Penitenciaría Federal de Sona
Encyclopedia
Penitenciaría Federal de Sona (Spanish
for The Federal Penitentiary of Sona) is a fictional prison
in the TV series Prison Break
. The prison is set in Panama
. It is the main setting for the third season.
, a prison which was operational from 1956 to 2002 in the district of Santana
, São Paulo State
, Brazil
but was most well known from the massacre
that occurred in 1992. As explained in the first episode of Season 3, it seems that anyone who gets put into Sona is there for life. Due to a prison riot the year before Season 3 takes place, Sona is no longer run by guards from within. Instead, guards only patrol from outside on the boundaries, leaving the prisoners to fend for themselves inside the walls. As stated by Lechero, it is only rules that will stop the inmates from becoming savages, and as such, Lechero runs Sona on the inside, with his rules in place.
The prison first appeared in the finale of Prison Break's Season 2, Sona. Michael Scofield
was sent there after his self sacrifice and confession to Sara Tancredi
's crime of killing William "Bill" Kim. Alexander Mahone
was also incarcerated in this episode for possessing illegal drugs, although he was set up by Michael. Brad Bellick
was also set up and found himself there, though this was by Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell for first degree murder. Sona becomes the main location in Season 3, with seven of the ten lead cast members of the season finding themselves within Sona's walls at some point. Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell is incarcerated from episode 1 of season 3, while Fernando Sucre
ends up there in the Season 3 finale. Norman "Lechero" St. John, McGrady, and James Whistler are the characters that are first introduced inside Sona. The prison is the second that Scofield, Bellick, and Sucre have been incarcerated in, and at least the third one T-bag has been in.
The fake prison set is actually located and filmed in three locations in Dallas-FW:
1- The exterior prison scenes were filmed at an old meat packing plant in The Historic Fort Worth, Texas
Stockyards
. It is surrounded by the ruins of the Swift/Armour Meat Packing plant.
2- The inside/yard scenes were filmed in Dallas on a set at an old converted juvenile jail on Harry Hines, south of Parkland Hospital, just east of I-35.
3- Many other scenes filmed at the Studios at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas.
is the chicken foot. Any grievances between inmates can be decided by method of the chicken foot, which involves one inmate giving the chicken foot to another and hence challenging them to a fight. Once the chicken foot has been handed to an inmate, they have no choice but to fight, and as the rules of Sona state, fight to the death. With the rest of the prison watching and forming a circle around the fighting pair, the inmates battle it out until one is dead, with Lechero acting as the referee, and each inmate allowed to use no more than his bare hands. As Lechero says "Two men go in, one man comes out". In the first episode of Season 3, Scofield is given the chicken foot, and is forced to fight with only the advice of Mahone, before his opponent is given a weapon and attempts foul play, signaling Mahone to finish him off in Scofield's place. Later in the season, Bellick also attempts foulplay, by dipping rags in acetone
and wrapping them around his knuckles, which he then uses to stuff in his opponents face, rendering him delirious.
Although the guards remain outside the prison for most of the time, they are still heavily armed and very dangerous. Between the very outer fence and the walls of Sona is No Man's Land. Guards frequently watch this area for any escapees. In episode 1 of Season 3, an inmate that Bellick had somewhat befriended escapes through a broken window out into No Man's Land, where he is shot to death after attempting to run across (See Escapes below.) Even a rat coaxed by food scraps thrown into the area by Scofield is nearly immediately shot at. As the perimeter guards double in number at night, Michael says that a night-time escape is impossible. However, Lechero, T-Bag and Bellick all try to escape in the early hours of the morning under the cover of darkness, but in vain. In the break-out attempt, Lechero is shot and severely wounded by one of the tower guards.
Methods of torture such as a hot box
and waterboarding
are also used by the guards of Sona, both in the episode Boxed In.
The Escapees' Crimes
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for The Federal Penitentiary of Sona) is a fictional prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in the TV series Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
. The prison is set in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. It is the main setting for the third season.
Description
Although there are many differences between the two, Sona is based on, or at least inspired by, the notorious Carandiru PenitentiaryCarandiru Penitentiary
Carandiru Penitentiary was a notorious prison located in São Paulo, Brazil. The prison was designed and built by Samuel das Neves in 1920, when it was considered a model-prison to meet the new demands of the 1890 criminal code. It was operational from 1956 to 2002 and, at its peak, was South...
, a prison which was operational from 1956 to 2002 in the district of Santana
Santana (São Paulo)
Santana is a northern district in the subprefecture of Santana-Tucuruvi of the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and is located between 4-7 km from downtown São Paulo.-History:...
