- 5/29/2025
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. Plenty of “freedom” on the one hand, draconian punishment and military drill on the other. Combined with permanent supervision: Around seventy cameras in the buildings ensure that anything moving gets noticed.
One section of the prison is particularly notorious – the wing for the one hundred and sixty lifers: If you end up in this wing, you have absolutely nothing to lose. Because in Ukraine, life imprisonment means: literally being behind bars until you die.
Access to this wing is specially secured. To gain entry, the guards must go through a multi-level security system of mechanical and electronic locks. Escape: impossible.
One section of the prison is particularly notorious – the wing for the one hundred and sixty lifers: If you end up in this wing, you have absolutely nothing to lose. Because in Ukraine, life imprisonment means: literally being behind bars until you die.
Access to this wing is specially secured. To gain entry, the guards must go through a multi-level security system of mechanical and electronic locks. Escape: impossible.
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FunTranscript
00:00A different world, which only the strongest endure.
00:15We are just trying not to go crazy in here.
00:21Locked up and punished.
00:25It's forbidden to talk to the other prisoners.
00:32All this behind bars.
00:37Gangs.
00:41Violence.
00:45Drugs.
00:48Harassment.
00:55A daily struggle for survival in the toughest prisons in the world.
01:07Shytomer, Ukraine.
01:09A large drab city in a country ravaged by economic crises, war and corruption.
01:16The average wage is just 300 euros per month. Crime has been on the rise for years.
01:28Those breaking the law are very likely to end up here.
01:34Colony 8. One of the toughest and most notorious prisons in Ukraine.
01:40It is said that no one has ever escaped from here.
01:43Over 800 prisoners are behind bars here under maximum security.
01:50Every inmate here has committed at least two murders.
01:55Until 20 years ago, the guards even carried out death sentences at this wall.
02:02One section of the prison is particularly notorious. The wing for the 160 lifers.
02:11You have to be ready for anything from these people. Attacks, suicide, mutilation. Anything can happen.
02:19You cannot drop your guard for a second.
02:24If you end up in this wing, you have absolutely nothing to lose.
02:29Life imprisonment in Ukraine means being behind bars until you die.
02:35Eight o'clock in the morning, guards in Colony 8 begin their shift.
02:42Alexander Basilyuk is the senior guard in the wing for lifers.
02:51I hope the day goes well and there will be no major incidents.
02:56Anyone, whether guard, lawyer or visitor, entering or leaving Colony 8 must first pass through the security chain.
03:05Cell phones, weapons, drugs, alcohol, even energy drinks are strictly forbidden.
03:13The entrance building is separated from the rest of the prison by several doors and a security corridor.
03:21If a prisoner actually manages to escape from his cell, he won't get further than here.
03:27The prison is made up almost entirely of locks, doors and electronic surveillance systems.
03:35Colony 8 resembles a fortress.
03:43There is barbed wire everywhere you look, barbed windows and snipers and watchtowers.
03:52Four-meter-high twin walls around the perimeter.
03:56Whatever is concealed between these two walls is a state secret.
03:59Not even the guards know what it looks like in there.
04:03For the 40 guards working here, the day starts with a briefing.
04:08Every incident, no matter how small, is reported.
04:11Everyone listens very carefully.
04:14This information can be life-saving.
04:17The guards need to be ready for anything.
04:19Cell 319.
04:20The detainee is mentally unstable and prone to self-harm.
04:28Cell 115.
04:30Fashenko is a suicide risk.
04:32Increased surveillance.
04:34The cellmate is depressed.
04:36Increased surveillance here too.
04:37A shift lasts 24 hours in Ukraine's toughest prison.
04:4424 hours spent with the country's worst criminals.
04:54Around 70 cameras in the buildings ensure that anything moving gets noticed.
04:58And even if it doesn't seem like it, behind the old-fashioned looking facade, there is a sophisticated and highly complex security system.
05:14Inmates are housed in the multi-level main building, located in the center of the prison grounds.
05:19Three levels of security are provided.
