All language subtitles for Inside.the.Worlds.Toughest.Prisons.S07E01.NF.WEB.h264.EDITH_HI.en

[Raphael Rowe] Kylmäkoski Prison, Finland.

Home to many extremely violent prisoners.

[in Finnish] My brother got killed.
So I shot his killer in the head.

...and took the knife from my pocket.
Stabbed the guy with it in the neck.

[exhales, chuckles]

[exhales rapidly]

[Rowe in English] Behind the cell doors,
the prisoners are in charge.

-[man 1] Do you want some?
-[Rowe] No, thank you.

Crazy.

[man 2 in Finnish] Good. It's coming,
it's coming, it's coming. Good.

-[man 1] Is it straight?
-[man 2] Yep!

[Rowe in English] When inmates refuse
to obey the rules...

Who has the most drugs is the king.
I don't know why.

[men laugh]

[Rowe] ...and show little remorse
for their violent crimes...

What did you do to him?

[in Finnish] Drove over him with a car.

Shot him with a bow.

[Rowe in English] ...how does the prison
begin to reform them?

I'm going to spend the next week
locked up here to find out.

But it's not my first time behind bars.

[hip-hop music playing]

My name is Raphael Rowe.

I was convicted in the UK
of a murder I didn't commit

and sentenced to life with no parole.

It took me 12 long years to clear my name.

Now I'm traveling the globe...

-[barks]
-...to discover what life is really like

inside the world's toughest prisons.

Finland. A country with one
of the highest murder rates in Europe.

[Rowe] It's often said that Finland
is the happiest country in the world,

but it does have a dark side
with a high rate of violent crime,

often committed by men
on the fringes of society,

fueled by drink and drugs.

Dealing with these criminals
is a huge challenge for the prison system.

[Rowe] I'm heading to Kylmäkoski Prison
in Southern Finland,

where I'll be spending the next week.

[hip-hop music playing]

The Finns have
a progressive approach to punishment,

so most prisoners
serve community sentences

or are sent to open prisons.

Only the most dangerous,
the most serious offenders,

are sent to closed prisons
like the one I'm heading to.

And right now,
I don't know what to expect.

I'm feeling a little apprehensive.
I've got the butterflies in the tummy.

[hip-hop music continues]

[Rowe] In Finland,
a key aim of the prison regime

is the personal growth
and development of prisoners

rather than punishment.

But crucially for the prisons,
which are trying to reform them,

it's not compulsory for prisoners
to engage in rehabilitation.

Can rehabilitation really work
for the most dangerous prisoners?

Because if they don't want to change,
there's nothing a progressive regime

with its liberal approach
to rehabilitation can do.

The individuals have to want to change.

[pensive music playing]

It doesn't matter
how many times I do this.

I am a little bit apprehensive

about the men
that I'm gonna be locked up with.

[pensive music playing]

[dramatic music plays]

[officer 1] We go here.

You can put the jacket on the table.

I will give you a plastic bag
where you can put all your clothes.

-Okay.
-[officer 1] And we check these.

And then you will get those back.

[Rowe] All right.

[plastic bag rustling]

[officer 1] You can put it here.

[plastic bag rustling]

Show your... Yeah. Good.

You can put on the T-shirt.

Yeah, okay. And then downstairs.

[Rowe] To protect
the human rights of prisoners,

Finland doesn't allow
routine body cavity searches.

So although up to 90% of new inmates
have drug problems,

it's a superficial search.

Do you find a lot of contraband
during this process?

Yes. Sometimes, yes. Some drugs or...

What kind of drugs
do they try to smuggle in?

Mmm... Subutex.

Sometimes somebody tries
to smuggle some cell phone

or something like that.

[officer 1 speaks Finnish]

[Rowe in English] Subutex is used
to treat addiction,

but it's an addictive drug
in its own right.

Straight to the camera.

[Rowe] Once I'm processed,
I'm taken to my wing.

Violent offenders are not segregated
from other inmates here.

And I'm being taken
to the general population wing 2.1.

[keys jingle]

[indistinct grunts]

[officer speak Finnish]

[inmates speaking Finnish]

-So I'm in here on my own?
-[officer 2] Yeah.

What would your advice be to me
about the other prisoners out there?

[in Finnish] You should not speak
about anything too personal.

And use some common sense.

[in English] What kinds of criminals
am I gonna be living with?

[in Finnish] For example,
this cell block has various criminals.

