Behind Bars 2: The World’s Toughest Prisons - Colony 100, Kharkiv, Ukraine | Free Documentary

Kharkiv. Its 1.4 million inhabitants make it the second largest city in Ukraine. Kharkiv, once a major Soviet industrial center and arms producer, is now a victim of the economic crisis. Daily crime has been growing due to poverty and lack of opportunities. More and more young people are turning to robbery and drug trafficking as the only way to make money. Prisons: overcrowded. And the lack of economic opportunities is reflected in the recidivism rate. Seventy percent of all released prisoners return to prison at some point. Those who are sent to prison for the second or third time end up here: in Colony 100.

Ukraine's answer to repeat offenders and dangerous, hardened criminals. Prisoners who live by their own rules. If you don't act like yourself, they'll make you pay for it. Total isolation for the worst criminals throughout the country. Serial killers and child molesters. Locked in a small cell for life. Many with no hope of ever being released. A prison full of inmates who have nothing to lose. "My job is to prevent them from committing suicide." Trapped in a system that knows no mercy. Does not allow bad behavior. Strictly enforces the law. And he's tough on anyone who tries to escape.

Welcome to Colony 100. The prison for hardened criminals. Six in the morning. Today another transport brings five new inmates to the prison for hardened criminals. A twelve-man committee made up of guards, doctors and psychologists meets with the prisoners. "Number one!" "Number two." "Men. First I will explain the punishment for not following the rules." Each newcomer goes through the same procedure. "Who are you?" “I am Alexander Alexandrovich. I was born in 1975. I served time in Colony 63 and, more recently, in Colony 309." "Well. Take your things and go to the door. Form a line on every line you see on the ground.” Since they have all been in prison before, the five know the rules in force in all Ukrainian

prisons

: stand still on the white lines, with your hands behind your back and look at the ground.

But you also know... Colonia 100 is different. It is the best known and most notorious of Ukraine's 170 detention centers. It is a legacy of the Soviet Union. Even now, inmates repeat horrific stories of torture and murder. Thirty years after the fall of the Soviet Union, the prison doesn't look much different. The gloomy architecture combined with barbed wire and high walls still has a depressing impact on every visitor. Colony 100 is divided into two zones. The main part is for repeat offenders. Strict discipline and work in the prison factories are intended to help these hardened criminals regain their

free

dom one day.

The other part is a prison within a prison. The maximum security wing for those serving life sentences. It houses Ukraine's worst criminals. Like every morning, Sergey, a guard, shows up for work. According to Ukrainian law, inmates from his wing will never enter those doors again. In Ukraine, life imprisonment really means life imprisonment! The prisoners in this building stay here. Until they die. “The people in my maximum security wing have been given the harshest sentence possible. They are especially dangerous. They are guilty of truly terrible crimes like murder, rape and child abuse…” “Take this man. He raped two little girls and then brutally murdered them.” “And this is Serenko.

He is serving a life sentence for a similar crime. “He and his friends kidnapped two girls and raped them for two weeks.” “And this is Kozachenko's cell. He is accused of killing four people. He was a firefighter. He used his work to kill four people in cold blood. “The men imprisoned here are extremely dangerous.” Ukraine does not reconsider cases once the minimum sentence has been served. The possibility of parole: zero. Once, two inmates submitted a petition to be transferred to another wing. Both requests were rejected. No one locked up in this wing has ever left it alive.

The prisoners live in cells for two or three men, along with other murderers. Locked together, in a space of barely twelve square meters. For the rest of their lives. Guards monitor the cells 24 hours a day with cameras. They have to make sure that inmates don't commit suicide. Several have tried it. Thus, the signs on the door indicate the level of aggressiveness and suicide attempts, in addition to the names and personal information of the inmates. Today we will meet the most dangerous prisoners. Six fifteen. In the “normal” wing of Colony 100, the main part, new arrivals have to be processed.

