101 East

Bali: Imprisoned in Paradise

Behind the razor wire of Bali’s notorious Kerobokan prison, we find out how inmates serving life sentences survive.

Sun, surf and sand is the Bali many people know. But the Indonesian holiday island is no tropical paradise for inmates of the notorious Kerobokan prison.

In this rare exclusive, 101 East goes behind the prison walls and barbed wire to meet some of the 1,300 inmates crammed into overcrowded, humid cells.

There’s no hot water and few comforts for the prisoners, some of whom are serving life sentences. Some turn to religion or art to relieve the boredom; others rely on drugs.

101 East discovers the conditions have spawned unique friendships behind bars between the jailed and their jailers.

Join the conversation @AJ101East