British Father Traveling In South America Gets Sent To One Of The “World’s Toughest Prisons”

A British backpacker reached an unexpected destination during his journey across South America after being jailed for a drug trafficking charge in Bolivia.

John Henshaw, a 39-year-old father from Greater Manchester, was reportedly caught with a “tiny” amount of marijuana at the La Paz International Airport on February 9.

He’s currently doing time in the San Pedro prison, a facility featured on the TV show “Behind Bars: The World’s Toughest Prisons,” where inmates are known for having to pay for their cells to avoid sleeping on the floor.

Highlights

John Henshaw, a British father, is jailed in Bolivia for a drug trafficking charge.
Inmates at San Pedro prison pay for their cells to avoid sleeping on the floor.
A GoFundMe set up for John has raised £3,680 for his legal and living costs.

There are larger cells that “higher ranking” prisoners can access, which have beds, access to wifi, and even jacuzzis, according to the DailyMail.

A British father traveling in South America has been sent to a jail featured in the TV show “Behind Bars: The World’s Toughest Prisons”

Image credits: Toni Louise Rimmer

John’s loved ones have set up a GoFundMe page to help him with his legal and living costs.

The page—titled “Food and a cell for John Henshaw in San Pedro jail”—has raised £3,680 ($4,657) as of Monday (April 8).

“John has found himself in one of the worst prisons in South America. It’s 30-90 days until they look at his case,” the site reads.

“There’s zero human rights; the prison is left to the prisoners. All the guards are on the outside, they never go inside.”

John Henshaw was reportedly caught with a small amount of cannabis at La Paz International Airport in Bolivia

British Father Traveling In South America Gets Sent To One Of The "World's Toughest Prisons"

Image credits: gofundme

The message continues: “He’s spent all of his money on a lawyer and fees, with more to come and a fine. You have to pay to be in prison and then pay for the safety of a cell; otherwise, you sleep in the corridors, basically living rough.”

Furthermore, the GoFundMe organizer, Alex Foy, shared that John is receiving food, water, and toiletries from the British consulate of Bolivia.

“I think he will be OK once he has his own cell, if he keeps his head down and locks himself in at night,” Alex added, stressing that John was in a “very dangerous position” that he didn’t deserve to be in.

In the jail, inmates have to pay for their own cells if they don’t want to sleep on the floor

British Father Traveling In South America Gets Sent To One Of The "World's Toughest Prisons"

Image credits: Free Documentary

British Father Traveling In South America Gets Sent To One Of The "World's Toughest Prisons"

Image credits: Free Documentary

In the last update, Alex said that the inmate would soon be in a cell where people could visit him.

John’s ex-partner, Toni Rimmer, and his 15-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn Henshaw, are extremely concerned about him.

Toni, who’s trying to help her ex with the legal process from the UK, said: “He’s a good person. It’s absolutely horrific in there.”

“The only food he has been able to buy for himself is a ham and cheese toastie. He gets a bowl of broth a day,” John’s ex-wife said

British Father Traveling In South America Gets Sent To One Of The "World's Toughest Prisons"

Image credits: Free Documentary

British Father Traveling In South America Gets Sent To One Of The "World's Toughest Prisons"

Image credits: Free Documentary

His loved ones are raising money to pay for his legal and living costs

British Father Traveling In South America Gets Sent To One Of The "World's Toughest Prisons"

Image credits: Free Documentary

“He can only get money in drip feed from the embassy. The only food he has been able to buy for himself is a ham and cheese toastie. He gets a bowl of broth a day, that’s it.

She added: “He doesn’t deserve what’s happening to him in there. He’s had no previous charges.

“His daughter is going through exams and is so stressed. She just wants her dad home safe.”

“Nobody should be forced to live like that,” someone wrote

British Father Traveling In South America Gets Sent To One Of The "World's Toughest Prisons"

Marina is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she holds a Bachelor of Social Science. In her spare time, you can find her baking, reading, or watching a docuseries. Her main areas of interest are pop culture, literature, and education.

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Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

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What do you think ?

POST

Verena 7 months ago

I absolutely don't understand why people are so nonchalant about d**g. If you do them, you MUST inform yourself about the local rules and meticulously clean out your luggage bevor leaving your home country. So many people are in prison, because of being caught mid-travel on an airport. One single XTC-pill means death row in some countries. Embassies are there for people in unforeseen trouble, but not for them asking for problems. You do you, but if you cannot live a couple of days without doing d***s, choose holiday destinations with a less drastic punisment. Currently a Dutch guy is in prison in Thailand, same story in the papers.

36points

LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 months ago

I went through a period of drüg use/substance abuse/addiction. (3 years clean!) Even during my absolute worst times when I couldn’t go a few HOURS without my next hit of cocaíne, I knew better than to even have ANY of the drüg on my person/in my pockets/in my car, if I was going to work or whatnot, let alone traveling somewhere. I feel like people who smoke weed think it’s “innocent” and “innocuous” and since it’s legal in places like the US and the UK, people from those countries have this ludicrous sense of entitlement that they should be able to carry it anywhere because “it’s legal weed!” Well, friend, in Bolivia, it isn’t. This idiot in the story should have to serve the full sentence, IMO, and that’s coming from a recovering addict.

9points

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Adrian 7 months ago

Why is he getting so much sympathy and a gofundme? Why are us British taxpayers having to spend money helping him? If he was stupid enough to carry d***s into a country like that he deserves everything he gets.

24points

dayngerkat 7 months ago

Agree

4points

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sofacushionfort 7 months ago (edited)

Once it’s known he has income from Gofundme beyond the basic “drip” from the embassy, he could be in even more danger

16points

dayngerkat 7 months ago

True. I wonder how long he can hide in his cell every day

3points

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POST

Verena 7 months ago

36points

LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 months ago

9points

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Adrian 7 months ago

24points

dayngerkat 7 months ago

Agree

4points

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sofacushionfort 7 months ago (edited)

Once it’s known he has income from Gofundme beyond the basic “drip” from the embassy, he could be in even more danger

16points

British Father Traveling In South America Gets Sent To One Of The “World’s Toughest Prisons”

A British father traveling in South America has been sent to a jail featured in the TV show “Behind Bars: The World’s Toughest Prisons”

John Henshaw was reportedly caught with a small amount of cannabis at La Paz International Airport in Bolivia

In the jail, inmates have to pay for their own cells if they don’t want to sleep on the floor

“The only food he has been able to buy for himself is a ham and cheese toastie. He gets a bowl of broth a day,” John’s ex-wife said

His loved ones are raising money to pay for his legal and living costs

“Nobody should be forced to live like that,” someone wrote

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British Father Traveling In South America Gets Sent To One Of The “World’s Toughest Prisons”

Share iconA British father traveling in South America has been sent to a jail featured in the TV show “Behind Bars: The World’s Toughest Prisons”

John Henshaw was reportedly caught with a small amount of cannabis at La Paz International Airport in Bolivia

In the jail, inmates have to pay for their own cells if they don’t want to sleep on the floor

“The only food he has been able to buy for himself is a ham and cheese toastie. He gets a bowl of broth a day,” John’s ex-wife said

His loved ones are raising money to pay for his legal and living costs

“Nobody should be forced to live like that,” someone wrote

Games

Marina Urman

Marina Urman

Donata Leskauskaite

Donata Leskauskaite

Word Search

WordroW

Jigsaw

Crossword

Sudoku

Picdoku

Killer Sudoku

Kriss Kross

Word Flower

A British father traveling in South America has been sent to a jail featured in the TV show “Behind Bars: The World’s Toughest Prisons”