05:22Pre-trial detention, where around 400 criminals are awaiting trial.
05:28Some of them for years.
05:30Level 2.
05:32Felons with a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
05:36And the Wing for Lifers, housed in a separate wing of the building.
05:42It is a prison within a prison.
05:45160 felons are sitting here.
05:49All multiple murderers or terrorists.
05:54Access to this wing is specially secured.
05:57To gain entry, Senior Guard Alexander must go through a multi-level security system of mechanical and electronic locks.
06:07These measures are intended to prevent prisoners from escaping, if they manage to overpower a guard.
06:16Major, there were no incidents in the lifers' wing.
06:27Anything else?
06:29All good.
06:33Ninety cells spread over three floors.
06:36Prisoners are either held in the cells alone or in pairs.
06:39Behind thick steel doors, sealed off from the outside world.
06:45Contact with others is strictly forbidden.
06:52Signs on each door give information about the name, age and crime of the cell inmates.
06:57They also indicate whether an inmate is particularly aggressive or suicidal.
07:04Senior Guard Alexander begins his shift each morning with cell inspections.
07:19I check whether the prisoners are actually in their cells, what their state of health is, what the cell looks like, and whether there are any irregularities.
07:33Cells are not open for this purpose.
07:37Cells are not open for this purpose.
07:40Guards try to avoid direct contact with inmates whenever possible.
07:44The biggest threat to us is an attack.
07:57Everyone here is condemned to life imprisonment.
08:01They have nothing to lose.
08:03This makes them very dangerous.
08:06Working here is a daily battle.
08:08When a cell is opened, at least three guards are present.
08:14The procedure follows strict rules.
08:17When the guard opens the door, the prisoners have to stand in the middle of the cell with their arms folded behind their backs.
08:26Volodymyr Ostrowski knows the procedure.
08:29He has been in Colony 8 for 23 years, convicted of two murders.
08:34He shares 12 square meters with a cellmate.
08:40Toilet, sink, bed.
08:43Space isn't available for much more here.
08:51You get used to everything.
08:54You adapt, you survive.
08:56That's probably the most accurate way to describe what we are doing here.
09:01Surviving.
09:03And trying not to go insane.
09:08Like almost everyone here, Volodymyr clings to the hope of being pardoned.
09:14In theory, after 20 years, a pardon is possible.
09:18In practice, only a handful of pardons have been granted in recent decades.
09:23I committed murder when I was drunk.
09:31There was an argument.
09:33Somebody offended me and I just couldn't take it.
09:36My attitude was different back then than it is today.
09:39Then it happened.
09:41I ended up killing people.
09:43What can I say?
09:44I'm sorry.
09:48Since that day 23 years ago, his life has played out in 12 square meters.
09:54Besides freedom, what the inmates miss most are trivial little things.
09:59Hot water.
10:01You can only get it from a kettle.
10:04Volodymyr is one of the few lifers who are allowed to leave their cell at least for a few hours a day to work, although only under high security measures.
10:18The doorways are just 60 centimeters wide.
10:22Passing through them must be sideways.
10:25This is to prevent inmates rushing the guards.
10:29A search then takes place outside the cell.
10:31I make sure that the prisoner is not carrying any forbidden items.
10:38For example, a sharpened handle from a spoon or something, or a cell phone.
10:46Escorted by two guards, they go to a workshop in another wing.
10:51A special feature of Colony 8, prisoners never have to go outside, whether they are being taken to work, to the doctor, or for work.
11:01Or a meeting with a lawyer.
11:08Every single area is accessible by stairs, corridors, or walkways.
11:14One more measure to prevent inmates from escaping.
11:20When a lifer leaves a wing, they are also escorted by a dog handler.
11:25The prison's dogs are trained to know the difference between uniforms and other clothing.
11:31This will ensure that the dogs only attack inmates in the event of an altercation.
11:38Even disguises would not help the inmates, because the dogs also identify prisoners by smell.
11:45The security concept has proven itself to be successful.
