Their non-governmental organization also stated that child prisoners are often raped by adult inmates. In addition, the detainees are forced to scrub the very dirty and smelly squat toilets every day.

A prisoner named Mathieu recounted that he cleaned 800 buckets of waste in one night. Mathieu, who was imprisoned for protesting against inflation, described New Bell as truly like "hell." Every day, many inmates die as victims of violence and hunger.

One of the darkest moments in prison history occurred in June 2008. At that time, 16 inmates were shot dead after failing to escape from prison.

"They took two automatic rifles to shoot at the guards who responded with deadly force. 'The guards on duty returned fire at the inmates. When the shooting subsided, 16 prisoners were found dead and three others suffered serious injuries,' said the local radio broadcast."

"Sadly, just two months later, nine more prisoners died in a fire that occurred in the Regime wing, which housed nearly 1,500 people. The fire also struck the maximum-security prison in 2020 – causing terrified prisoners to be trapped on the roof. Residents nearby were shocked as they recorded the suffering of the prisoners from the street outside the prison. In the incident, three inmates were treated at the hospital for severe burns."

The condition of the New Bell, which is now four times its capacity, is becoming increasingly alarming. In 2022, the Minister of Public Health of Cameroon announced a cholera outbreak. There were 29 reported deaths between March 16 and March 22. However, a different report was revealed by one of the detainees there.

"And in the same year, a teenager named Jennifer described the conditions of the prison from inside New Bell to The Guardian. "Living here is crazy. If you don't have money, you can't survive. It's very hot and stuffy here." Prisoners sleep five to a bed, and there's no room to breathe. People are sweating, bodies are crammed together," she said."

"However, behind the horrors and atrocities, a unique phenomenon occurred within New Bell. A music studio named Jail Time Records was opened inside the prison in 2018 – something that is now considered a great success story."

One of its founders is a former inmate named Steve Happi who was imprisoned for killing his father. However, the charges have been dismissed. According to Happi, who returned to New Bell to record music, around 300 artists have used the music studio in recent years. The entry of artists into this prison is described as something that has changed the lives of many people in New Bell.