"Have you always wondered what it's like to sleep behind bars, but too law-abiding to do the time? Fret no more. Airbnb, the world-renowned home sharing platform, just announced their most audacious listing yet: rooms located in the infamous San Vicente Correctional, Venezuela's notorious prison hub run by the Tren de Aragua gang."
Doug Peters, an adventurous tourist who's never been closer to prison than binge-watching 'Breaking Bad', was one of the first guests. "They don't just let anyone in, you know?", shares Peters, a proud holder of jaywalking and parking violation fines. "But when they found my 2012 violation for keeping a capybara without a permit, I was in!"
Jerry Garcia, the prison warden-turned-host, explains the screening process, "We don't want any angelic do-gooder spoiling our close-knit community spirit. We do truly try to emulate the old adage 'It takes a village to raise a felon'." Garcia pledges a part of the profits will fund the adapted 12-step spa rehab program for inmates: a more relaxing alternative to traditional punitive measures.
Lauren Stevens of Airbnb's newly established 'Exotic Locations Department', reveals insights about this novel concept. "We saw how people were interested in unusual places like igloos and tree-houses, so we thought, 'Why not prisons?' There's a real buzz about the experience of being inside a controlled, socially sanctioned environment."
The prison cell listings include the details of previous occupants, their notorious deeds and favorite spots in the 'little city' as it's often referred to. There's even a glitzy nightclub effortlessly renamed 'Tokio Nights', where guests can party till dawn, subject to lockdown regulations, of course.
Reactions to the news are diverse. Local officials maintain a cryptic silence while the tourism board is baffled yet intrigued. "If this ends up on the top 10 things to do in Venezuela list, tourism is up for a revolution!" muses John Donovan, a tourism analyst.
Last we heard, the trend seems to be catching on. California's San Quentin State Prison is reportedly interested & has requested a meeting with the Airbnb team. As for reservations, reports suggest that bookings at San Vicente are seeing a peak unprecedented in the history of prison-stays – because there's quite simply, never been any! Based on: Inside prison run by gang with swimming pool, mini-zoo and even its own nightclub