Inside The World’s Toughest Prisons presenter Raphael Rowe has revealed that an inmate who featured in the new season of his hit Netflix series was brutally murdered – shortly after being released from prison.
Rowe spent a week locked in Finland’s Kylmäkoski prison as part of the final chapter of his dark documentary, released Friday on the streamer, and lived alongside an eclectic group of convicted criminals.
However, ahead of the launch of the new episodes, the journalist told DailyMail.com that one of the inmates was killed just a few weeks ago, adding that the merciless killing is a stark reminder of the “ruthless and dangerous criminals” that he meets behind bars. .
He also admitted that the time he spent at the facility was “mentally and physically exhausting”, with one incident causing him to fear being attacked.
Raphael Rowe told DailyMail.com that an inmate featured in his new season of his Netflix documentary series, World’s Toughest Prisons, had been murdered.
The presenter, who met inmates Olli (left) and Toni (right) during his stay in a Finnish prison, kept the identity of the victim anonymous.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com about the murder, Rowe said: “One of the guys is now dead. He has been killed. After his release from prison, he was murdered.
“We are dealing with very violent individuals who live in very violent environments.
“They’re in an environment where their life could be lost, or they could take another life, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Rowe was respectfully unable to confirm the identity of the inmate.
The host also came face to face with inmates Toni and Olli, who carried out a horrific kidnapping in which they tortured their victim for several days.
Both men appear unrepentant and rather than pursue work and education opportunities in prison, they spend their time building muscles and tattooing themselves with a makeshift tattoo gun made from an Xbox controller.
Toni prepares for his release from prison at the end of the episode and reveals that he hopes to run a business with Olli.
“I’m going to become a father this summer and I want to be a good father to my children,” he said. “I want to make music when I have time. I have no intention of coming back here.
Rowe spent a week in Kylmäkoski Prison in Finland, and the episode features in his new four-part series.
Toni prepares for his release in the episode and reveals he has a baby on the way
Rowe admitted that he felt “quite intimidated” during filming because the prisoners often came across as “tough guys”.
“There was a point where I was given the tattoo gun and I didn’t want it because I didn’t want to participate in something illegal,” he recalls.
“They want to insult you…and they are young gangsters and aspiring rappers.
“It makes them more dangerous because they’re not themselves; they try to be what they think people think they shouldn’t be.
Adding to the danger is the fact that there are no security cameras in some parts of the prisons Rowe visits, such as his cell – and his time in Finland is no exception.
“It could be that in these moments, some prisoners decide they want their five minutes of fame, and we could become the subjects of something we don’t expect,” he said.
“We always have to be on our toes, and that is constantly mentally and physically exhausting.”
Fellow inmate Janni – who is halfway through his sentence – is well on his way to reform
“There was no time where we were stuck against the wall or anything like that,” Rowe emphasized.
“But there are times when the cameras are turned off, where one of the prisoners’ mood has changed and they become quite aggressive towards us (even though) we felt like we had built our relationship with these individuals .”
“Then the next minute they’re yelling and screaming in your face and swearing at you.
“This happened in Finland… and you know that this yelling and screaming could turn into a punch.”
Rowe also met Janni, an expert in making traditional rugs on the prison loom, who appears to be on the verge of reform after his conviction for a serious violent assault.
While Janni has only served half of his four-year sentence, he is committed to planning for the future and already has a house and job lined up.
Raphael Rowe presents the Netflix series Inside The World’s Toughest Prisons. The seventh season is available now.
