Inside The Philippines Most Notorious Prison

Wearing their regulation yellow shirts, prisoners are pictured participate in group dancing contests, taking over the concrete space and the walkway above

It’s skins vs shirts as inmates play basketball inside the Quezon City Jail in Manila

Dr Narag describes an inmate called Francis in his book, saying that his story is just one of thousands of similar tales from within the jail.

Francis was accused of molesting a girl but claimed his innocence and was sent to Quezon while awaiting trial.

‘…He found himself in a 30-square meter cell,m which he was to share with 180 inmates. The airless room reeked of stink – a heady mix of sweat, garbage, unwashed clothes. No bed or sleeping mat was in sight, only a small, vacant corner offering him two options so he could get some sleep – stand against the wall or squat on the damp floor.’

Dr Narag said he left the jail in 2002 after seven years, determined to talk about the horrors he had seen.

‘A walk through the cells in Quezon City Jail makes one realize how far behind the normal jail standards the penal institution lags.’