11:51The prison is more than a hundred years old now, and no one has ever managed to escape from it.
12:05For lifers, the prison runs six different workshops.
12:11Volodymyr works in the carpentry workshop.
12:14He spends eight hours here in a space of just under 50 square meters.
12:19Luxury compared to his mini-cell.
12:21And he gets to have contact with others.
12:26Up to five inmates work together in one workshop.
12:32But you need to have had a good track record to be allowed to work.
12:38Because prisoners who work get access to tools.
12:43Tools that are ideal for use as weapons.
12:47Being allowed to work, however, is a privilege.
12:51And Volodymyr and the other inmates are well aware that anyone who starts acting conspicuously
12:57will have such a privilege instantly revoked.
12:59Prisoners who are allowed to work are carefully selected by the prison management.
13:07We have been psychologically examined to check our state of mind and to make sure that we can get along with the others here.
13:14Work is very important to me.
13:18There are so many constraints on us everywhere.
13:21So having the opportunity to interact with others is invaluable.
13:24The prisoners who work earn around 30 euros a month.
13:34Money which they can use to buy food or cigarettes.
13:37But the most important thing they get is an escape from boredom and monotony.
13:43At least for a few hours a day.
13:49Those not among the privileged few who work vegetate in their cells.
13:54are practically around the clock without any contact with others.
13:58In Ukrainian prisons more than 50 prisoners take their own lives every year.
14:04But those who behave impeccably over decades may get the chance of being transferred to another better prison.
14:11Just beyond the walls of Colony 8 lies a second prison.
14:31Colony 4.
14:33In Soviet times it was a labor camp for over 3,000 people.
14:36Today it is a medium security prison.
14:41The concept, plenty of freedom of movement for the prisoners on the one hand.
14:46Military drill and draconian punishments on the other.
14:505.45 in the morning.
15:01It's still quiet in Colony 4.
15:03Just the guards on the night shift making their rounds.
15:07But that is about to change.
15:08A total of 800 inmates are serving out their prison sentences here.
15:14Murderers.
15:16Robbers.
15:17Rapists.
15:18Violent criminals.
15:19Drug dealers.
15:21The prison's special feature.
15:23Instead of cells, inmates live in large communal accommodation blocks.
15:28Wake up is at 6 o'clock sharp.
15:30The prisoners then have exactly 10 minutes to get ready for the morning roll call in the yard.
15:41Maxim Durilio has now been in prison for five years.
15:52He was convicted of assaulting a police officer.
15:55He has four more years to go.
15:58Four years in which every day is the same as the next.
16:02We get up, have breakfast, and then go to work.
16:15Ten past six.
16:17After the guards have checked that no one is left in the building, the roll call follows.
16:22Good morning.
16:24Good morning.
16:26The right hand is on the right side.
16:29Handcuffs and body searches do not exist here.
16:41To keep control of the 130 inmates of the accommodation block, the guards instead rely on military drills.
16:54Seven-zero.
17:00Seven-one.
17:04Seven-two. Step forward.
17:12Every morning the same procedure.
17:15And everyone knows.
17:17If one of the inmates steps out of line, the whole group is punished.
17:24A narrow corridor leads to Colony 4's canteen.
17:27The prisoners eat here three times a day.
17:39More than 800 prisoners need to be fed in just one hour.
17:43The food is served on a conveyor belt.
17:45One-to-one.
17:46One-to-one.
17:48Two-one.
17:52Two-one.
17:54Two-one.
17:55Although all prison inmates gather here together during mealtimes, calm and discipline prevail.
18:02All fear the consequences of breaking the rules.