This includes a shower and a thorough medical examination and, above all, a search of your few belongings. “It's time to go through your things. The first three: go to the table and empty your pockets. We will look for everything.” Drugs, knives, guns. There's nothing the guards at Colony 100 haven't found. And this despite the fact that the inmates here should know better. “It's nothing new for me. I'm used to it. But I'm curious to know what this prison will be like. I mean, I have to live here for four years and one month. Alexander still seems calm... “Maybe I can leave early, if I behave.

I have to try to get in with the guards.” In fact, he only has a chance of being released early if his guards are happy with him. But often this has no rhyme or reason, as we will see... It's time for Mihael Vuganov to start his turn. Although he is surrounded by murderers and rapists, he and the other guards are unarmed. The danger of inmates gaining control of a gun is too great. “I have to cross the main patio to get to my sector. You can see everything from here. The maximum security wing is in front.

To the left are the guards' offices. And the administrative wing is on the right, behind the high walls.” Mihael begins his shift waking up the inmates of Sector Four. A wing for inmates who have committed mid-level crimes. A guard watches over this wing of the Colony day and night. There is a huge fence, but otherwise the prison looks like a normal apartment building at first glance. Unlike the maximum security wing, inmates here do not live behind

bars

. Even the door of the building is wide open. For this part of Colony 100 uses a different, much more insidious strategy. "Hello.

Anything special?" "No. Everything was quiet last night. The idea: self-control. The inmates have responsibilities and watch each other. If someone steps out of line, the whole group is punished for it. A cruel and unforgiving system with the mistakes made by the handful of hardened criminals detained here. Eight men share 16 square meters. They work, eat, sleep... in one room. Whoever loses the respect of the group has a hard time. André Zaike knows this well. “We are not a family. We don't worry about each other like at home. You are always with your cellmates, never alone. That's why sometimes I'm glad I can work here.

You can disconnect a little during lunch. Otherwise… yes. The worst thing is when the longing for

free

dom invades me. “Purple painted walls, lace curtains. Sector Four almost seems cozy. This part of the

colony

also bears the full weight of the Ukrainian judicial system. Only here it's not the criminals who have

bars

on the windows, but the guards! “Our cell blocks are secure. There is no hope of escape. Even if someone managed to get off the block, they would still be here. In the middle of the prison. And then I would have to go out this way.

Right through the administration building. But it is protected by bars and fences. Colony 100 is one of the most secure

prisons

in Ukraine. There are three administrative buildings and a cafeteria in the center of the complex. A huge steel plant on the east side. And next to the maximum security wing is the main section: nine cell blocks for “normal” inmates. As in Sector Four, they live in individual apartment buildings surrounded by walls and barbed wire. If a prisoner tried to escape, they would still find themselves right in the middle of the prison. The entire compound is surrounded by a wall with several layers of NATO barbed wire.

If a prisoner actually managed to get over or under, he will still be in “no man's land.” An area ten meters wide with no entrance or exit. Armed guards stationed in six towers monitor this narrow strip of land 24 hours a day. In the event of an escape attempt, the guards are ordered to shoot. No one has ever managed to escape from Colony 100. And the prisoners know that something more awaits them on the other side of the walls. The most powerful weapon in the fight against escape attempts: the special canine unit. Specially trained dogs with one goal: immediately eliminate prisoners in any situation imaginable. "Freeze!" Seven o'clock.

Guards are still searching the newcomers' belongings. This is the third time Alexander Alexandrovich has been sent to prison. This time for unauthorized possession of a firearm. "Four years! I don't understand why they sentenced me to four years and one month. Why such a harsh sentence? Last time they only gave me one month for drug possession. Alejandro doesn't understand it. But one thing is clear : The more often a person is convicted of a crime in Ukraine, the harsher the sentence. And he forgets to mention an important point: Alexander was arrested with a loaded gun in front of a supermarket.

The medical examination must answer three questions. What is the general state of health of the inmate? Does he have signs of having injected heroin? And is it not unusual for doctors to find drugs in the anus? Sector Four, that means: they can get some exercise in the yard. When the guard opens the gate to the yard, the inmates are supposed to go to the cafeteria again and no one watches the group on the way. of Andre's cellmates is in charge. He occupies the highest rung in the group's hierarchy. Only an inmate who has been inside for a long time and has earned the respect of both prisoners and guards can take on this responsibility.