Violent offenders, killers,

and a lot of drug-related criminals.

-[Rowe in English] Okay. Thank you.
-[officer 2] Thank you.

[tense music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

[Rowe] With 14 cells for 18 prisoners,

some have to share.

The communal area and kitchen
are covered by CCTV cameras,

monitored by guards
in a control room at the end of the wing.

But there are no cameras in the cells.

And I'm now alone with the inmates.

First impressions. It's so quiet.

It's eerily quiet.

You know, as prisons go,
there's no hum, there's no buzz,

there's no hollering and shouting.

Of course, when you're a newbie,

you're gonna be a bit hesitant
about who it is out there.

And they will inevitably

want to size you up
from the moment you walk out there,

and I've already walked past
a couple of really big guys who,

just their appearance,
could be quite intimidating.

Um, but look, let me go and find out

what... what's gonna happen to me
in the next seven days.

Hello. I'm gonna introduce myself.

-I'm Raphael.
-Toni.

-[Rowe] Toni? Nice to meet you, Toni.
-Yes.

-I'm Fuzzy.
-[Rowe] Fuzzy?

-I'm Raphael.
-Welcome.

-[Rowe] Thank you. Nice to meet you.
-[Toni] Yeah.

-Yeah...
-[Rowe] Could I meet the other guys?

-I'm Michael.
-[Rowe] Hi. Michael?

-Yes.
-Hi, Michael. I'm Raphael.

Okay. Welcome.

-[Rowe] Thank you.
-Yeah.

How you doing? I'm Raphael.

-I'm Jani.
-[Rowe] Jani. Nice to meet you.

Oh, I have plates and cutlery. Okay.

[Toni] Yeah. This is what you need
when you're starting here.

-[Rowe] Okay.
-You get the stuff back...

[Rowe] Jani and the big guy Toni
seem pretty friendly,

but they could easily be
intimidating to new inmates,

especially back in the cells
where the guards can't see.

Do they give everybody these things?

-That's for the...
-[Jani] Yes.

-[Toni] Yeah.
-[Rowe] Okay. Okay.

Tell me about the rules here in the block.

Just be yourself
and don't mind other business.

When someone comes here,
if we don't know each other, you know,

I ask him why you here, you know.

-[Rowe] What's your crime? What'd you do?
-[Toni] Yeah. Of course.

Why? Why... Why does that matter?

[Toni] If you're some sexual...

-[Jani] Sexual offender.
-[Toni] Or something... Pedophile.

-[Jani] You get knocked the fuck out.
-[laughing] Yeah. Straight.

[Rowe] Is there someone
in charge of this wing?

Do I need to know whether anybody
deserves more respect than others?

No. Nothing like that.

Mind your own business
and be yourself. It's enough.

[Toni] Yeah.

[dramatic swell]

[Jani] Let's go, let's go.

[Jani exhales]

[speaking Finnish]

[Rowe] Toni, big guy, young but big,

in the vest, lots of tattoos,

and Jani, they welcomed me, but I think

if you were somebody that they would have
taken a disliking to straight away,

um, anything could have happened.

You're in the cell on your own.
The guards are long gone.

So that is the constant reminder

that at the, you know,
flick of somebody's mood,

violence could erupt.

[tense music playing]

[dramatic music plays]

[lock clicks]

[Rowe] Cells are unlocked here at 7:00 am.

[Rowe] This porridge isn't the worst thing
you could have in the morning, eh, Jani?

No, of course.

[Rowe] Some inmates, like Jani,
have jobs and activities in the prison,

and they head off early.

But others choose
just to stay on the wing.

They're not taking advantage
of the projects on offer,

so I want to see if they're
using their time constructively.

[Rowe] I said I feel like
a skinny kid among you lot.

[Rowe] But they want to see
what the new guy's made of in the gym.

-Little warm-up.
-[weight slams]

Yeah, enjoy.

[chuckles] Join.

[indistinct chatter]

-[Toni] One. Five times.
-[Rowe] No.

-You know the technique, yeah?
-[Rowe] Well, I...

-Okay.
-[Toni] Yeah?

[Rowe grunts]

Yes, very good. Five times.

-[Rowe grunting]
-Okay. Three more.

Two.

Good. One.

[exhales]

Yeah. Last one.

Little up. Good.

And you call that a warm-up?

[Toni] No, it's... A little warm-up.

Oh, man.

How much weight was on there?

