The text describes a visit to Bangu 1, one of the most feared prisons in Brazil. Bangu 1 is a maximum security prison where prisoners who challenge the penitentiary system are held. It is located in the center of the largest penitentiary complex in the country. The prison is known for its relatively small, grayish building and is hated by other larger ones. It is home to men linked to the international drug and weapons trade.
The journey to Bangu 1 involves passing through multiple gates and security checkpoints. Upon arrival, visitors are met with a series of security measures, including metal detectors, X-ray machines, and cell phone inspections. The prison is divided into 26 units, each with its own set of security measures.
Bangu 1 is known for its strict rules and punishments. Inmates are confined in individual cells for 22 hours a day, with only two hours for sunbathing. The cells are small, measuring three meters by two meters, and are equipped with a concrete bed and a small concrete table. Prisoners do not have the right to a TV or fan, and they do not receive intimate visits. Lawyers can only visit every ten days with a prior appointment.
The prison was taken over by prisoners during a rebellion in 2002, which paralyzed the country. The justice system recommends the differentiated disciplinary regime (RBB) for inmates who commit crimes within the prison. The penitentiary system has since implemented an elite tactical intervention group to contain motives and retake the building if necessary.
Despite the harsh conditions, the prison has not recorded any deaths by execution since the rebellion 11 years ago. The visit to Bangu 1 serves as a stark reminder of the harsh realities of life in a maximum security prison.
1. Bangu 1 is one of the most feared prisons in Brazil.
2. It is a maximum security prison located in the center of the largest penitentiary complex in the country.
3. The complex is surrounded by a pale color wall almost 21 kilometers from the center of the river.
4. Inside the complex, there is a relatively small grayish building.
5. The prison houses men linked to the international drug and weapons trade.
6. A television crew has never been allowed to enter the place.
7. To reach Bangu 1, one has to cross several gates and pass through a series of other penitentiaries.
8. The Laércio da Costa Pelegrino penitentiary, also known as Bangu 1, was kept away from cameras for 25 years.
9. The entrance to the prison is guarded by security curtains and a double metal side with iron bars inside.
10. Visitors have to pass through a metal detector, remove their shoes, and go through an X-ray.
11. The prison has 26 units, none as safe as the first door.
12. The prison has several security measures, including cell phone jammers installed around the building.
13. Bangu 1 was taken over by prisoners during a rebellion on September 11, 2002.
14. Inmates from a criminal faction took control of the jail and took eight hostages during the rebellion.
15. Four criminals from a rival faction were executed during the rebellion.
16. Bangu 1 has four identical galleries, each with 12 individual cells on one side and six on the other.
17. Prisoners have the right to sunbathe for only two hours a day.
18. The internal corridor and sunbathing areas are monitored by ten cameras and an inspector.
19. Each cell is locked with two large padlocks, and the keys are not enough to release the prisoner.
20. The prisoners do not have the right to a TV set or fan, and they do not receive intimate visits. Lawyers can only visit every ten days with prior appointment.
21. The prisoners are punished in the gallery, and the rules are strict.
22. The prisoners do not have the right to wear the clothes they brought from the other penitentiary.
23. The prisoners have to keep their hair cut and beard clean, and they have to remain clean.
24. The prisoners are punished with the so-called rbb, the differentiated disciplinary regime.
25. After the great rebellion in 2002, an elite troop time, the penitentiary system pusht tactical intervention group, was created.
26. The training is done inside a scenographic prison, a copy of a real prison where risk situations are created.
27. After the rebellion that occurred 11 years ago, there is no record of deaths by execution within the penitentiary.
28. There was no need to call in elite troops to contain a possible Bangu riot 1.
29. The worst thing that can happen to a prisoner is to see the sunrise square in jail.