Number 11 ADX Florence When it comes to incarceration rates, the
US is at the global forefront and ADX Florence is the crown jewel of its prison system. It’s
the only facility classed as a supermax, meaning that it’s beyond maximum security, and specially
designed to hold inmates most capable of violence. Inmates spend 23 hours per day in cells made
almost entirely of poured concrete, to prevent self-harm. Their contact with others is so
limited that days or weeks may go by in which only a few words are spoken to them, an Amnesty
International report found. The windows, designed so that inmates are unaware of their exact
location in the prison, only open for them to see the sky and roof. Planning an escape
is virtually impossible. ADX Florence features a wide array of motion sensors, cameras and
remote-controlled steel doors. If an escape attempt is suspected, a single button locks
down the entire facility. ADX Florence is the final destination for some of the most
notorious criminals in the world. Aside from high-profile terrorists, it holds notable
figures of organized crime like Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the former leader of the
Sinaloa Cartel, and Tyler Bingham, founder of the Aryan Brotherhood.
Number 10 San Pedro The San Pedro prison in the Bolivian capital
of La Paz is unusual in the sense that it’s fully self-governing and inmates are actually
supposed to pay for their cells, which aren’t assigned by prison officials. The wealthiest
area is called “La Posta” where the rich can buy luxury cells, with private bathrooms,
a kitchen and cable TV. They can even add second-level extensions to their cells, which
give them views of the city. However, most of the prison’s nearly 3,000 inmates live
crammed in single-room cells. San Pedro is a society within itself, where people have
jobs and responsibilities. It’s common for the incarcerated to live in the community
with their families. Acts of aggression against women or children are severely punished. The
laws of the community are enforced by elected leaders while the prison’s borders are patrolled
directly by police officers, who have no authority to punish or reward the inmates. This makes
them highly susceptible to bribery and one of the reasons for the prison’s booming
cocaine trade. The drugs are produced in labs directly in the prison and sold to visiting
tourists or smuggled outside of San Pedro. There are daily tours organized in the prison,
despite tourism inside being officially illegal. Number 9 Aranjuez Prison
In Aranjuez prison, located in the Spanish city of the same name, children are allowed
to live behind bars alongside their incarcerated parents. The spacious cells tend to be child-themed,
complete with toys and posters of Disney characters. There’s also a playground and a children’s
physician on standby. The operating concept is for children to bond with their parents
without realizing they’re in prison. Once they reach the age of 3, they’re taken to
live with relatives. While sometimes criticized for basically incarcerating infants, officials
stress the importance of this type of family connection, which may also influence inmates
to abandon their criminal ways.
Number 8 Medici Fortress The Italian culinary arts are so pervasively
powerful that they’ve made it into a maximum security prison as well. A portion of the
Medici Fortress, in the mountaintop town of Volterra, doubles as a restaurant. For a select
few times per year, it’s open to visitors and fully staffed by carefully-supervised
inmates, who prepare and serve the food. Would-be diners still have to pass a background check
and they’ll also have to go through a metal detector as well as a search. Through the
program, the Medici Fortress raises a substantial amount of money for charity and tables are
booked well in advance. It’s also meant to act as a rehabilitation tool in preparing
inmates for life after prison. Number 7 Sark’s Prison
Sark prison, found on the eponymous island in the southwestern English Channel, is often
described as the world’s smallest active prison. Built in 1856, the small, barrel-roofed
building only has two adjoining cells, each measuring about 6 by 6 feet. There are no
windows and a narrow corridor runs the length of the building. With a population of a few
hundred people, Sark’s police force doesn’t have a lot of crime to deal with. However,
the prison’s history is quite fascinating. One of its earliest occupants was a young
girl who’d stolen a handkerchief. She was so terrified of being locked up for three
days in the dark cell, that officers allowed her to put a chair in the prison’s open
doorway. Local women sat on it, knitting and talking to the girl until her sentence was
done. The following song of crime on Sark was even more peculiar. In 1990, a French
nuclear physicist, named Andre Gardes, declared himself as the rightful lord of the island.
Armed with a semi-automatic weapon, he put up two posters stating his plans of launching
a one-man invasion of Sark. However, before he could put his plan in motion, Gardes was
promptly punched in the face by a constable and arrested.