-Now? Seventy.
-[Rowe] Seventy?

-[Toni] Yeah.
-And how much can you lift?

-Uh, 220, I think.
-[Rowe] Jeez.

[man in Finnish] Good. It's coming,
it's coming, it's coming. Good!

-[Toni] Is it straight?
-Yep!

[in English] Well done.

[grunting]

[Rowe] So far, Toni's been very welcoming,

but I wouldn't wanna get
on the wrong side of him

or his cellmate, Olli.

-[Olli grunts]
-[Toni chuckles]

[Rowe] That is really hard. Really hard.
Look, he can't even walk.

[Rowe] They tell me
they were arrested together

around two years ago
after a car chase with the police.

What were you doing
when they tried to catch you?

-Kidnapping.
-You were kidnapping someone?

Yes. We were collecting
some debt, you know.

[Rowe] Debt collectors?

Well, that explains a lot
about why you're so big.

[Toni] No, it's not my job. [chuckles]

[Rowe] Okay.

But it was a long-time debt, you know.
And this guy said to me, like,

"Kiss my ass. I won't pay you anything.
You are a fucking asshole, and..."

Why didn't you go to the police?

[chuckles]

-[Rowe] That's what most people do, innit?
-I go to the police to get a passport.

But nothing else.

So you... you kidnapped him from his home?

[Toni] Yeah. No, his friend's home.

With a gun?

Yeah. I don't... Did we have a gun?

-Maybe. Maybe not.
-[Toni chuckles] Yeah.

I don't remember. It was two years ago.

Just remind me not to borrow
anything off you in the block, okay?

[laughs] No, no, no, no.

[Rowe] I don't wanna get in debt with you.

So, if you give me a packet of biscuits,
I will pay them back, okay?

-[keys jingling]
-[door unlocks]

[door opens]

[officer] Okay.

[Rowe] If inmates don't work
or go to school in the prison,

then after an hour, it's back
to the wing for the rest of the day.

[pensive music playing]

Toni and Olli seem like the alphas on 2.1,

and I want to find out
more about their background.

But first, Toni's keen to talk to me
about his career as a rapper.

[Toni] C8 Superman.

[Rowe] And is that you?

[Rowe] Yeah, C8, you know,
my rap artist name.

[Rowe] What does C8 stand for?

[Toni in Finnish] It's like
when you say it in Finnish,

"C8," "messed up," kind of.

[Finnish hip-hop music playing]

Everyone is waving around some real guns

and showing drugs in music videos,

so this kind of parodies that aspect.

[Rowe in English] So you made this
as a spoof video?

[Toni in Finnish] I don't claim to be
any kind of gangster or anything,

but even if you are one,

you don't have to say it
out loud to everybody.

♪ At times a straight-edge life
I can't be bothered being afraid... ♪

[Rowe in English] Toni may claim
he's no gangster,

but the violent kidnapping
they carried out

is a truly shocking crime.

What did you do to him?

[in Finnish] What did we do to him?

[Olli] A bit of everything.

But do we need
to go into details like that?

[Toni] We took him to my home in Tampere,

and then we tied him to a metallic table

with metal zip ties by his arms and legs.

We smashed his finger joints

and legs and feet with a hammer.

Drove over him with a car,

shot him with a bow,

and things like that.

But I think most of it
was mental violence,

humiliation,and subjugation.

[Rowe in English] Why did you feel
it was necessary to inflict

the torture that you did?

[in Finnish] Maybe it was the mix
of the anger and excitement.

At that time,

it just felt like it needed to be done.

[pensive music playing]

[Rowe in English] Toni and Olli
to have been involved

in something so serious
as kidnapping, torture.

I've been slightly taken aback
by the lack of remorse.

And I don't know whether that's guys
just pushing out their chests

and pretending to be tough guys.

The guys that I've got to know
have not shown any real remorse or regret.

Not openly. Not yet.

[pensive music continues]

[suspenseful music playing]

[Rowe] After releasing
the inmates at 7:00 am,

the guards retreat back
to their control room.

[pensive music playing]

Inmates can decide whether or not
to take up the many opportunities

to work or study that the prison provides.

And this morning,
once again, some choose not to.

[buzzing]

[Rowe] What's OG stand for?
Original gangster?

[Toni] Yeah.

[inmate in Finnish] Is it sticking okay?

[Toni] Sticks are fairly okay.

[in English] Crazy.

