Inside the World's Toughest Prisons (2016–2023) User Reviews

A different twist on a prison show

[fsulka-72027 · 8/10 · 21 January 2019]

To start, a lot of the reviews for this show have issues with one or both hosts. I happen to like both hosts. Paul because as an investigative journalist without a criminal background he's unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the environments he is put in. Raphael because of his prison history (he served 12 years in maximum security after being wrongly accused and later released) and an understanding of what goes on inside. I like the fact the show isn't just beeped out profanities thrown at each other, fighting, etc. The show creates a non-threatening vibe that tends to get some really bad people, in some really bad places, to open up about some things. If you want a bunch of thugs acting like animals and going after each other this isn't the show. If you want to learn about the way different prisons work and get an inside look at internal politics, gang power, and individual stories this show is for you.

Raphael, such a great host.

[kermithh · 8/10 · 1 September 2020]

Watched the whole four seasons on Netflix here in Sweden. It's very interesting but what a difference between hosts! I do like Paul but not for this series. When Raphael started in the second season it became a totally different show with so much better interaction and understanding. I must say Raphael is a man with a big heart and mind and I'd like to see him in different formats of other series. He's extremely human and humble and it's a joy to watch him.

The series span prisons across the globe and boy how different countries handle their politics of law and order and how different the prisoners are treated and viewed. It's almost ironic to see the difference between the Norwegian prison and those of South America for example. I do like the fact that we get an insight into the prisoners life and mind but should never forget about the victims even though we feel sympathy with the murderers. I'm still very conservative when it comes to offenders and I feel no punishment is enough for the really heavy criminals.

Paul Connelly was the FIRST SEASON host, Raphael Rowe was AFTER

[susanmj · 8/10 · 4 August 2020]

How are people getting this backwards?? They probably switched hosts because bless Pauls heart he sucked at it, they needed someone who knew what prison was like, and they found the perfect host in Raphael. He's been to prison, he knows what it's like, but the big thing is he wasn't guilty. So, perfect. Love the show, not season 1 so much. Would love to see Raphael re-visit the season 1 prisons and do it right.

Informative and interesting, but a bit contrived on the format.

[keelhaul-80856 · 7/10 · 20 July 2018]

This is a cool show for learning about different places and prisons in the world, but as others have noted, you enjoy it in small doses.

No one is going to behave the same when being watched and video-taped and you can't fully capture the realities and bleakness of this life from a tv documentary crew.

The hosts are funny, asking the same questions over and over again in every episode, and they are always treated gracefully and in a friendly manner, even by murderers, gangbangers, rapists, kingpins, and low-paid guards. This is just humorous to me, as the average man would not receive the same treatment. Of course, the prisoners and guards are talking to you and laughing, and being nice-- they are staring at cameras behind the host and have other motivations for getting their stories out, or behaving calmly for the moment. The guy talks about how dangerous and eerie it feels, and I am sure it does, but you never feel truly worried for his safety, because this is a TV show, with a visible crew and production.

Informative and entertaining, but there is no way to really show the horrors of this life from a scripted show, where the guards show what their superiors tell them to, and prisoners behave like country club buddies at a fundraising event. Worth a watch, but hilarious at times, unintentionally.

Raphael Rowe was the bomb!

[timeforachange-37642 · 10/10 · 23 December 2018]

I love Raphael Rowe. He is raw and real, while actually caring, with a natural instinct for this. The other host, not so much. He tried, but it just wasnt the same.

I hated the first season's host, but the second brought authenticity!

[artemisjackno · 7/10 · 1 August 2018]

In season 1 episode 1, Paul (the host) was invited to "sit in" on an inmate's meeting with a judge. Not only did the host interrupt that meeting, by asking both parties questions instead of waiting until the end, but he completely undermined the inmate in front of the judge. The host asked way too many probing questions into the lives of these inmates, and according to Raphael Rowe, season 2's host, that's a rookie (and costly) mistake. Paul's lucky he had cameras with him, or else he would've been screwed for sure!

Keep Raphael!

[melody2783 · 9/10 · 31 July 2020]

I agree with other reviews about Paul, he was not a good fit. Raphael on the other hand has experience in prison and knows generally how to interact with the inmates

Captain Obvious Has Been Promoted To Major

[ngoetz-30450 · 6/10 · 22 May 2017]

**Spoiler Alert** The concept of this show is really intriguing; however, It can be ungodly painful to watch. It's not the prisons, conditions or subject matter that bothers me, it's the host. This idiotic journalist is either very naive or utterly stupid, probably both. He is a horrible journalist. He asks the most basic, idiotic questions and he paraphrases most responses.