18:04of breaking the rules breakfast a bowl of porridge a slice of bread and a beaker of
18:15juice it doesn't look appetizing but the inmates are used to it
18:23most of the time you can eat it they don't have a choice anyway if you don't
18:31like the food tough luck right after breakfast it's off to work for Maxim before entering the
18:41workshop area he needs to register at a checkpoint last name name patronym Maxim Avinovich date of birth
19:00February 23rd 1995 in the workshop area prisoners are free to move during working hours without
19:11being escorted by guards colony 4 covers an area of almost 20,000 square meters the administrative
19:24buildings are located at the entrance behind it are six accommodation blocks each one houses more
19:31than 100 prisoners the largest part of the prison grounds however is taken up by the workshops in
19:38the past goods were produced here on a piecework basis and delivered by train across the whole
19:44Soviet Union most of the buildings have now fallen into disrepair whereas several thousand prisoners
19:54were once housed in the colony today there are just 800 and not all of them work
20:00the inmates mainly process timber the prison then sells the products to cover parts of its costs
20:15working conditions are abysmal hardly any protective equipment outdated machinery dust and dirt earnings
20:25depend on production volumes in other words if the inmates are lazy they earn hardly anything
20:31nevertheless most of them willingly put in the effort like Maxime
20:37of course it's exhausting work but you get privileges must the time passes faster when you're working
20:50I've got a long sentence what else am I going to do just sit around what for in this way I can make a
20:58little bit of money it is striking that not a single guard is to be seen in the entire workshop just a
21:08workshop manager who supervises the work
21:20I don't have a gun if there is trouble especially trained people are available to take care of it but
21:32it's always better to just keep calm and talk to people
21:36800 prisoners who are relatively free to move around the entire grounds and only around 30 guards
21:46nevertheless deterrence is the primary means of keeping control guards patrol the entire grounds
21:55randomly and anyone caught doing anything forbidden faces harsh penalties nearly 100 cameras are also spread
22:06around the site in the main monitoring room images are scanned 24 hours a day to spot any misdemeanors
22:14another method of keeping the prisoners in check and demonstrating the authority of the guards are the
22:27periodic searches of the accommodation blocks
22:30you do the first two beds and the nightstands you the next two beds and nightstands you the next two beds and the nightstands we're looking for anything that's forbidden for prisoners to possess everything must be reported understood let's go
22:57there's no privacy there's no privacy here guards rummage mercilessly through every corner of the dormitory
23:06they know how creative inmates can be in concealing things
23:10bedding pillows or mattresses could be used as hiding places we also often find forbidden things in the nightstands
23:23we've just found a magnet that can be used to fix and conceal things underneath beds
23:30anything not officially permitted is confiscated even seemingly harmless items
23:39prisoners should get a sense for who is in charge in prison the findings this time curtains an extension cord a magnet and a nail
23:48okay okay we're done with the search for will lose them the confiscated items need to be documented
23:55any comments
23:57let's go
24:00on to the next search
24:03leaving behind a mess
24:05those owning the confiscated items will be held accountable anyone getting out of line will end up here
24:18the pit
24:22that's what the prisoners call the prison's isolation wing
24:26for a first offense prisoners are held here for two weeks
24:30twenty four hours a day in solitary confinement with no distractions and plenty of time to reflect
24:37if that hasn't been long enough for them to see since the next time the stay will be much longer
24:43the most severe punishment in colony four is daily routine next door in colony eight
24:51isolation and maximum security a prison built for the country's most serious criminals
25:06each window has a cell number next to it so if video cameras pick up anything suspicious guards know instantly where to go
25:16these are the men who intervene in the event of violence attempted escape or rioting
25:23specially trained guards practice how to keep control in extreme situations several times a week