[Toni] Do you want some?

-[Rowe] Tattoo?
-[Toni] Yes.

[Rowe] No, thank you.

[Rowe] Toni's using a tattoo gun

they made from a pen
and an Xbox controller.

[Rowe] Now, what is...
what is the ink coming from?

[Toni in Finnish] We melt
the disposable razors

and take the soot from it.

[in English] What would happen
if the guards came in

and saw you doing this?

[in Finnish] Uh, isolation.

-[in English] Alone time, you know.
-[Rowe] Isolation.

Uh-huh.

Okay, the guards, won't they notice
that you've got a new tattoo?

[Toni] He has too many tattoos, you know.

[in Finnish] I don't think
they'll notice I have a new tattoo.

[Toni] It's done. Yeah.
Yep, turn the machine off.

[Rowe in English] Job done?

[Toni] Yeah.

[tense music playing]

[Rowe] Although some on 2.1
seem to spend all day around their cells,

there are educational programs on offer,

and just over half
the inmates here do prison jobs.

Some even learn how to make jewelry.

Today, I'll be joining my wingmate,Jani.

-Going now to where? The workshop?
-The workshop, yeah.

And this is where you go every day?

[Jani] Every day.

[indistinct chatter]

[Rowe] I knew Jani had a job,
but I'm a bit surprised to learn

he's become an expert
at making traditional Finnish rugs,

for which the prison pays him
100 euros a month.

[clanking]

Hey, come here.
We're doing a simple thing.

-[Rowe] Right. Yeah, keep it very simple.
-[Jani] And the one... Very simple.

[Rowe] Jani's learned to use this loom
over six stints in prison,

and he's currently halfway through
another four-year sentence.

-Now, now change.
-[Rowe] Change.

[Jani] It's two.

-[Rowe] To one?
-[Jani] To one.

-Yeah.
-[Rowe] Then, boom, boom, boom?

[Jani] Yeah, three times.

[Jani laughs]

-You've got power, man. [laughs]
-[Rowe] Am I gonna break the machine?

[Jani] No, no, no.

I can't believe that you've been back
and out and back and out so many times.

Why do you end up
going out and coming back?

It's a lifestyle.
The lifestyle I've been living.

And what is the lifestyle
that you live outside then?

[Jani] Drugs and violence.

-[Rowe] Drugs and violence?
-[Jani] Yeah.

-Selling drugs. You know.
-Right.

Usual shit. [chuckles]

[Rowe] Boom, boom, boom.

[Jani laughs]

So what's your drug of choice?

Cocaine. Amphetamine.

Cocaine and amphetamine.

So what are you in prison for now?

-[Jani] In for violence.
-[Rowe] You're in for violence?

-Yeah.
-[Rowe] What... What did you do?

I stabbed a man. It was a knife fight.

I was in the wrong place
at the wrong time.

-Wrong place, wrong time.
-Nothing special.

Just wrong place, wrong time.

[Rowe] And what happened
to the guy that you stabbed?

[sighs] Thank God he's not dead, but...

[Rowe] That's a good sign, at least,

that you're... you're showing
a sign of remorse and regret there.

[Jani] Yeah.

And when this is coming forward,
you have to move it like this.

[Rowe] Ah.

-[Jani] This keeps the shape, you know.
-[Rowe] Okay.

-[Jani] So it doesn't go like this.
-[Rowe] Okay.

It... It... It bothers me that you're someone

who's been here, got out,
been here, got out, been here, got out,

so the rehabilitation,
the helping people like you...

Yeah, they're helping
if you want their help.

And the same instructor
has been here all this time?

She has been here, yeah.

[Rowe] You must be sick and tired

of seeing him come back
every time he gets out.

[in Finnish] Yes,
I hope he is not coming back.

-He has everything in good order now.
-[Jani] Yeah.

[in English] You seem to have
a good relationship.

[Jani] We have a good relationship.
We speak about everything.

Girls, drugs, everything.

Okay. How does it help you?

I don't know. It's... It's good.
It's good to talk about it.

There's too much testosterone
in the section. [laughs]

Yeah. Yeah, I suppose. I suppose so.

[Jani] Yeah.

Now that I've been here for two years,
I've been making progress in my brain.

This is like therapy to me.
I see my work going forward, you know.

-[Rowe] Okay. You finish, yeah?
-[Jani] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rowe] Even though it's taken
multiple prison sentences to get here,

Jani seems finally
to be making positive changes in his life.