PAUL: "Oh... your daughter died when you were in prison?" Inmate: (Lady withdrawn and tearful) "yes" PAUL: "How Did that Make You Feel?" Lady: "Sad" Paul: "So... you're saying you that were sad?" _______________________________________________________ Polish Inmate: "We get strip searched when we go back to our cell".

Paul: "You mean to tell me, that you get strip searched EVERY time?" Polish Inmate: "Yes" Paul: "I can't believe it".

Paul: "So... People try to smuggle stuff into prison?" It's decent to watch, but it's not really binge worthy. Perhaps better in small doses.

Poor reviews don't do this justice

[angelicalharmony · 9/10 · 19 August 2020]

I'm confused why there are such negative reviews? This show is very intriguing and kept me on my toes in many episodes (I.e. the episode where his cell mates wanted to take advantage of him sexually). I rate this 9/10 for taking the viewers into prisons all over the world!

Interesting in spite of not very bright non-journalist

[danielstricker · 6/10 · 24 October 2017]

I liked watching the show. Inspite of the show host.

I don't know who he is but I guess I'll never know - and that's a good thing.

It's crazily overacted: „I have to undress? Completely? Here? - Oh that was tough. I know now who's boss!!". That's about the way each episode starts.

What a pussy!

And always stressing how verrrrry dangerous it is to sleep, talk, breathe here. But when you watch the show, all you think is: Okay, I got it, you're a pussy.

Nevertheless he was still a charming guy and it delivers some good insights. And in spite of the horribly bad questions à la „Do you like it here? Why not?" it's still interesting to see how the prisoners talk and look.

Bitter/Sweet Review

[Stealthy-22960 · 9/10 · 23 December 2022]

I don't even know where to start...

The docu-series is phenomenal. I love an ex-convicted felon being the host of the series for obvious reasons. He brings a level of authenticity to the experience and is able to disarm and engage with the inmates in ways a person who hasn't gone thru the prison system can do.

Those saying that Ralphel is judgmental. Pause and think about this. This man is merely describing to the viewers what he sees, hears, smells, and feels. And he's brutally honest about it. This is a refreshing take that maybe a professionally trained journalist may shy away from. Also, while he is describing situations to the tee and questioning the inmates on their crimes and motives, do not mistaken this as judgmental as some viewers have done. This man is giving us lay-people a front row seat into the thoughts and actions of some of the worst criminals on earth. Sure, Ralphel has his limits - clearly he despise any crimes against women and children, especially murder and sexual assault. This is evident in the South African prison episode. Anyone who is critical of this man over this issue is likely a rapist, sexual abuser, child molestor or a sympathizer. It's gross to criticize Ralphel for having standards in which it makes him uncomfortable to be around rapist who wouldn't think twice about doing it again.

I love how raw this series is. Holy crap some of the footage is really hard to watch or listen to: prisons in the Philippines, South Africa, South America, and Maldova. Whew I don't ever want to even be near anyone breaking the law in these places.

Which brings me to this hard truth. As an African American, it is really hard to admit and even write this but... Good Lord someone needs to hand out capital punishment to all the South African men going around just rapping women and children - and spreading HIV. That prison literally has more than 25% of its pop related to sexual assault against women and children. Just thro that part of the continent in the damn trash! The caviler attitude about their crimes is just stomach turning. God bless Ralphel for sitting thru that experience and not walking out. The world needs to see what these women and children are dealing with... not to mention the high HIV rates from all these inhuman vessels rapping women and children. Something is psychologically wrong with these black men. And don't tell me it's their socio-economic conditions when there are clearly other very m, very poor countries that do not have this percentage of inmates for sexual assault. I'm tired of the pacifist and sympathizers making excuses and blaming everyone but the criminals. Just castrate these men.

Ok carrying on...

I do think this series shed light on what true punishment and/or rehabilitation should look like and what it takes to get there. I do not think men who are sexual predators can be rehabilitated... so just lock their butts up and throw away the key. Even a murderer, depending on the details, can be rehabilitated. And he/she should be rehabilitated if his/she doesn't have a life sentence because these people will have to go back into society. I'd rather have a changed man interacting with society than some angry, drugged up, psycho back into society.