25:31another security measure is for any vehicle entering or leaving the prison to pass through a security checkpoint
25:50and undergo strict inspection by he heard or provost
25:53the main objective for inspecting vehicles leaving the prison
26:00is to prevent an escape
26:03officer dobrovoski checks to make sure no inmate is hiding under the trash
26:08to make sure no inmate is hiding under the trash
26:20the horse cart is clean and may exit
26:32any vehicle entering the prison also undergoes a search
26:37smuggling via deliveries to the prison is a major problem in ukraine
26:40smuggling via deliveries to the prison is a major problem in ukraine
26:44passport, cell phone, documents
26:50some inmates are willing to pay a lot to get their hands on highly sought after items
26:55such as cell phones or drugs
26:58and sometimes drivers who earn a monthly wage of just 200 euros
27:03take the opportunity to make a little extra money
27:06take the opportunity to make a little extra money
27:10the whole vehicle could be used to conceal things
27:15items could be hidden in the engine compartment
27:18using magnets
27:20or here under the fender
27:22you just never know
27:24stuff could be anywhere
27:26you just never know
27:27you just never know
27:28you just never know
27:29you just never know
27:30you just never know
27:31cash
27:32cell phones
27:33alcohol
27:34drugs
27:35and weapons
27:36are the things that are most often smuggled
27:38I've found all kinds of things
27:45I wouldn't know what to tell you about first
27:51there's so many things
27:53the officer takes more than half an hour to check the truck
28:03he doesn't find any contraband
28:10the driver is cleared to drive into the prison grounds
28:16when he leaves
28:18Ihor will again thoroughly check the truck
28:23most deliveries to the prison end up here
28:26in the kitchen
28:29three times a day
28:31a team of 10 inmates prepares food for the prisoners in Colony 8
28:36right now
28:42they're getting lunch ready
28:44soup
28:48grains
28:50and fish
28:52supervising the kitchen is Anatoly Shutsky
28:59his task is to check that the prisoners are working
29:02and that the meals are reasonably edible
29:05he is also responsible for handing out knives
29:12I document every knife that I hand out
29:23I record the time, who gets the knife
29:26and when the knife has been returned
29:29if a knife is missing in the evening
29:33nobody leaves the kitchen until it is returned
29:37I've been here for 18 years
29:42so far, I have not had any problems with the prisoners
29:47working in the prison kitchen
29:49is a highly sought-after job among inmates
29:52the work is not too strenuous
29:54and the pay is good
29:56however, inmates are selected according to strict criteria
30:00those convicted of violent crimes or murder
30:04have no chance of getting a kitchen job
30:09Vlodimir Shavorsky
30:11has been in Colony 8 for two years
30:13convicted of multiple thefts
30:15the qualified bricklayer
30:17has been working in the prison kitchen for a year
30:24outside of prison
30:27I cooked for myself
30:29that's how I learned how to do it
30:31of course, it was better at home than here
30:34but it's okay
30:37no one here expects much anyway
30:48I'm happy to have the job
30:50it means I can buy something nice from the store
30:53sausages, cookies, candy, coffee, tea
30:58the prison budget for food is just one euro per day
31:04and per inmate
31:06or about 30 cents per meal
31:09grains, potatoes and cheap fish
31:12are the main ingredients of every meal
31:15the highlight is an indefinable sauce
31:19before the food is served to the inmates
31:25the prison's staff must taste it
31:28this is to prevent inmates settling grievances by spoiling the food
31:40the honorable task falls to the deputy duty officer
31:43and the prison's hygiene officer
31:45only when they have tasted each dish
31:48may the food be served to the inmates
31:51the verdict after a few spoonfuls
32:05sufficient calories, lots of carbs
32:08so for the people serving their sentences here
32:11it's really not bad
32:13it's not bad
32:15it's not bad
32:16it's not bad
32:17you're right
32:18grains, fish, sauce, everything
32:20the soup also has enough ingredients
32:22it tastes good
32:24just a signature is required
32:28then the cooks may get the food ready for serving
32:31flasks ensure that the food is at least not completely cold by the time it reaches the inmates
32:46there is no canteen here
32:58like the one next door in colony 4
33:01it would be far too dangerous
33:03the prisoners are served the food in their cells
33:07the doors are not even opened
33:10bowls are passed through small hatches
33:13the high risk inmates should have as little contact as possible