And escaping
the macho culture of the wing every day

also seems to be helping.

[tense music playing]

Back on 2.1, the whole wing is on edge.

Okay, okay. Stop!

[Rowe] I hear a rumor that Toni
has just attacked a new inmate,

who's now been taken to another wing.

-He'd just come to the prison?
-[Toni] Yeah.

-And you punched him?
-[Toni] Yeah.

In his cell. You know.

-[Rowe] Oh, you went into his cell?
-[Toni] Yeah.

[Rowe] Oh, okay.

Because there are cameras,
you know, everywhere.

[Rowe] Oh, okay.

[indistinct chatter]

And why did you punch him?

Because he...

Uh...

A couple of years ago, uh, he snitched.

[Rowe] He snitched about what?

[Toni] Uh, for drugs.

[Rowe] And this was your revenge?

[Toni] Yeah.

I... I can't, you know,
live with, uh, people like that.

My dogs, you know, will laugh at me
if I go home and I do nothing.

How badly was he hurt?

[Toni] I don't know.

[sizzling]

[Rowe] Toni's cellmate, Olli,

was also on the wing
when the incident happened.

[Rowe] Toni was just telling me about the...

Yeah.

Yeah, but he has to do it.

-Does he?
-[Olli] Yeah.

[Rowe] The guards don't know
about it though?

[Olli] No.

Not yet.

-Do you think either guy will tell them?
-[Olli] I don't think so.

I saw it when he went
into the room with the guard.

I... I don't think
he will be telling anything.

-Yeah.
-How does it taste?

Very nice. Thank you very much. Very nice.

-Thank you.
-Not a problem.

[Rowe] Because the guards
have not seen what happened,

Toni goes unpunished.

I'm concerned that if prisoners like Toni

still resort to violence
to solve their problems,

they're not really changing their ways.

[tense music playing]

[dramatic music plays]

The guys have been
banged up all night, you know.

Toni and Olli
have not come out of their cell yet.

Jani's his usual self, buzzing around.

He seems to always have
a spring in his step first thing.

[Rowe] Jani's focus
on the prison's work program

does seem to be helping him
shift away from drugs and violence

and making him a happier man.

But it's not just work
that gets him out of bed.

[Jani] I get an email
every morning from my girlfriend.

Oh, so it goes... it goes to the office?

-The guards?
-Yeah, the guards.

She said put your TV on

because she's going to update my,
you know, sports channel. [laughs]

[Rowe] Is this a long-term girlfriend?

No, no, no. We met in here.

Uh, I was in here.

She came to a blind date with me. [laughs]

[Rowe] How... How did you meet her in here?

Um, my friend, how'd you say?

-Oh, he introduced you.
-[Jani] Introduced me. Yeah.

[Rowe] Jani's new relationship
is clearly an added motivation

for him to stick
with the rehabilitation on offer here.

But not everyone on 2.1
has made the same progress as he has.

[indistinct chattering]

[Michael] Bring some food.
Really fucking shit.

This is dog food.

[Rowe] Michael, not his real name,

is my cell neighbor. He's 18.

He doesn't work and spends
a lot of time on his own in his cell.

Today he seems troubled.

[in Finnish] I'm not, like, depressed
but somehow, fuck,

being here in prison frustrates you
and you want to feel better.

[Rowe in English] Most of the guys
have gone out on exercise this morning.

Why have you not gone out
and got some fresh air

and used that as a way

of kind of releasing some tension and...

[in Finnish] I do go out
usually every day.

[in English] Just not feeling
up to it today, yeah?

[in Finnish] I don't know.
I feel a bit restless today,

and I can't stay here.

[in English] Sorry,
I have to go smoke cigarettes.

Okay. [chuckles]

[Rowe] Michael tends
to retreat to his cell

for hours at a time during the day.

I don't yet know what he's locked up for
or what issues he's dealing with.

-Ah.
-[Michael] What's up?

-How you doing?
-[Michael] Good.

Do you wanna have a chat?

[Michael] Yeah. Great. Come.

Come here and talk.

-I come in? Okay.
-[Michael] Welcome. Yeah.

[Rowe] How you feeling now?
'Cause earlier on you were feeling a bit...

[Michael] Um...

Good.

What... What are you in prison for?
Why are you here?

[in Finnish] I ran away
from this children's home

and went over to Tampere,

where I was homeless
and doing drugs and looking for drugs.