With that said, Greenland and Norway takes it to the extreme; while the Philipeans, South Africa and South America takes it to the opposite extreme. Those European prisons did not feel like punishment or rehabilitation; but rather a vacation for the criminals. The brown and black countries felt inhuman even for the scum who raped women and children. Good lord, I hope these places figure out a balance with this. Victims shouldn't have to see their perps living the lavish like... looking like a high-end hotel; while on the other hand, prisoners who committed crimes shouldn't have to live lower than animals...

Anyhow, I feel like this is a great series to watch. I wish there was more time spent on women inmates as well. This would be very interesting perspective.

I recommend watching it.

Hosts opinions often lack awareness

[rwcpsmpw · 7/10 · 19 September 2023]

Finding host Raphael's dialogue with the prisoners interesting he does well establishing rapport but his comments afterwards lack awareness - is he is just lacking anything better to say so says any old criticism he can think of?

For example about one prison who allows people to choose to access services not doing enough seems to have a complete lack of awareness of the process people go through when making change and how in rehabilitation such as with addictions they often need to be at rock bottom and ready to make change and choose for themselves / they cannot be forced to change (they will just stop immediately once no one is standing there over them) but he wants them to force rehabilitation.

Another example is how he describes another group being required to take part in taking care of the little things such as keeping their own space clean (sweeping up or cleaning) being "meaningless" and "menial" - failing to recognizing that learning to take pride in caring for yourself and your little space around you is a tiny but important foundation of routine and change for someone who has had no upbringing that teaches them to value these things.

Unbelievable Reality TV

[jrandolff · 2/10 · 4 January 2019]

I only made it through one full episode (Costa Rica) of season 1, which was interesting and fairly entertaining. The episode showed various sections/blocks of the prison complex, and featured interviews with a number of prisoners and guards, as well as the Minister of Justice. . I turned off the second episode (Bogota, Colombia) when Raphael Rowe had to spend his first night in his cell, telling the audience how he could not sleep due to his "dangerous", pot-smoking cell mates possibly trying to kill him, mind you, in full view of the camera crew.

Had this series simply attempted to show an outsider's view of various foreign prisons, and real interviews with prisoners and guards, it might have been interesting. Pretending to actually be locked up, "fearing" for your safety, while being surrounded the entire time by a full camera crew and likely security is simply unbelievable and downright silly. Inmates on camera freely brag about being the drug dealers for their particular prison block, try to extort money from the host and threaten to kill him with a knife, if he refuses to pay. The host refuses to pay and turns to the camera assuring the audience that "these guys are serious".

I have watched other prison documentaries, where the host interviewed inmates, as well as guards and administrators, on camera. Prisoners always kept the answers short and to the point, never volunteered any additional information, and certainly never said or did anything incriminating while the cameras were filming. Had the host actually been "incarcerated" while being secretly filmed and recorded, this show might have had some entertainment value. Of course, neither the host nor prison officials would likely have agreed to those terms.

Not very realistic :/

[schugeorge · 6/10 · 20 December 2018]

Ok, so the idea was a pretty cool one, but I have a hard time with the reality, or lack there of, of the series. I mean, how real could the dangers really be with cameras rolling and an entire film crew along with what I'm certain is a behind the scenes security team? Imagine if it were just him. No film crew. Just him doing the same series, but instead of the camera constantly running he can only turn it on himself at the beginning and end of each day to report how his day went. I venture to say that at some point early on he wouldn't be around to report on his 'adventures"(or his camera at least. I"m sure it would fetch a few hits of someones' favorite drug lol) I'm certain someone would take him out knowing he was not only a foreigner, but a white from a wealthy country. At the very least someone would have taken him as their "bride" or "b*tch", and I seriously doubt that he'd have gotten away with telling the one drug addict "no" about the rules and requirements of their shared 'cell' telling the guy "I have my weapons, my hands! when the guy told him about his brand of punishment using a knife. He'd have been shanked right then and there, or certainly soon thereafter. Again, it was a cool idea. Entertaining, but not very realistic.

Good prison documentary!

[Lovefilms9876 · 8/10 · 10 June 2020]

I wasn't too kean on the 1st series,I found the host paul a bit boring and he doesn't really put it over very well.I loved season 2 and 3 and thought Raphael was a much better host especially having being in prison himself.It was interesting to see how some of the inmates lived and in some very difficult conditions.Definitely a good watch.

Shouldn't have changed host

[ebbyebb · 6/10 · 21 July 2018]

The first few episodes host was relatable .This guy paul is to "green" meaning naive and has no experience or even pretend experience dealing with people from these backgrounds that may or may have wrongfully been imprisoned .I enjoyed watching global prison experiences but he's definitely spoiling it these last few episodes .