33:17but they all get as much food as they want
33:20once a day the lifers are allowed to leave their cell
33:36to go to the courtyard
33:38what sounds nice is in reality a small cell without a roof
33:44with the prisoners being under constant surveillance
33:58it is forbidden to talk to the other prisoners next door
34:03everyone has yard time individually
34:07one hour max
34:10most inmates use the short time for exercise
34:17as does Pavlo Maksymyuk
34:20the 35 year old was the head of a big gang
34:24which was responsible for multiple robberies and several murders
34:28he's been here for 12 years
34:31being out in the fresh air and doing exercise is important to me
34:38I have a family and children
34:39I want to keep myself healthy so that when I'm free
34:42I can live a normal life
34:44the unrealistic dream of being freed from prison
34:50also keeps him alive
34:52life would otherwise be too difficult to endure here
34:55we're locked in our cells for 23 hours a day
35:02you read, you watch television
35:05you exercise
35:07when it's cold I also do my exercises in the cell
35:12there's breakfast, lunch
35:16I watch movies, news
35:19what's going on in the world
35:21you get used to it
35:23you kind of adapt
35:25mentally
35:26and physically
35:28there's nothing much else to do
35:31for most inmates of colony eight
35:36this is the highlight of the day
35:38one hour in a small roofless cell
35:41with no contact to others
35:43just as stones throw away
35:47things look very different
35:49in the second prison colony four
35:52the inmates live in large shared accommodation blocks
35:55also under strict security measures
35:58but with a relatively large amount of freedom
36:05the accommodation blocks have no locks
36:08and the inmates can move around freely
36:10a TV room
36:12and a kitchenette are available
36:24a team of permanent guards ensures things remain calm
36:27and orderly
36:28they check that the prisoners comply with all the rules
36:31any infringement no matter how small
36:34is meticulously documented and sanctioned
36:37for example not wearing the uniform correctly
36:42is a violation of the rules
36:44if the name tag is not sewn on
36:47then the inmate must go before a disciplinary committee
36:52just one or two negative reports mean
36:56zero chance of being released early from prison
36:59those who behave exemplary and work
37:05or get money from their families
37:07can go shopping in the prison's own shop
37:09you can get almost everything here
37:20tea, coffee, sausages, candy
37:24only cigarettes are not sold
37:26they can only be brought in or sent by families
37:30in addition to food
37:32there are also plenty of everyday items
37:35especially important
37:37toilet paper
37:39because it isn't provided by the prison
37:42that means
37:43if you don't have money
37:45you won't have toilet paper
37:47they usually buy soap, shaving cream
37:52and of course toothpaste
37:55and notebooks
37:57are very popular
38:02Larisa and her colleague Tatiana
38:04are the only female employees in the prison
38:07they have been working in the prison shop
38:09every afternoon for over 30 years
38:12by now they have gotten used to dealing with the exclusively male prisoners
38:17but that had not always been the case
38:23I was a little scared at first
38:25for several months I had bad dreams
38:27back then they all had shaved heads
38:29they all looked the same
38:31I was still young
38:33to make a purchase from the kiosk
38:36prisoners need to first order
38:38from and pay Tatiana
38:40there is no cash
38:43this is intended to prevent illegal dealings
38:46and hierarchies forming among prisoners
38:49those who work
38:50get their wages credited directly to a prison account
38:54families can also pay money into it
38:57and Tatiana conscientiously keeps records of every penny
39:01the inmates spend at her store
39:04the prisoners give their last name
39:07I then ask to which section they belong
39:09whether to 2 or 4 or to 5
39:11then I check which section the person is in
39:14take his file
39:15check how much money he has
39:16here for example
39:18114.18
39:20I write the date
39:21the amount
39:22and then the inmate signs
39:26for inmates
39:27shopping is one of the rare opportunities
39:29to exchange at least a few brief words
39:32with someone from outside the walls
39:42it's very different next door
39:46in the maximum security prison
39:49the Maxim here is
39:51as little contact as possible for the prisoners
39:55hardly a word is spoken
39:57even when serving food
40:06the corridors are deserted most of the time
40:09the inmates sit well secured behind thick steel doors
40:12in their cells
40:14monitored by a multitude of cameras
