Santa Monica prison in Chorrillos district, Lima, Peru, September 23 1999 XFA
1. Zoom out of exterior of Santa Monica women's prison
2. Wide shot block inside prison
3. Woman prisoner looking out of her cell window
4. Various shots of prisoners having their hair done
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Susana Molto, Spanish prisoner
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Katia Cardoso, Brazilian prisoner
7. Candidate prisoners coming out of their block
8. Wide of prisoner candidates doing dance during pageant
9. Prisoners watching
10. Pan from candidates to audience clapping
11. Jury
12. Chinese candidate performing traditional dance
13. Another candidate dancing
14. Inmates with their children watching show
15. Close up of candidates in evening dress
16. Brazilian candidate on catwalk in evening dress
17. Jury
18. Wide of candidates
19. Angie Huang Ling, the Chinese candidate getting the award of Photogenic queen
20. Close up of crowns
21. Nicole Bos, from Holland, receiving her award as this year's Chorrillos' beauty queen
22. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Nicole Bos, Chorrillo's 1999 beauty queen
23. Nicole waving
24. Inmates applauding
Spanish/Eng/Nat
Women inmates in a Peruvian jail have been holding a beauty contest to relieve the tedium of their spartan life.
It's become an annual event at Lima's Santa Monica prison.
Tired of international criticism of Peru's prison conditions, Fujimori's government has turned the small event into a gala affair to showcase humane treatment of prisoners.
The result, a professionally produced contest attended by government officials, foreign embassy representatives, fashion designers and celebrities.
Eight hundred women are doing time here, in Santa Monica Women's Prison, in Lima's Chorrillos district.
The prison, designed to house only 500 inmates, is overcrowded.
But conditions here are incomparably better than in high-security prisons for leftist rebels, whose leaders are held in solitary confinement in dungeon-like cells.
And after years of international criticism of Peru's prison conditions, the government of President Alberto Fujimori wants to show they treat prisoners humanely.
That's why the celebration of a beauty contest in Santa Monica has been transformed this year into a gala affair.
The contest started out small and informal six years ago.
This year's was professionally produced and attended by high government officials, foreign embassy representatives, talk show hosts, fashion designers and celebrities.
The prisoners got ready to enjoy the glitz and glamour and make the best of it.
SOUNDBITE (Spanish)
"It's good to fight against the daily routine and also to help, because we need things in our blocks."
SUPER CAPTION: Susana Molto, Spanish prisoner
SOUNDBITE (Spanish)
"My mates chose me. There is one of us per floor, and they chose me, so I can't say more, I just have to do it."
SUPER CAPTION: Katia Cardoso, Brazilian prisoner
Of the 17 women who competed this week 11 were foreigners --all convicted drug smugglers.
Their stories are all too similar.
Lured by the promise of easy money, they came to Peru to smuggle cocaine only to be intercepted at Lima's international airport.
They were told they would easily pass Peruvian customs officials entranced by their good looks.
But instead they got long sentences.
The women say the month-long preparation for the beauty contest broke the monotony of the prison life.
They rehearsed with a choreographer both their individual performances and one together.
Inmates attended the show, many with their children who can be with their mothers in Santa Monica until they are three years old.
In the end, 18-year-old Dutch prisoner Nicole Bos was chosen this year's Chorrillos beauty queen.
She was being crowned by special guest Fabiola Lazo, Miss Peru 1999.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"I wasn't expecting it (to win) because there are so many beautiful girls... but it's been me."
SUPER CAPTION: Nicole Bos, Chorrillos beauty queen '99
And while Nicole was talking with reporters, the grey-uniformed guards began rounding up the other prisoners and hoarding them back to their cells for the night.