I got into a situation at Tampere
where two around 40-year-old junkies

accused me of stealing their speed stash,

and the guy said to me

that I had three seconds
to give the drugs back

or he'd smash my teeth in
with a baseball bat.

After that, fuck, I just kind of lost it

and took the knife from my pocket,
and I stabbed the guy with it in the neck.

And then the other guy came
and fucking pushed me,

and held his hands someway like this,

then I fucking stabbed him twice,

like, here and here.

[in English] But you were only a kid.

Have you had any help
while you've been in the prison

to understand the gravity of such a, um...

a violent crime?

[in Finnish] I have visited
the rehabilitation worker here

and psychologist,
and yes, it has helped me.

[Rowe in English] And any of your family,
do they come to visit you?

[in Finnish] It's been... Damn, it's been
a long time since anyone came to visit me.

I don't know if I even need visits.
I'm doing well here.

This is a good cell block.
There is a good group here,

and I have friends here, and...
it's nice to be here.

[somber music playing]

[Rowe in English] One of the victims
tragically died

as a result of Michael's violent attack.

Due to his age,
Michael was ordered to serve

just two and a half years
of his sentence for manslaughter.

So the prison system
only has a few months left

to work with him.

All inmates are locked up
for over 14 hours a day,

but Michael often stays in his cell,
even when he has the choice,

and he seems very isolated.

An 18-year-old kid
is being banged up in a cell

in an adult prison
from 4:40 in the afternoon

until seven o'clock tomorrow morning.

Is that rehabilitation?
Is that punishment?

I did this. I did this myself,

being banged up
in a cell in broad daylight,

and it does psychological damage.

Now they have him.
They've got to do something with him.

I mean, no matter what he's done,

at such a young age,
he's still salvageable.

KYLMÄKOSKI PRISON

[unsettling music playing]

[music fades]

[dramatic music plays]

[Rowe] I've two days left
at Kylmäkoski Prison.

I've come across one prisoner
who, just like Michael,

committed serious acts of violence
when he was still a teenager.

-I'm Raphael.
-I'm Leif.

-What's your name? Leif.
-Leif.

[Rowe] Now at the age of nearly 50,

Leif is finally committing to a program
of regular counseling at the prison.

[Rowe] How many times
have you been to prison?

[in Finnish] Uh, 11 times in Finland,

six times in Sweden,

two times in Denmark,
and one time in Norway.

[Rowe in English] Leif says he's part
of Finland's Roma-Gypsy community.

He's spent 23 years in prison,

convicted of multiple violent crimes,

including two murders.

[in Finnish] I have grown up
in institutions.

And I ended up in prison
when I was 15 years old.

Then my brother got killed.
So I shot his killer in the head.

It was revenge.

[in English] What drove your violence
when you were outside then?

[in Finnish] If there is a Romany family
with which there is hatred,

if you don't get away from that situation,
then things can go very bad.

And it is in these times today
when everyone has guns.

Then it happens so suddenly.
They try to take your life immediately.

And I haven't wanted
to receive help before.

[in English] Why now and not in the past?

[in Finnish] I used to use
so many heavy drugs in the past.

But now, during this sentence,

I have had conversations

with Hanna all the time.

[pensive music playing]

[Rowe in English] Since Leif
got clean of drugs,

he's been having
regular sessions with Hanna,

the prison's special counselor
for violent offenders.

[Hanna in Finnish] Do you have
any thoughts about what kind of place

that rehabilitation center
should be in an ideal case?

A Christian substance abuse
rehab center would be the best.

-[Hanna] There would be some spirituality.
-Yes.

[in English] Most of the prisoners
you work with

are violent offenders like Leif.

Behind that violence is drugs or alcohol?

Almost always, or, uh, just like,

they have lived a very rough life.

They have had issues in family,
or a lot of them have been in foster care,

or they have been in institutions,

and, um, they have been mistreated
in their childhood.

Nobody just lives a normal life
and then decides that

now I wanna start doing crimes
and beating people up.

[Rowe] Hanna believes
the Finnish school system

also alienates some young men.

[Hanna] When I was a kid in the '90s,

I remember very clearly
that these, um, wild, disruptive boys,

especially, they were often disciplined.

They got into trouble.
They were belittled.

And I think Finnish society, uh,
prefers, like, calm and composed behavior,

and everything
aside from that is disruptive.

