Filenews 9 December 2021 - by Michalis Hadjivasilis
Netflix presenter Rafael Rowe, "The Toughest Prisons in the World," which is expected to air in the new year, will remain in Central Prison for a week.
The presenter has been incarcerated in a prison cell since last Monday and follows the entire program that the prisoners observe. Yesterday he participated in sports activities and saw the visit of families to the prisoners. Netflix has signed an agreement with the Directorate of Prisons and production to present the Cypriot Prisons as a counterweight to the toughest prisons in the world. As the person in charge of filming, Alexandros Leontaritis, had previously stated in "F", the Cypriot prisons were chosen because they use a humanitarian model that sees the convict as a man first and then a criminal, as well as the Norwegian model.
Filming would have started a year ago but due to the pandemic and the measures, it was postponed. Representatives of Netflix online platform have signed a confidentiality agreement on what will be included in the episode that will be about Cyprus and nothing will be announced until the series is ready to be shown. What is certain is that prisoners will be interviewed for their living conditions. The presenter, who had himself remained for 12 years in prison in Britain, for a murder he had not committed, was considered the most suitable to film on behalf of the well-known platform, the series "The toughest prisons in the world".
According to what the person in charge of filming, Alexandros Leontaritis, had stated to "F", what attracted the production is the anthropocentric approach that prisons have towards prisoners, the model used, the fact that prison directors came to Cyprus and saw the model followed, as well as the reformation program which is unique compared to other countries and is quite innovative, giving opportunities to any prisoner who wants to develop some of his abilities to improve as a person, to be able to go out into society afterwards to have better opportunities for rehabilitation.
