From Thriller to Soulja Boy, The Inmates Keep Dancing!

Remember those Philippine prisoners who did the Thriller dance last year? Well, they’re back. This time the inmates of Cebu Detention and Rehabilitation Center are shaking it to Soulja Boy. And did we mention they even mix in a little MC Hammer? Because they do.

Previously known for their excessive gang violence, the violence has almost completely ceased since prison overseer Byron Garcia took over three years ago. After re-placing the majority of the facilities guards, one of his first rules was mandatory marching. That eventually evolved into the intricate dances seen by millions on Youtube.

According to an article by CNN back in September:

Every able-bodied prisoner — about 1,500 of them — must dance. If they refuse, they lose certain privileges, mostly conjugal visits. Sometimes, the dancing occupies up to five hours a day. Garcia rejects claims he’s abusing the prisoners’ rights by forcing them to dance so many hours a day.

He says it gives them a renewed sense of worth and confidence, breaking them of their violent ways. He is convinced his prison is a model for prison authorities everywhere, an example of how to crack the plague of violent prison gangs.

The boss man even does the filming himself!