無奇不有:可以自由買賣的牢房

La Paz Plaza looks like any other city plaza in South America. Yet this is one of the most bizarre tourist attractions in the world. And the only scenery spot is its infamous San Pedro prison。

The prison which located in the eastern side of the plaza is a former monastery and houses around 1,500 prisoners, 80 percent of whom are in for drug offences. However, apart from the high walls and the main gate, there are no prison bars. The guards only enter to take the morning roll call, or if there is any major violence such as a murder or a riot. Even most prisoners' families live in the prison with them。

Differing from most of prisons in the world, its prisoners are not issued with cells, as they must be purchased. Prices vary according to what section you want. There are eight sections in San Pedro, each with cells of varying comfort. The cell blocks in wealthier sections are equipped with tiled floors, cable TV, and DVD players. Some of them even have an open balcony where you can look out on to the city of La Paz, with the Andes Mountains towering behind。

聖佩德羅監獄

While cells in the poorer sections are designed for one person, but often house five. The walls and floors are bare concrete, and prisoners lie on stained mattresses. Personal belongings such as cups or books rest on rickety bedside tables。

It is also convenient to purchase a cell for there are real estate agents operating within the prison and the market for cells acts just like a genuine housing market, with prices fluctuating, depending on the demand. When prisoners buy a cell, they are given the key, and contracts and deeds are signed. The cheapest cell will cost around £100, but the cells which more like actual apartments can sell for as much as £3,000.

Besides the cells, the food in prison also can make your life here easier on condition that you have enough money. Instead of a massive pot of unappetizing-looking soup, you can buy fried chicken with chips or rice. There are many restaurants dotted around the prison, some of which set up a plastic table and umbrella and a few chairs outside。

Everything that prisoners need can be brought from vendors. They own shops selling fruit and vegetables, soft drinks, sweets, and other items such as toilet paper. Some prisoners also sell handicrafts they have made or pictures they've drawn。據英國《獨立報》28日報道，拉巴斯廣場和南美其他城市的廣場看起來沒什麼兩樣，但它卻是世界上最奇異的一處觀光勝地：它唯一的景點就是其惡名昭著的聖佩德羅監獄。

監獄位於該廣場東側，曾是一家修道院。監獄裏現有1500名囚犯，其中80%的因販賣毒品入獄。但是，監獄中只有高牆和正門，沒有柵欄。獄卒也只在清晨點名、發生謀殺或暴亂等重大暴力事件時纔會進入監獄。很多囚犯的家人甚至搬到監獄同囚犯一起生活。

與其他地方的監獄不同，沒人會給這個監獄中的囚犯分配牢房，他們必須自己“買房”。囚犯選擇的牢房不同，價格也有差別。聖佩德羅監獄牢房的價格分爲八個層次，每個層次牢房的舒適度不同。“富人區”的監獄裏裝有瓷磚地板、有線電視和DVD播放機，有些甚至還設有陽臺，囚犯可以在那兒鳥瞰拉巴斯市及其後面高聳的安第斯山脈。

而“貧民區”的監獄，雖然是單人間，卻常常住着五個人。牢房的牆壁和地板上裸露着混凝土，囚犯睡在骯髒的墊子上，他們的杯子、書等私人物品就放在搖搖晃晃的牀頭櫃上。

在該監獄買間牢房就像在真正的住宅區市場進行交易一樣方便，因爲這裏有專門經營監獄和牢房市場的房地產經紀人，牢房的價格也會隨着需求上下波動。當囚犯買了牢房後，有人就會把鑰匙交給他，並與他簽訂合同和契約。最便宜的牢房只需要100英鎊左右，而那些看起來跟真實公寓沒有差別的(高級)牢房售價則高達3000英鎊。

除此之外，只要你的錢足夠多，這裏的食物也可以讓你活得很舒坦。你可以購買配有薯條或米飯的炸雞套餐，而不用買一大盆讓人沒有食慾的菜湯。這裏零星分佈着許多餐廳，有些餐廳還在外面搭建塑料桌椅和遮陽傘。

囚犯可以從供應商那兒買到一切所需物品。這些供應商的店裏有蔬菜、水果、飲料、甜食和其他物品，如衛生紙等。有些囚犯也會賣點自己製作的手工品或繪製的圖畫。