Carandiru Penitentiary

Carandiru Penitentiary was a notorious prison located in São Paulo, Brazil. The prison was built and projected by Samuel das Neves in 1920, when it was considered a model-prison to attend the new demands of the 1890 criminal code. Operational from 1956 to 2002 and at its peak was South America's largest, housing over 8,000 inmates. In 1992 it was the site of the Carandiru massacre.

Drauzio Varella, a noted Brazilian physician, volunteered as an unpaid physician in Carandiru from 1989 to 2001, in particular to address its AIDS epidemic. He wrote a book, "Estação Carandiru" (English: "Carandiru Station"), describing his own experiences there and the dreadful conditions of the inmates. The book was later made into a movie (Carandiru, directed by Hector Babenco), and both were highly regarded by critics and the public. The remains of the penitentiary are now open to public, and it is accessible via Carandiru Subway Station ("Estação Carandiru").

Prison Break

The idea of the prison Sona in Season 3 of the American television series "Prison Break" is inspired by this penitentiary. In the series it's called "Sona" (Penitenciaría Federal de Sona) [ [http://fox.com/prisonbreak/showinfo/ FOX Broadcasting Company: Prison Break ] ]

References

cite news
first = Larry
last = Rohter
title = The Fall of Brazil's Big House
url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F5071FF934540C718EDDA00894DA404482
format = fee required
work = The New York Times
date = 2002-09-22
language = English