Number 6 Bastoy Prison In a country known for focusing extensively
on rehabilitation instead of incarceration, Norway’s Bastoy Prison is the world’s
most eco-friendly detention center. It’s powered by solar panels, food is only prepared
on-site and everything is recycled. Surplus food isn’t wasted but sold to other prisons.
Bastoy tries to instill a strong sense of environmental responsibility in its inmates.
They’re rewarded with leisure activities like horseback riding, tennis or swimming.
Number 5 Cereso Chetumal Mexican prisons, throughout the years, have
garnished a reputation of being places of horror but Cereso Chetumal is definitely an
exception. It’s actually known as the prison which inmates never want to leave, due to
the amenities they have inside. Some of these include spa treatments, cultural programs,
ample food and even a place where their families can come and spend the night. Inmates are
expected to take part in rehabilitation programs that would prepare them for life on the outside.
There’s a well-stocked library and a computer laboratory that they can use to pursue various
specializations. Cereso Chetumal also has an arts and crafts program that inmates can
take part in and create various trinkets, which are then sold to tourists at the prison’s
gate. Perhaps the most interesting aspect about Cereso Chetumal is its approach to conflict
resolution. It’s known as a peaceful prison, which hasn’t seen a violent incident in
years. That’s because, whenever there’s a problem, inmates can resolve the conflict
in the boxing ring. The fight usually goes on for about two rounds and may be extended
until the inmates work out their issues. Number 4 Cebu Prison
Even though the majority of its inmates are violent offenders, Cebu Prison, in the Philippines,
has implemented a rather unusual rehabilitation program. Prison officials have decided to
modify the prison’s exercise program to include choreographed dancing. The inmates
have put on massive routines, which have become a viral sensation. Any of Cebu’s 1,600 inmates
can contribute to the performances. One of their earliest releases involved a routine
to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” which earned millions of views on social media platforms.
The maximum security facility, which is known as the “Happy Jail”, does have its problems.
Like many other prisons in the Philippines, it deals with severe overcrowding. Human rights
groups talked to some inmates who’ve claimed that the dancing program is actually a cover
for inhumane treatment. Number 3 Squirrel Cage
In the 19th century, architect William H. Brown designed a prison oddly reminiscent
of a medieval torture device. Known as a rotary jail, the cells were pie-like wedges on a
round platform that rotated like a carousel. The prison turned around a core sanitary system
and it could be operated by a single guard hand-rotating a crank. The entire cell block
had one opening, meaning that guards could access one cell at a time. The concept allowed
for maximum security with minimal contact between guards and inmates. Roughly 18 such
buildings were operated in the US but only one, Iowa’s Pottawattamie County Jail, was
three stories tall. Problems with rotary jails were reported almost immediately. Inmates
would constantly get their limbs crushed in the rotation mechanism. They lived in constant
terror whenever the cell block started turning. Most rotary jails were condemned by 1939,
while the one in Pottawattamie County operated for a few more decades. The last rotary jail
that still turns today can be found in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
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Number 2 Justice Center Leoben Justice Center Leoben, in Austria, emphasizes
the humane treatment of prisoners. This is underlined by an inscription on the prison’s
perimeter that reads “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.
The minimum security prison is described as a 5-star facility and often compared to a
resort. Inmates wear their own clothes and have access to a communal kitchen where they
can prepare their own food. The idea is that the more humanely they’re treated in the
prison, the easier their adjustment will be upon their release. Perhaps the most interesting
and unconventional aspect about Justice Center Leoben is the design of the actual building.
It’s an architecturally stunning mix of glass and steel, reminiscent of a corporate
headquarter. It was designed in such a way because architect Josef Hohensinn wanted the
inmates to benefit from abundant natural light.
Number 1 Black Dolphin Prison Black Dolphin Prison houses around 700 of
Russia’s most terrifying criminals, including terrorists, child molesters, cannibals and
serial killers. When talking to a media outlet, one guard claimed that “to call them people
makes your tongue bend backwards”. The facility gets its common name from the black dolphin
sculpture in front of the main entrance. Inmates must adhere to an extremely strict code of
conduct that has led to the prison being compared to the infamous Soviet gulags. They’re monitored
around the clock, isolated and held in cells that close with a set of three steel doors.
Every day they’re fed the same combination of soup and bread. Cells are checked every
15 minutes and any command inmates are given must be answered with “yes, sir”. They’re
blindfolded and held in stress positions whenever they’re escorted through the prison, to
prevent them from mapping out escape routes or attacking guards.
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