Prisons in the U.S. are far more different than anything you could encounter in Mexico where even the most secure and tough prison of the U.S. would seem like a Club Med compared to a prison in Mexico, the prison of Santa Martha. A prison where the prisoners know and accept the fact that as soon as they step foot inside the prison they only have a 50% chance of survival. This prison is a perfect example on how the Mexican prison system is broken with the examples of how the prison is run, how the prisoners are treated, and the violence that occurs inside the prison. Santa Martha is said by the prisoners to be “the university of crime," where all the big boys go, and it's a prison where the guards make the rules but the prisoners are in charge. The prisoners change the rules and make their own and all prisoners must adapt to the rules made by the leader inmates or they can have serious consequences and most likely death. An example of the violence that happens with new inmate is that if he isn’t liked right away he will be either jumped or raped on his first couple days there. American prisoners also don’t have it very easy in this Mexican prison because they are excluded from many activities and they get treated like outsiders because they aren’t Mexican. The american prisoners are also the biggest target for other prisoners and always have to be looking around them every couple steps they take for they can be attacked at any moment. This prison is one where rape,starvation and murder are daily facts of life and even the prison guards fear the prisoners if they are not controlled. The only way the guards can punish the prisoners is by taking them into what is called “the hole” which is a room far away from all the other cells and where no prisoners pass by. Inside the hole there is no light and once a prisoner gets put in with six other prisoners and the door gets closed and locked they get ready to experience hell itself