, São Paulo State
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
but was most well known from the massacre
Carandiru Massacre
The Carandiru massacre took place on Friday, October 2, 1992 in Carandiru Penitentiary in São Paulo, Brazil, and is considered a major human rights violation in the history of Brazil.-History:...
that occurred in 1992. As explained in the first episode of Season 3, it seems that anyone who gets put into Sona is there for life. Due to a prison riot the year before Season 3 takes place, Sona is no longer run by guards from within. Instead, guards only patrol from outside on the boundaries, leaving the prisoners to fend for themselves inside the walls. As stated by Lechero, it is only rules that will stop the inmates from becoming savages, and as such, Lechero runs Sona on the inside, with his rules in place.
The prison first appeared in the finale of Prison Break's Season 2, Sona. Michael Scofield
Michael Scofield
Michael J. Scofield is the main protagonist in the American television series Prison Break. He is portrayed by Wentworth Miller. The character first appeared in the series pilot as a man who stages a bank robbery in order to get sent into the prison where his older brother, Lincoln Burrows , is...
was sent there after his self sacrifice and confession to Sara Tancredi
Sara Tancredi
Dr. Sara Tancredi is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. She is played by Sarah Wayne Callies. Her role in the first season of the series is a prison doctor.- Background :...
's crime of killing William "Bill" Kim. Alexander Mahone
Alexander Mahone
Alexander "Alex" Mahone is a fictional character portrayed by William Fichtner in the American television series Prison Break. The series revolves around two brothers: one who has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit and his younger sibling, a genius who devises an elaborate plan...
was also incarcerated in this episode for possessing illegal drugs, although he was set up by Michael. Brad Bellick
Brad Bellick
Bradley "Brad" Bellick is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. He is portrayed by Wade Williams. As one of the principal characters of Prison Break, he has been featured in all four seasons of the series...
was also set up and found himself there, though this was by Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell for first degree murder. Sona becomes the main location in Season 3, with seven of the ten lead cast members of the season finding themselves within Sona's walls at some point. Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell is incarcerated from episode 1 of season 3, while Fernando Sucre
Fernando Sucre
Fernando Sucre, played by Amaury Nolasco, is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. He is introduced to the series in the pilot episode as the prison cellmate of the series protagonist, Michael Scofield .-Background:Of Puerto Rican descent, Sucre grew up in Chicago...
ends up there in the Season 3 finale. Norman "Lechero" St. John, McGrady, and James Whistler are the characters that are first introduced inside Sona. The prison is the second that Scofield, Bellick, and Sucre have been incarcerated in, and at least the third one T-bag has been in.
The fake prison set is actually located and filmed in three locations in Dallas-FW:
1- The exterior prison scenes were filmed at an old meat packing plant in The Historic Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
Stockyards
Meat packing industry
The meat packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock...
. It is surrounded by the ruins of the Swift/Armour Meat Packing plant.
2- The inside/yard scenes were filmed in Dallas on a set at an old converted juvenile jail on Harry Hines, south of Parkland Hospital, just east of I-35.
3- Many other scenes filmed at the Studios at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas.
The dangers of Sona
One vital aspect that sets Sona most apart from Fox RiverFox River State Penitentiary
Fox River State Penitentiary is a fictional level five maximum-security prison featured prominently in the first season of the television series, Prison Break. The real-life representation of the prison is Joliet Prison, which is located in Joliet, Illinois...
is the chicken foot. Any grievances between inmates can be decided by method of the chicken foot, which involves one inmate giving the chicken foot to another and hence challenging them to a fight. Once the chicken foot has been handed to an inmate, they have no choice but to fight, and as the rules of Sona state, fight to the death. With the rest of the prison watching and forming a circle around the fighting pair, the inmates battle it out until one is dead, with Lechero acting as the referee, and each inmate allowed to use no more than his bare hands. As Lechero says "Two men go in, one man comes out". In the first episode of Season 3, Scofield is given the chicken foot, and is forced to fight with only the advice of Mahone, before his opponent is given a weapon and attempts foul play, signaling Mahone to finish him off in Scofield's place. Later in the season, Bellick also attempts foulplay, by dipping rags in acetone
Acetone
Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...
and wrapping them around his knuckles, which he then uses to stuff in his opponents face, rendering him delirious.