Hierarchy also has an impact on jobs. Every prisoner has to work. Víctor and his colleagues work in the prison's steel plant. They're lucky. Inmates who work in the cafeteria also rank high in the hierarchy. Other inmates are not so lucky. Hierarchies have their own rules. The only thing that matters is earning respect behind bars. The life one lived outside simply does not matter anymore. “If you want to know, you can ask other people what to expect. What they used to do for a living. And if you don't care, you don't talk about it. But above all we know why we are all here. "It's no secret." The worse one behaves in prison, the worse the job is.

The worst of the worst ends here: in the bathroom cleaning crew. But all work, no matter how bad, is fun. Those serving life sentences only wish they were so lucky. Eight o'clock in the maximum security wing. Like every day, the guards control the most dangerous inmate. The blackest of the black sheep. Guards observe a strict rule when controlling inmates: they never enter a cell in which there is more than one inmate. That's why you have to be moved briefly. This prisoner is so unpredictable that he has to walk backwards to the bars and have handcuffs put on him.

Only then do Sergey and his colleagues enter. "No. Go to the window." Rusha Hudoli is the most guarded inmate in Colony 100. He was convicted of murdering 29 people: men, women and children. The motive: greed. He has been living in his two-man cell for four years. "We sew bags to pass the time. I also have a TV that receives several channels. Mine is the top bunk. Here is a table where we talk and read, and our dishes are there. There is the bathroom back there. Yes, this is our life.” His stay in prison has visibly affected Hudoli. Outwardly, he seems to have made peace with his sentence. “Actually, it is not so. small for two people.

It's okay if we keep the bags under the bed. And when one of us is in the bathroom, the other is right there, but at least there is a little door. Sure, I regret what I did, but no. I can change it. They punish me precisely for my mistake and I regret it. So what else do I do? We play chess. Read. And I sleep a lot.” Prisoners serving life sentences must remain in their cells twenty-three hours a day. They only have one hour outside, if the guards want it. They spend this hour in the courtyard or in a visiting room.

Whatever they do, one decisive thing is always the same: loneliness is oppressive. In theory, each prisoner in the maximum security wing can submit a request every few months for family visits. For a little normality in a dark

world

. But Hudoli has not filed a petition for a long time. Nobody comes to visit him. “My sister and my mother sometimes send me apoem or packages, but no one comes. Except for a couple of religious people who come to talk to us.” Only in the visiting room. To which no one comes. Men like Hudoli have nothing more to look forward to in the maximum security wing.

The fact is, with his criminal record, Hudoli will never be released. Colony 100 is prepared for escape attempts of all kinds. Every few weeks, a special unit even trains at the prison in case of a hostage crisis. “Pay attention, guys. Listen. Today's special operation is delicate. We're dealing with a hostage crisis. We will be divided into three groups: group one, a sniper, a team to storm the building, and a blocking team. We will split up when we reach the crisis zone. Take your positions. You know what you have to do. Sniper, immediately go to the roof and prepare.

Right face! The operation is just a simulation, but real guards and prisoners play the role of kidnappers and hostages. In this case, four prisoners used a knife to take control of a getaway car and overpower a guard. The mission of the special unit is to end the crisis without suffering major losses. "The storm group has taken cover up ahead. The snipers are in position." "Ready." "Go." "Hands behind your back, out of the car. Don't move. Get out. Faster, faster, Let's go, let's go." In fact, the mission is accomplished in a few seconds. "That was very good.

We disarm them. “Everyone in the car was neutralized.” The hostages: released. The knife inmate: dead. The driver is also dead. The others were injured. Of course, this was just a drill, but it is no coincidence that it took place in broad daylight in the prison. “The operation went very well. Fast and effective. The hostages were released. We do this here in Colony 100 because the prisoners here are capable of anything. You should see how we work. Right outside their cell doors. And exercise cannot be ignored. Throughout the morning shots of blank bullets are heard in the prison yard. 11 o'clock and no one had heroin in their anus.

