From the outside, the Paul and Peter Fortress is a massive grey castle that stretches into the clouds, and when the sun shines on it, then it gleams off the barred windows and steel gates.

Life inside is deeply dull. There are four people in each of the cells,who spend their time talking to each other, sleeping, and reading books from the prison library. It is likely that many famous robberies have been planned in the cells and carried out after the prisoners have been released.

They are let out for an hour of excersise a day in the prison courtyard, sometimes two hours in summer. By day and often long into the night, the chattering of the imnates can be heard.

Since many of the prisoners are serving long sentences, the guards mostly tend not to provoke them to avoid riots. However, if a prisoner does attack a guard, he is beaten with batons and then flogged, his screams heard through most of the prison. Escape is almost impossible. Should a prisoner escape, the sentences of the prisoners in the two closest cells to his are doubled.Should said prisoner be recaptured, he will soon be beaten by his fellow prisoners.

The higher up one’s cell tier, the higher the prisoner stands in the underworld.The bottom teir holds the lowest of the low, sex offenders and informers, as well as those on Death Row. Should a major organized crime boss be convicted (very rare, but it happens) he is put in one of the tower cells.

The food is disgusting, everybody agrees on that.

A gallows stands in the courtyard in full view of many of the prisoners. Hangings are for murder and high treason in time of war,and not all murderers are in fact hanged.