40:16communication of any kind between the inmates is strictly forbidden
40:30but if you have a lot of time on your hands
40:33you get creative
40:35prisoners exchange news and trade cigarettes and food by string mail
40:40apart from knocking signals
40:43this is the only way to communicate with others
40:46the guards are of course aware of it
40:49but they do not always catch the perpetrators in the act
41:05but this is not the only challenge for senior guard Alexander
41:10every day is a game of chess
41:13they try to beat us
41:15we try to beat them
41:17a game that ultimately has consequences
41:20if they don't understand that they are behaving badly
41:25then they will be punished
41:27one of the measures taken by the guards
41:33regular searches
41:35at least once a month
41:37Alexander and his team search each of the 100 cells
41:40the procedure is always the same
41:54one prisoner leaves the cramped cell with his belongings
41:57the other stays inside
41:59turn around
42:04first a body search
42:08the guard and prisoner
42:10are now together in a very confined space
42:13the risk of being attacked
42:15is now at its greatest
42:17we're looking for forbidden items
42:27shop objects
42:28alcohol
42:29drugs
42:30cell phones
42:31the guards do not have any modern search equipment
42:38the prison does not have the money
42:40instead they have to rely on their eyes
42:43eyes
42:44and experience
42:53the prisoners have been here for many years
42:55they are constantly thinking about ways to hide things
42:58they hide the stuff in the toilet
43:01under the bed
43:02in the buckets
43:04they are also hiding places in books
43:06there is nothing in here this time
43:10but often they cut out pages
43:12and then hide forbidden things in the empty space
43:17besides drugs, alcohol and money
43:23the guards are mainly looking for one thing
43:26homemade weapons that prisoners can use to attack guards
43:30with a little skill you can make a weapon out of almost anything
43:34from cutlery to a tin of shaving cream
43:37in the worst case
43:39it could cost a guard his life
43:4440 minutes later
43:46the search is over
43:48we didn't find anything forbidden this time
43:51after both inmates and all their belongings have been returned to the cell
43:57the doors are relocked
43:59the inmates will now remain locked in their cell until the next day's courtyard visit
44:04fair treatment according to the guards
44:11i can't feel sorry for them
44:17or i'd be doing the wrong job
44:19when you work here
44:22you can't perceive them as normal people
44:25yes they are human beings
44:27who also need to be treated as human beings
44:30but they have committed serious crimes
44:33and should never be trusted
44:35it's getting dark
44:43the beginning of the worst part of the day for the prisoners
44:47no more distractions provided by work or mealtimes
44:52instead
44:53nothing but a gaping sense of boredom
44:56and
44:57plenty of time to reflect
44:59ex-gang boss Pavlik spends most of his day watching TV
45:15he is serving his sentence alone in a solitary cell
45:26i think a lot
45:28i just sit around
45:30almost the whole day i'm alone
45:34it automatically makes you think
45:36unfortunately there's no technology available to determine whether someone has reformed themselves and could be allowed out
45:43everybody's just holding
45:46me too
45:48i've been here for a long time
45:50his only company
45:53his cat
45:54prison management tolerates cats in the cells as long as the prisoners take good care of them
46:00i call him my son
46:07we play and cuddle
46:10you get used to each other
46:12i've already been asked if i'm going to take him when i leave here
46:15how can i leave him here
46:17i'll take him with me
46:19but the reality is different
46:22neither of them will probably ever leave this cell again
46:25bed time
46:38on the stroke of ten o'clock the guard turns off the lights
46:41the light switches are on the outside
46:44for the next eight hours the prisoners must lie in their beds
46:48they are not permitted to watch television
46:51or to have any conversations with their cell mates
47:02next door in colony four there is also silence
47:06here too from ten o'clock onwards anyone not on night shift in the workshop must be in their beds
47:13the guards check that everyone is present
47:28then the lights are switched off here as well
47:32thus ends another day
47:35in ukraine's toughest prison
47:38a prison where some of its inmates
47:41will most certainly never leave alive
47:45locked behind bars
47:47until the end of their days
47:51you
48:04you
48:08you
48:10you
48:12you
48:14you
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