdressers, grocery shops, pool halls, and a hotel for visiting guests. The prison even had its own football league, with players being bought and sold on a transfer market.

In 2009, the Bolivian government cracked down on the illegal tourist trade, expelling tourists and replacing corrupt guards. This was sparked by a video taken by a tourist inside the prison that was uploaded to YouTube and picked up by local TV networks.

While the days of tourists bribing their way into San Pedro Prison may be over, it remains a unique and fascinating example of a society within a prison.

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