Inside the World's Toughest Prisons: Season 5
In the fifth season of Inside the World's Toughest Prisons, crime journalist Raphael Rowe continues his immersive documentary journey by going behind bars in maximum security facilities. Raphael Rowe, who previously spent years in prison for a crime he did not commit, volunteers to experience life from the perspective of inmates and meets the men and women on the right side of the law tasked with keeping order. Acros
Season 5 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Crime journalist Raphael Rowe leads the documentary series, immersing himself inside maximum security facilities to live as a prisoner.
- Raphael Rowe previously spent years in prison for a crime he did not commit, which informs his perspective behind bars.
- The series explores life in various prisons primarily from the prisoner perspective, while also including the perspective of prison guards and others.
- The show investigates notorious and toughest prisons around the world, examining inmate conditions and the staff tasked with keeping the facilities secure.
Season overview
In the fifth season of Inside the World's Toughest Prisons, crime journalist Raphael Rowe continues his immersive documentary journey by going behind bars in maximum security facilities. Raphael Rowe, who previously spent years in prison for a crime he did not commit, volunteers to experience life from the perspective of inmates and meets the men and women on the right side of the law tasked with keeping order. Across this season, his investigations take him behind bars in the Philippines, Greenland, and South Africa. The television documentary series, available on Netflix and produced by Emporium Productions, examines living conditions, encounters individuals locked up for their crimes, and explores the perspectives of both prisoners and guards in some of the world's most notorious and toughest prisons.
Episode Guide
Season 5 Progress Shield
South Africa: The Number Gangs Prison
Jan 8, 2021 · 52 min
At Brandvlei Correctional Centre in South Africa, nearly all the convicts belong to dangerous gangs known for lethal stabbings.
Philippines: The War on Drugs Prison
Jan 8, 2021 · 52 min
Once again, Raphael Rowe volunteers to go behind bars, this time in the Philippines at Manila City Jail, one of the world's most overcrowded prisons.
Greenland: Prison in the Ice
Jan 8, 2021 · 47 min
Greenland's Nuuk maximum security prison houses extremely dangerous prisoners, many of whom grew up alongside the guards now watching over them.