Raphael Rowe is so good.

[mertsaylam · 10/10 · 15 January 2021]

Like his attitude and direct talking. As a non English speaker, I understand him easily. Keep up the hard work.

RAPHAEL IS VERY BELIEVABLE

[soycincuenton · 7/10 · 19 October 2022]

Have found this series really interesting. Raphael is a better host than Paul, due to his background and that he takes it far more personally. His questions are honest and his feedback too, and one has to be there in an environment with people carrying knives or other deadly objects to say what he sometimes says.

Not very convinced that he has spent nights in some of them, specially Tacumbú (Paraguay), Manila Central or the South African one.

The guards can't control the inmates during the day, let alone at night.

In some cases Raphael couldn't even speak the language to talk his way out...

But all in all it's the general information about how criminales are treated. What it says about the countries, that makes it so fascinating.

Many thanks to Netflix, Raphael and the inmates that didn't harm him!!

Very unexpected, and well made.

[rafaelhjb · 10/10 · 4 October 2022]

I was about to cancel my Netflix, because I spend more time looking for something to see, that I do watching stuff.

When I had a look of "Inside the worl's thoughest prisons, I was expecting it to be like all the other prison series.

I was wrong. The host was a 12 year inmate wrongfully convicted. That makes a big difference in how the interaction works with the prisoners he encounters.

This documentary will help us understand what goes on inside different prisons of the world, what works in some places and what works in others.

It's very impressive the way the host (Raphael) interviews guards and inmates and tries to point out the things that work for the good of rehabilitation.

Recommended.

Well-done documentary although to see the state of the world is depressing

[groovygirl-21337 · 6/10 · 3 October 2022]

Especially those nations outside the G7 - seems there is vast poverty and a lot of cultural problems outside of poverty driving crime. It is almost to the point in some areas where one can see why the deluge was thought the only sensible option. While I applaud the host Raphael Rowe (I am unfamiliar with any other host for this series, although some have said there was one) for having the courage to enter these prisons, the content, after even a couple of episodes, notably after his "visits" to Paraguay, Manila and Lesotho - is just too depressing. The viewer is left thinking the situation hopeless - so the show needs to provide some hope in the way of what, outside of something extreme like a wipe out or flood, could solve these issues. To me, cultural change begins with educating the next generation (some call it social engineering - but done for the better in this case). However, since there is such an inequal distribution of the world's wealth, it seems that trying to re-educate and simply have the children become adults within these countries will produce only more of same.

I love this show

[jldivelbiss · 10/10 · 17 October 2022]

Raphael Rowe is fantastic at his job! Way better than Paul Connolly. I actually see why they replaced him rather quickly after the first season. It was incredibly uncomfortable watching Paul bring his outside mindset into the prison system. Raphael, being a former prisoner himself, knows that there is a certain mentality and culture of respect that you must abide to or it will get you killed.

The culture of the prisons fascinate me and Raphael knows this. He uses his interviewing skills and ability to navigate the prison culture while also standing his ground. It's incredible work by Raphael and I cannot get enough of this show!

Lock up

[wjmoran-00826 · 7/10 · 27 March 2023]

I'm 71 and have unfortunately had experiences in good and bad prisons in my life. No matter what condition there in you will adapt and of you have to fight for what's yours fo it. Win or loose or live or die ,they will leave you alone for their are to many people that will give up anything with out a fight.. I fought for my candy once and would not let a guy on his way to the joint fir assault steal it and got a tooth knocked out but still wouldn't give it up and was left alone. I was asked the next day to be in the car with others who would be there for help.if it happened again and it never did.

Stop with the accents for the voice-overs!

[chitgarmary · 3/10 · 14 April 2020]

The subject is interesting, but too bad that the people being interviewed were dubbed. Doing voice-overs is already bad, but adding ridiculous accents to them makes them even worse.

Not realistic at all

[nbdeclan · 24 June 2020]

The host is being followed and talking to a camera crew the whole time. The Ukraine episode was not tough at all. Prisoners can literally do what they like. There is even a games room and a kitchen they have access too if they can't sleep. Hardly the worlds toughest prisons, no matter how much the presenter Raphael likes to puff up his chest about doing time.

Prison Stories

[REXNE · 7/10 · 17 April 2020]

Three seasons have been published, I watched all of them. They reveal the real faces of prisons. It is surprising to see that many things that people never expected from a prison are in prison. A few guards, cutting tools, drugs and dozens of prisoners. The punishment and "justice" system in many countries has collapsed, and the country I remember most; Philippines.