All new arrivals passed a medical examination. But Alexander Alexandrovich knows that the most difficult thing is yet to come. Inmates don't just go to their cells in Colony 100. They must first prove themselves. And the cell block they are in determines where they will work in the prison. And that, in turn, reflects where they are in the hierarchy. Do you understand? You are now in quarantine. You will stay here for two weeks. Understood? We will now discuss the details with you individually. Two weeks of intense observation will decide whether Alexander's four years in prison will be agony or not.

The first thing: an interview with the head of the quarantine area. "What is your name?" "Alexander Alexandrovich." "Birthdate?" “March 11, 1975” Questions are then asked about relationships, job training, education, social contacts, and previous jobs. Everything goes into the evaluation. “When a prisoner arrives, we complete this file. There are ten quarantined sections and each one has a guard chief. He is given the file and keeps it throughout the prisoner's stay. Everything is recorded: behavior, doctor visits, psychological evaluations, etc.” At the latest, prisoners now understand that isolation and monotony are the principles of their confinement. Alexander and the others are not allowed to leave the quarantine room for two weeks.

It is a very stressful situation and the guards are watching them 24 hours a day. “I was once quarantined in another prison. But that's because he was sick. This is different, harder. You have to behave very well in these two weeks. After that, they separated us. They question us all the time and then decide. They watch us closely and we have to adapt quickly and get used to the situation. Then we will see what happens.” We will see later on how Alexander does and if he enters a good sector. Until then, the gate will remain closed for 14 days. 11:30 a.m. m.

Andre and his cellmates spend the morning in the cold, amidst drab concrete. His shift at the prison steel plant doesn't start for another half hour. Until then, they hang around and use exercise equipment to stay in shape. “I can only do a couple of exercises. No free weights or machines are allowed. So I train like that. Easier exercises like push-ups and pull-ups are fine, but that's about it.” There used to be weights and other sports equipment in Colony 100. But then one prisoner felt betrayed by another in his group. He hit his head on a dumbbell. The attacker ended up being heard: in the “karza”.

The hole. This is what prisoners call the former solitary confinement cells from Soviet times in the prison basement. “These are our punishment cells. “They are for prisoners who do not do what they are told.” We put them in this room. But never for more than 14 days. No one could take more. The prisoner spends here 23 hours a day. We decide when he can go out for an hour.” There is a hard metal slab as a bed. It can be folded during the day to give the prisoner some space. A sink, a toilet. And: total isolation from the outside

world

.

Nobody wants to be sent to hell. But from time to time one of the prisoners is forced to spend a few days here. Even Andre had to go to the hole once at the beginning of his prison sentence. He was allowed to leave after three days. And since then he has never been in trouble again. He even managed to become a foreman at the prison's steel plant. About 200 prisoners work in the plant in three alternating shifts. Officially they work a maximum of eight hours a day, five days a week. Whether cooking, sewing, distributing food or welding in a steel plant: work is not only necessary in the neighborhood;

It's also the only way to earn some money. Prisoners can earn up to €50 a month. "It's a very hard work. Very tiring. But you get used to it over the years. And what else should I do? I am in a position of great responsibility here. I have to monitor and train everyone, make sure they are working correctly and doing everything right. It is my responsibility. Much of the money earned goes directly to the prison in exchange for cigarettes. But Andre saves everything he can to have a small reserve when he is released. He does not want to fall back into the vicious circle of poverty, unemployment and crime.

For the prison, the steel plant is a triple blessing. First, the prisoners have something to do. Second, they can cheaply manufacture all the steel work the prison needs. The inmates weld their own doors and bars. But the biggest advantage: steelworkers earn money for the prison. The stadium where Metalist Kharkiv, a top division soccer team and Europa League contender, plays, was built entirely from prison steel. A lot of money that the prisoners themselves will never see. One p.m. Time for lunch in the maximum security wing of the Colonia 100 maximum security prison. A plate of stew, a piece of bread, a pickled fish.

