Crazy South American Prison Photos
#13 Mara 18 gang roster - El Salvador
Officials at the Izalco prison in Sonsonate keep track of the growing number of inmates associated with the transnational Mara 18 gang. Although all over South America, the organization started as a street gang in Los Angeles.
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Prison Gangs - El Salvador
One of the most unusual things in a number South American prisons is the number of jails where the guards can barely keep the prisoners inside, and the prisoners are forced to submit to the rule of gangs to survive.
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Prison Riot - Chile
Prisoners clash with police in Antofagasta , Chile. They are rioting in protest of the death of 81 inmates in fire two weeks before at another facility.
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Mara 18 gang roster - El Salvador
Officials at the Izalco prison in Sonsonate keep track of the growing number of inmates associated with the transnational Mara 18 gang. Although all over South America, the organization started as a street gang in Los Angeles.
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Womans prison - El Salvador
Ilopango Woman's Prison in San Salvador shows just how overcrowded many of these facilities are, often at double capacity or worse. Inmates are forced to string hammocks or find a place on the floor to get by.
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Open Day Fiesta - Bolivia
September 23 is a day and night long party at San Pedro Prison. Tourists can join in the festivities, although it helps to hire a good bodyguard if you want to make it out the next morning.
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Carnival - Argentina
Gualeguaychú, Argentina hosts the nations largest carnival celebration. Floats for the parade are being assembled just outside this prison's walls.
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Born in Prison - Brazil
This child Pedro was born in prison, his mother arrested for cocaine smuggling. Normally children are removed from prison at the age of two, but sometimes there is no other family to take them in.
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Jail - Venezuela
There is little stopping guns, drugs and cash from turning some South American prisons into gang fortresses. Although the prison population in Venezuela is not that high, more than 4000 prisoners died over the last decade.
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Contraband - Brazil
A collection of contraband takes from the cells of a woman's prison in Brazil. Cell phones are one of the most highly valued items for smuggling into prison.
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Riot Hostage - Brazil
This photo shows an aid worker held at gunpoint by a rioting prisoner in Sao Paolo, Brazil. More then 21,000 teenagers are in the areas prisons, some as young as 12 years old.
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Sao Paulo Prison - Brasil
This is a photo from the aftermath of a 1992 riot where 111 prisoners were killed when police recaptured the prison. Police were accused of shooting at prisoners who already surrendered although the courts overturned the conviction on the officer who gave the orders to open fire.
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Prison Ministry - Brazil
Brazil has the fourth highest prison population in the world, and is still growing out of control. Churches like this try to help the prisoners, as well as their families in the nearby communities.
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Prison Fire - Honduras
Prisoners work to put out a fire on the roof of a building. The fire killed more than 350 inmates at the prison in Comayagua, about 45 miles north of the capitol.
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Street Stall - Bolivia
Another photo from San Pedro prison in La Paz. There are no guards except to keep the prisoners from leaving. The only decent food and rooms go to those who can work and pay for them.
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Soccer Tournament - Peru
More than 250 inmates of the Castro-Castro prison in Lima Peru participated in a mock soccer tournament. These three spectators are painted in the colors of South American flags.