Although the guards remain outside the prison for most of the time, they are still heavily armed and very dangerous. Between the very outer fence and the walls of Sona is No Man's Land. Guards frequently watch this area for any escapees. In episode 1 of Season 3, an inmate that Bellick had somewhat befriended escapes through a broken window out into No Man's Land, where he is shot to death after attempting to run across (See Escapes below.) Even a rat coaxed by food scraps thrown into the area by Scofield is nearly immediately shot at. As the perimeter guards double in number at night, Michael says that a night-time escape is impossible. However, Lechero, T-Bag and Bellick all try to escape in the early hours of the morning under the cover of darkness, but in vain. In the break-out attempt, Lechero is shot and severely wounded by one of the tower guards.
Methods of torture such as a hot box
The Box (torture)
The box, also known as a hot box or sweatbox, is a method of solitary confinement used in humid and arid regions as a method of punishment. Anyone placed in one would experience extreme heat, dehydration, heat exhaustion, even death, depending on when and how long one was kept in one...
and waterboarding
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
are also used by the guards of Sona, both in the episode Boxed In.
Escapes
There have been many escape attempts but only two were successful.- A prisoner named Sapo tried to escape by pulling off the bars in the prison and running for the fence. He was shot and killed.
- Scofield and Whistler tried to escape from Sammy's cell through the window with a makeshift ladder. The timing needed to be perfect, because at 3:13 pm the sunlight blocked the guards' vision in their direction, however they climbed inside when cloud cover ruins their plan.
- In the episode Bang & Burn, The Company unsuccessfully attempts to use helicopters to aid the escape of Whistler.
- One successful escape from Sona occurred when Michael set up Lechero, T-Bag and Bellick to be captured in an escape attempt as a diversion, so that he, Whistler, Mahone and McGrady could escape via a hidden tunnel and a hole in the outer fence created by Sucre.
- After a riot in the prison 27 days after Michael's escape, a fire started by T-Bag burns SONA down allowing Sucre, Bellick, T-Bag and the other prisoners to escape.
Timeline
- In Sona, Scofield, Mahone and Bellick are all incarcerated.
- In Orientación, T-Bag arrives.
- In Hell or High Water, Scofield, Mahone, McGrady and Whistler escape.
- In The Art of the Deal, Sucre is incarcerated, while T-Bag takes over Lechero's position as the Leader (ironically on a platform of 'equality' for all). Michael is quoted by Gretchen to be the first one to break out of Sona.
- In ScyllaScylla (Prison Break episode)"Scylla" is the 58th episode of the American television series Prison Break and the first episode of its fourth season which premiered as a two-hour episode with "Breaking & Entering"...
, it is revealed that 27 days after Michael's escape that Sona has burnt down as a result of a riot. - In The LegendThe Legend (Prison Break)"The Legend" is the 67th episode of the American television series Prison Break and was broadcast on November 10, 2008 in the United States on the Fox Network.-Plot:...
, Sucre tells Lincoln that it was T-Bag who set Sona on fire and told all the inmates to run saying, "They can't shoot us all".
The Escapees' Crimes
- Michael ScofieldMichael ScofieldMichael J. Scofield is the main protagonist in the American television series Prison Break. He is portrayed by Wentworth Miller. The character first appeared in the series pilot as a man who stages a bank robbery in order to get sent into the prison where his older brother, Lincoln Burrows , is...
Second Degree Murder of Bill Kim actually committed by Sara TancrediSara TancrediDr. Sara Tancredi is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. She is played by Sarah Wayne Callies. Her role in the first season of the series is a prison doctor.- Background :...
. (Deceased) - James Whistler First Degree Murder of the Panamanian mayors son in a bar fight. (Deceased)
- Alexander MahoneAlexander MahoneAlexander "Alex" Mahone is a fictional character portrayed by William Fichtner in the American television series Prison Break. The series revolves around two brothers: one who has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit and his younger sibling, a genius who devises an elaborate plan...
Possession of illegal drugs, set up by Michael Scofield. - Luis 'McGrady' Gallego Car Robbery.
- Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell First Degree Murder of a prostitute. (Captured)
- Fernando SucreFernando SucreFernando Sucre, played by Amaury Nolasco, is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. He is introduced to the series in the pilot episode as the prison cellmate of the series protagonist, Michael Scofield .-Background:Of Puerto Rican descent, Sucre grew up in Chicago...
Aiding and Abetting prisoners. - Brad BellickBrad BellickBradley "Brad" Bellick is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. He is portrayed by Wade Williams. As one of the principal characters of Prison Break, he has been featured in all four seasons of the series...
First Degree Murder actually committed by T-Bag. (Deceased)