Richard Madeley: Inside the World's Mega Prison

Richard Madeley serves time inside El Salvador’s mega prison in new 5 documentary

London: Thursday 7th May 2026 - 5 has commissioned Richard Madeley: Inside the World's Mega Prison an immersive new feature length documentary presented by broadcaster Richard Madeley and produced by ITN Productions, offering rare access inside one of the most controversial prisons in the world. 

The film follows Madeley as he enters, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), the vast maximum security prison that has become the cornerstone of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s war on gangs. 

With exceptional access to the entire site, Madeley is not just there to observe the prison regime, he confronts the realities of life inside this extraordinary facility. He talks to the inmates living under one of the strictest prison regimes in the world, made famous by images of the hundreds of tattooed inmates sitting cross-legged on prison landings. He’s also talks to the guards responsible for running the prison 24/7.  

As well as his stint inside the jail Richard also visits the tough urban areas where the gangs still exist to find out what the impact of CECOT has been.  

Conditions inside the prison are stark and unlike anything in the UK system. More than 80 inmates sleep in metal bunks stacked four beds high inside vast concrete cells. Prisoners are stripped to boxer shorts with their heads shaved, lights remain on 24 hours a day and there are no family visits, recreational spaces or rehabilitation programmes. 

In exploring the prison regime and the society that created it, Richard wonders whether such an ultra-tough approach to violent crime could ever be acceptable in the UK, or, whether it was the unique horror of the gang-led atrocities that led to such an extreme solution. 

Until recently, El Salvador had the highest murder rate in the world, with 106 homicides per 100,000 people. For decades the country was plagued by brutal gang violence in which extortion, kidnapping, murder, human trafficking and drug smuggling were commonplace. Following Bukele’s election in 2019, his government launched a sweeping security crackdown that has seen tens of thousands of suspected gang members detained, and a claimed huge reduction in the murder rate.  

Opened in 2023, CECOT is the flagship symbol of that strategy. The $115 million, 23-hectare facility was built to hold up to 40,000 prisoners and currently houses an estimated 15,000 inmates. Many are alleged members of the rival gangs that terrorised the country for decades, alongside convicted murderers and rapists described by the state as “the worst of the worst”.

 Richard Madeley said: “I was genuinely thrilled to be asked to front this film for 5. It’s not every day you’re given the chance to step inside a place as extraordinary and talked about as CECOT. What struck me straight away was the sheer scale of it, and the stories behind it. In meeting the people who run the prison and those living inside it, what unfolds is a fascinating and often surprising look at justice, security and the human realities behind the headlines. It’s been a remarkable experience.” 

 Guy Davies, Consultant Editor for Commissioning 5, added: “This access to CECOT was a tantalising prospect. Richard is at heart a first-class popular journalist and we were thrilled to get the chance for him to serve some time there. I think viewers will be very surprised by the results.”  

Andy Dunn, Senior Executive Producer, ITN Productions, said: “Gaining access to CECOT, the most secretive and notorious prison in the world, took months of negotiation. It was really important for Richard to experience the extreme conditions there first hand and he takes us on a compelling and unique journey as he considers the effectiveness and ethics of such a harsh regime." 

Richard Madeley: Inside the World's Mega Prison will air later this month and was commissioned by Guy Davies, Consultant Editor for Commissioning ‘5'. The 1 x 90’ ITN Productions documentary is executive produced by Andy Dunn, with Sam Budd and Oliver Price as producer/ directors. 

For further enquiries please contact: Julie Jack | Julie.Jack@paramount.com  

For images, please contact the picture desk: picturepublicity@paramount.com 

About 5: 

5 is the home of award-winning content from the UK’s third largest commercial PSB, a culmination of the creative transformation of Channel 5 over more than a decade. 5 is part of the Paramount Skydance Corporation. 

Through a mix of live TV channels and bingeable boxsets, the free-to-air service allows UK audiences to watch or stream the breadth of programming from the 5-branded portfolio, the dedicated preschool brand Milkshake!, and a wide selection from the wider Paramount family of brands, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV Entertainment Studios, Paramount+ and more. 

In keeping with its PSB remit, 5 tells the story of modern Britain by reflecting the lives of people across the UK, featuring well-known faces and fresh new talent. Its programme roster spans original UK drama, premium factual, true crime, science, news & current affairs, and kids’ content, which continue to attract critical acclaim. 

Recent wins include ‘Channel of the Year’ at the 2025 Edinburgh TV Awards, BAFTA Television and RTS Awards for the documentary White Nanny, Black Child in 2024, along with a BAFTA nomination for Endurance Race to the Pole. Factual hit The Yorkshire Vet and the broadcaster’s series on air fryers also won RTS Yorkshire awards, while Michael Palin received the Radio Times Special Judges Award for his Channel 5 documentaries. 

About ITN Productions: 

Founded 70 years ago, ITN is one of the UK’s leading production companies, home to three public service broadcaster newsrooms—ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5—and delivering 14 hours of live television each day. This includes flagship news bulletins, ITV’s Good Morning Britain and 5’s weekday daytime shows—Jeremy Vine, Storm Huntley, and Vanessa. ITN’s digital content reaches mass global audiences, generating over 7 billion views online in 2025. ITN’s content division, ITN Productions, also produces more than 1,000 hours of commissioned programming annually for UK broadcasters and global streamers, spanning documentaries, factal entertainment, education, and archive-based formats. From January 2026, a newly formed digital team will drive ITN’s direct-to-consumer strategy—building creator partnerships, trialling formats, and launching new digital content across genres including entertainment, crime, and royals.  ITN is headquartered on Gray’s Inn Road, London, with state-of-the-art studios and post-production facilities. It also operates a newsroom and offices in Leeds, and maintains a global footprint with international bureaus including Washington D.C.