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Known for notoriously harsh conditions and unthinkable levels of overcrowding, life behind bars in Colombian prisons is about as bad as it gets.
From the barbaric to the bizarre
- El Buen Pastor women's prison (where Australian Cassie Sainsbury is being held) has notoriously harsh conditions
- The prison is overcrowded and Ms Sainsbury is likely to struggle with the social hierarchy
- But the prison is also infamous for its extravagant beauty pageants — see the photos
El Buen Pastor (The Good Shepherd) is the biggest and one of the most infamous women's prisons in Colombia's capital of Bogota.
It is where Australian Cassandra Sainsbury is currently being held after she was caught with 18 packages in her luggage containing 5.8 kilograms of cocaine.
The prison houses about 55,000 inmates, convicted or waiting trial for crimes ranging from minor traffic offences to drug trafficking, and killings.
The cells in El Buen Pastor were designed to hold two inmates but today anywhere between 10 and 20 women may be allotted to the individual cells.
Corruption is rife among inmates and guards, and friction caused by the social hierarchy of the inmates is one of the most common causes of violence.
One of the prison's most prominent inmates, Emma Urdinola Henao, is among those at the top of the prison hierarchy.
Henao is the niece of drug baron Ivan Urdinola who at one time headed one of the country's most brutal drug cartels — The Norte Del Valle.
She has said in several interviews with local media she is "proud" to be born into the family, and speaks of how she uses her power and notoriety inside the prison.
She has lived in El Buen Pastor for several years serving a sentence for murder and won the prison's annual beauty pageant in 2012.
'Money is king'
Australian author Rusty Young, who wrote Marching Powder — a book based on real-life experiences inside South American prisons — said overcrowding, dirty conditions, and sickness were a common experience for inmates.
"If you've got money in these prisons then you can have a decent lifestyle and you can buy certain comforts and certain privileges from the guards and from other prisoners — money is king, basically," he said.
In 1998 the Court of Colombia declared the whole prison system to be unconstitutional and rife with corruption.
As part of the US "War on Drugs" in the early 2000s, Columbia constructed new prisons modelled on the US facilities to combat the problem of overcrowding.
But the penal system continues to suffer from dilapidated infrastructure, poverty, violence and privileges for crime bosses.
Sainsbury at a disadvantage
Foreigners detained in Colombian prisons face additional challenges including language barriers and social isolation.
If found guilty of drug trafficking, Sainsbury could face a prison term of between eight and 20 years, depending on her level of guilt and responsibility.
Sainsbury's lawyer Orlando Herran said she was currently being held among other foreigners under the same circumstances related to "narco-trafficking".
"She is psychologically affected by this. She cries a lot, almost always, because she feels impotent with this situation," Mr Herran said.
"Here in Colombia there are limitations in prison like space and comfort.
"There are discipline and restrictions so when someone gets there they are affected and they feel submitted, so this is what she has been telling me."
Young added Ms Sainsbury might struggle to access some basic services like medical care or even a bed in her cell.
Prison pageantry
Although the conditions are tough, El Buen Pastor makes attempts to humanise its inmates by a holding an annual beauty pageant and parade.
One woman from each of the seven sectors of the prison participate to represent their sector in the pageant while the rest of the inmates watch on.
Participants prepare as they would for "Miss Colombia" or "Miss Universe".
There is a fantasy costume component and an evening gown component, but there are often disputes between the participants over the quality of the costumes.
At the end one of the ladies is crowned the winner.
And another is awarded with the prize for Miss Congeniality.
Topics: prisons-and-punishment, law-crime-and-justice, colombia
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