World Cup 2014: Stark Pictures Reveal The Brazilian Jails Where English Football Hooligans Could Be Locked Up

Stark Pictures Reveal The Brazilian Jails Where English Football Hooligans Could Be Locked Up
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Dirty, overcrowded and controlled by criminal organisations, these are the most dangerous jail cells in Sao Paulo.

These chilling images show the stark reality of what awaits England football fans if they misbehave during the World Cup.

Italian photographer Giuseppe Bizzarri captured everyday life inside Brazil's most infamous penitentiaries, describing them as "crime universities".

Football fans who fall foul of the police during the 4-week extravaganza have been warned they face spending time in the horrific conditions where violence and disease are widespread.

Brazlian Prison Conditions
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These are the chilling images of the jail cells hooligan England football fans will be banged up in if they cause trouble at the World Cup. (credit:Caters)
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The pictures were taken inside some of the 158 prison units across the state of São Paulo, including the Carandiru neighbourhood. (credit:Caters)
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The prison population in Brazil has more than doubled in the last decade to half a million people, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice. (credit:Caters)
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Brazil's most notorious prison – Carandiru – was closed in 2002, 10 years after a bloody riot that left 100 prisoners dead. (credit:Caters)
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The photographer said Brazil's most infamous gang, the FCC, was born after the prison riot. (credit:Caters)
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The biggest problem still is the overpopulation of prisons, the photographer said. (credit:Caters)
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Bizzarri said the "reality inside Brazilian penitentiaries changed a lot ever since FCC has the power inside jails in the state of Sao Paulo." (credit:Caters)
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Many of the packed out prison cells are controlled by criminal organisations. (credit:Caters)
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The chilling images offer an insight into the packed prison cells, where football fans could find themselves if they cause trouble during the tournament. (credit:Caters)
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Bizzarri was given rare access to Rio's Talavera Bruce women's prison along with Sao Paulo's most infamous penitentiaries. (credit:Caters)

Earlier this year, Fifa issued advice to travelling fans about laws they could inadvertently break in Brazil, which included a warning that topless sunbathing by women was illegal and could result in prison.

Brazil also has a zero tolerance law against drink-driving, known as “lei seca”.

Bizzarri said São Paulo's biggest gang, the First Capital Command (FCC), often ran criminal operations from behind bars, controlling drugs and gun traffic in Sao Paulo, where England take on Uruguay in their second group fixture.

"I think everyone knows it's awful the way they treat inmates,” Mr Bizzarri said.

"These prisons really are brutal and no one in their right mind would want to end up there."

Brazil's World Cup Security Is Not F****** About
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