And, like, it was a clear sign
of "You are trouble."

[Rowe] Right. Is it mandatory
for the prisoners with violent tendencies

to come to see someone like you?

[Hanna] There is enough prisoners
who want to come here voluntarily,

so my schedule
is just full of those people.

[Rowe] So, Leif, coming here,
participating in this session,

how does it help you?

[Leif in Finnish] It is possible
to talk about everything with you.

I don't have to lie about anything

or about how I feel and where I need help.

And I know that these conversations
are only between you and me.

[Rowe in English] Hanna seems
to be doing great work,

but she's the prison's
only violence counselor.

And it's left to the inmates
to choose if they wish to seek her help.

[inaudible conversation]

This is a place
where they have these men captive

and could point, push, or show them
the right path or opportunity.

I'm just not seeing it here.

Rehabilitation here
falls on the prisoners themselves.

They have to make all the decisions
about whether or not,

in their minds, they have changed.

Nothing is changing them.

[dramatic swell]

[Rowe] Leif and most
of the other inmates I've met

have said drug abuse
drove their violent crime.

So I want to find out if prisoners

can still access drugs inside this prison.

Because if they can,
that will impact their ability to reform.

[Rowe] You have a lot of influence
on the wing, right?

You have a lot of respect?

[Olli] Normal.

[Rowe] If I wanted to smoke weed
or I wanted amphetamines or...

Is it easy to get here?

-[Toni] Yeah.
-[Rowe] It is?

-Yes. You want?
-[Rowe] Good or...

Do I want?

[Toni laughs]

Are the guards tough on drugs?
Do they come and look for it all the time?

Do they search the place?
They're always trying to stop it?

When we're out,
when we are at the gym. Uh, like that.

[Rowe] They search your cell
when you're not there?

Yeah.

So what drugs do they find?
What drugs are normally found?

Normally they don't find anything.

-[Rowe] They don't find anything?
-[Toni] Yeah.

Like three, uh, milligrams of Subutex.

Is that the main drug? Subutex?

Yeah, it's, like,
popular Finnish, uh, prison drugs.

Okay.

What... What does it do?
I... I've never used it.

It's not good. You know,
first time, ugh, you know,

and for two days, very bad feeling.

But after that, you know,

you get more energy and...

You see people's eyes here
who have really small pupils, you know.

Uh-huh.

Yeah. [laughs]

-[Rowe] Okay.
-[chuckles]

So that's the telltale sign,
little pupils.

Yeah.

[tense music playing]

[Rowe] As with most prisons,

illegal drugs are
at the heart of arguments

and intimidation between prisoners.

Things here got so bad
for one inmate on my wing

that he asked to be moved to a safer wing.

[Rowe] How you doing, man?

Do you fancy a game?

-Sure. One. Yeah, that's fine.
-[Rowe] Can I take this bat?

[Rowe] His name is Antti,
and he's now staying on a protection wing

for his own safety.

But the prisoners call it
something different.

The guys described it to me
as the lizard wing.

-I know that's not...
-Yeah. That's the word they use. Yeah.

[Rowe] What do they mean by that?

Sex offenders. People that are snitches.

So why are you here?

It was about me and my situation

that, you know, I could've helped
those guys with the drugs,

but I chose not to.

What do you mean
help those guys with the drugs?

[Antti] Yeah, well,
I have my conjugals going.

And, you know, they wanted me
to help them on with that,

so that my wife could bring
a package here, shit like that.

-I can't put her in that situation.
-[Rowe] No.

'Cause they were calling my wife outside,

you know, and I didn't know,
asking her to do that.

And, yeah, that's why I got so...
Really mad at them.

We had a little fight, and I had to go.

When you were put under the pressure
that you were being put under in 2.1,

were you scared?

Scared?

Shit, of course.
Those guys, they are like me.

They can do
whatever comes into their head.

They have no inhibitions.

I wanna get out someday, you know.
I don't wanna kill anyone here.

And I don't wanna get killed
by anyone here.

But prisons used to be different.

Nowadays,

nobody... nobody follows the rules anymore.

It's like they make up the rules
as they go.

You know, who has the most drugs
is the king. I don't know why.

-[Rowe] Mm-hmm.
-Yeah.

[Rowe] Mm-hmm.

[tense music playing]

One of the biggest challenges
for... for the prison authorities

is keeping drugs out of the prison.

But when you do get drugs in here,
you create a... a black market.