Most of the little money lifers earn from sewing is exchanged for cigarettes by the guards. They will never have the opportunity to spend money abroad anyway. After lunch, serial killer Rusha Hudoli is allowed to spend half an hour outside in the courtyard. Also in this case the prisoner remains in solitary confinement. The patio is made up of isolation cells. Barely bigger than half a garage. A small space, but a lot of time to think. “I was born in Ukraine, went to school and did military service. Everything seemed to be going well. I had a wife. I started a family and we had a daughter.

Well, and then... then the murders happened. That's what brought me here. I did not want to do it. I did not like. It just happened. It started with something small. It was an accident, I lost control. I was in a fight. It was like self-defense. And then it happened. I suddenly became a murderer. And once you've committed murder, nothing else matters. You can keep killing people. One thing leads to another. You can't control yourself anymore. And you can't go back and undo it. It's happening. He hasn't seen his daughter since she went to prison. No one has visited him for months.

But that's going to change soon... Two weeks later. The big day has finally arrived for Alexander Alexandrovich and the other newcomers. They have spent 14 days in quarantine, where they were observed and studied. A commission will now decide his fate in prison. “They are dividing us according to physical constitution. I hope to join the steelworkers. I'm good at welding. I hope they send me there. I think that would be best. "I am Alexander Alexandrovich, I was born in 1975." “Commission, what is your assessment?” "He has no medical problems." “Psychologically he is very stable. He can do any kind of work.” “Any social contact?

Yes, with his sister.” "What else can I say? He has behaved perfectly in our Colony. He follows the rules. And he is socially compatible. His sister visits him regularly." Which section of the prison for hardened criminals will Alexander be sent to? More on that more ahead. Colony 100, maximum security wing. Mass murderer Rusha Hudoli has not spoken to anyone except his cellmate for four weeks. His family has forgotten him for months. That will change today. A psychologist visits Colony 100 once a month to talk to prisoners serving life sentences. Most of them appreciate the opportunity. It's a bright spot in their totally isolated world.

Maybe get an academic degree? “No, that's too hard for me. And it doesn't make any sense. I just want to continue sewing my hands.” You can talk to the psychologist once a month. In another pavilion, Alexander waits for the commission's decision. “You go to the second area, Sector Four. Take him away." Sector Four: the steelworkers. Just what Alexander expected. Now it's important to keep a straight face in front of the guards and other prisoners. Expressions of joy could easily be interpreted as weakness. Alexander doesn't betray his thoughts until he's in the hallway: “Great. Now I'll do my best and do what I can.

At least I don't have to sit under observation anymore. Life has a little more meaning again: being accepted by your peers.” The experienced prisoner knows how to do it. “It's very strict here, but I can probably handle things in the cell. However, I can't wear a mask or pretend to be someone I'm not. It's like in the cell. real life. Nobody likes someone to lie or not be honest. Only here those mistakes are punished immediately. "Almost everyone in Alexander's cell works in the steel plant. Time will tell if the other men in his new group cell.

They will accept it or not. It will not be long. Four pm. Alexander starts his new job as a welder from the first day after quarantine. Five days a week, eight hours a day, he must do what his foreman tells him. Andre is not a bad taskmaster, but of course Alexander doesn't know that yet. The 52-year-old does everything he can to please his 36-year-old foreman. “Overall, it's fine. There are hardly any jobs in Ukraine. Here I can take care of myself. Without being a burden on my family.” Shortly after five in the afternoon. Hudoli's time to talk to the psychologist is almost up. “How do you imagine the rest of your time here?” “I don't have any goal.

I live day to day. I want to grow old. Then we'll see." Like many of the inmates in the maximum security wing, Hudoli no longer wants anything in life. He has given up. “My job is to prevent them from committing suicide. I try to keep them as psychologically stable as possible. That's my role here." "In 31 days, the murderer will sit in front of him again. Until then, Hudoli will remain in his cell for thirty-one days in which nothing exciting happens except on television. and one day alone with his thoughts. Thirty-one days in which new prisoners arrive daily at Colony 100, the prison for hardened criminals.

Some will never leave.