It also creates a hierarchy, you know,

those who control the drugs
control the prison.

Therefore, they can call the shots.
And that's extremely dangerous.

[dramatic music playing]

[Rowe] It's my final day on wing 2.1.

-[Rowe] How you doing? You good?
-Yeah, I'm good.

[Rowe] I catch up with Jani.

He's got two years left to serve,
but he's planning for the future.

Of all the guys on 2.1,

he's one of the most engaged
with the rehab programs here.

[Rowe] I really want to know,

because you've struck me
as being a nice guy,

what are you gonna do when you get out?

Ah, I'm going to live with my girlfriend.

I have a job and a house,
and all things are ready. [clicks tongue]

-[Rowe] That's a good sign.
-Yeah. Real good.

It's different this time
because before it hasn't been like this.

I have a family meeting in two weeks.

-That will be your first family meeting.
-First. Yeah.

-[Rowe] Conjugal visit.
-Conjugal visit.

-[Rowe] So you can be more intimate.
-[clicks tongue] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And then in two months,
I have my first holiday.

[Rowe] So there's a lot
to look forward to.

A lot. A lot of good things.

-Good luck. I hope that works for you.
-Thank you.

[Rowe] Thank you, man.

[Rowe] Jani's relationship, combined with
a solid plan for when he's released,

is helping him stay committed
to the rehab process.

[birds chirping]

Toni's getting out in less than a month.

Despite his lack of engagement
with the prison regime,

I want to know if prison has changed him.

[in Finnish] I see that this is who I am.

I'm how one should be.

I'm good to good people
and very bad to bad people.

I don't think
I am a full-time gangster in any way.

It was just a weekend that happened,
and now I'm doing prison time for it.

-[Rowe in English] What's next for Toni?
-[Toni sighs]

[Toni in Finnish] So the aim would be
that me and Olli,

we've been planning a business
so we could run it.

I'm becoming a father in the summer.

And I want to be
a good dad to my children.

I want to do music
when I have time for it.

I do not intend to come back here.

[Rowe in English] From what I've seen,
many prisoners don't really change

until they've spent many years locked up.

In Finland, as a whole,
57% of violent offenders

do go on to commit further crimes
within five years of release.

So is their philosophy,
where prisoners take responsibility

for their own rehabilitation,

really the right one?

I've come to speak
to Prison Director Harri Ramö.

This prison houses
many violent repeat offenders,

and rehabilitation is an important element
of reducing reoffending.

There are some guys
who need their hands held.

As the governor of this prison,

how well does that work, in your opinion?

[in Finnish] The key point
is that we view prisoners...

We view human beings as human beings.

Our starting point is that

we truly try
to rehabilitate every prisoner.

So they can live their lives in society
without drugs and crime.

I believe that if you're motivated
and want to be rehabilitated,

Kylmäkoski prison
and Finland's prison system

will give you the tools
and opportunity to do it.

But it's up to you. It starts with you.

[in English] If you could bring
anything to the prison,

if you had the power to bring
anything to the prison to help

aid the rehabilitation
and reforms that you offer here,

what would it be?

[in Finnish] We have had just one

violence counselor now for two years,

and I would say
we need two or three more of them.

Restorative justice projects are,
in my opinion, one of the things

that should be brought into prisons more.

[Rowe in English]
There are drugs in the prison.

How challenging is it in this prison

to... to reach that kind of zero policy
that you would probably like to be at?

[in Finnish] Yes,
we can't make this place airtight.

In my view, there are two main things

that affect this problem.

One is preventing supply,

thanks to the control work we do here.

And the other is preventing demand,

and that's rehabilitation,
work activities,

giving them other things
to think about than just drugs.

We adhere to our values.

Respect for human dignity,

justice, faith in one's ability
to grow and develop.

My belief is that many of the prisoners

have a sincere desire
to be drug and crime-free,

but it's not easy, and it requires you
to be highly motivated.

[door unlocking]

[in English] I thought
you are supposed to go away.

-[Rowe] No, you were letting me out.
-Yeah. I let you in.

Most of the men I've met here
are violent repeat offenders,

who many would argue
deserve to be locked up.

But in my opinion,
you can't just house prisoners,

you have to reform them.

Some are being rehabilitated,

and there's some good work
being done here.

But for the most violent offenders
with drug addictions,

the prison has to be doing more.

[pensive music playing]

[music continues]

[music fades]