You’ve earned a reputation as one of the most feared criminals in your prison, and
the guards have taken notice.
No punishment could break you, and you were soon back in the yard causing mayhem.
But that’s about to change, because now you find yourself shackled on a prison bus,
surrounded by guards and other prisoners with the same threat level as you.
Your new home is going to be ready for you, because it’s a prison designed for the most
dangerous inmates in the entire corrections system.
You’re headed for the place where inmates who can’t be handled by minimum security,
medium security, or even regular maximum security are held.
You’re headed for Supermax.
You didn’t get to where you are by going in unprepared, so you did all the research
you could before your transfer.
You haven’t been intimidated by any prison before, and you’re not going to start now
- but Supermax is testing that.
For one thing, it doesn’t seem like you’ll be able to rule over the yard like you used
to.
Supermax prisons are designed to provide long-term segregated housing for the worst of the worst,
and those who head to Supermax usually don’t leave.
Some are going to be there for decades, but most inmates sent to Supermax are serving
life sentences - one way or another.
Almost every Supermax prison has a death row attached, unless it’s in a state that doesn’t
have the death penalty.
A Supermax prison has several key characteristics beyond being for long-term sentences.
Their administration is powerful and has wide latitude to keep the inmates under control.
That includes punishment without the opportunity for appeal or outside overview.
Activities are limited compared to other prison types, with few opportunities for recreation,
college classes, or support groups like you might find in other prisons.
Guess you’ll have to wait for your next prison to pursue that law degree.
It’s extremely rare for an inmate to be sentenced to Supermax at trial, unless they’re
considered a pressing security risk to the public.
Most inmates are sent there after extensive trouble at other prisons.
You consider it a badge of honor.
But the thing that worries you the most about Supermax?
Boredom.
At your old prison, you kept busy.
You were a regular fixture in the yard, working out and getting ripped.
All the better to intimidate your fellow inmates and scrap with the guards.
But at Supermax, security is much tighter.
When you arrive and are thoroughly searched, you’re immediately taken to your cell.
No cellmates to cook up schemes with here - your cell is segregated, and you’ll stay
in it for 23 hours of the day.
You’ve got a toilet, and some limited entertainment options including approved books.
Some jurisdictions offer a TV for inmates who stay on their best behavior - something
that’s never easy for you.
You’ll even be taking meals in your cell, delivered through a slot in the door.
They’re not taking any chances.
That’s a shame - your favorite part of lunchtime was getting an extra dessert from some unfortunate
new fish seated next to you.
But what about that one extra hour a day?
Finally, some recreation.
You’re let out into the yard, and you’re looking forward to stretching your legs - but
good luck with that!
Even when you’re exercising, you’re in a cage.
Recreation time is spent in small, secure spaces, and inmates are either let out alone
or with one other inmate, and the guards are always close by to make sure no one makes
contact.
You’ll have to get used to being watched at all times.
One of the most consistent parts of being in Supermax is that surveillance is everywhere.
Closed-circuit cameras are pointed in every cell, and when an inmate is out of their cell
you can bet there’ll be several guards right by to take them down should they try anything.
You remember at your old prison when you were on work detail and you snuck off and hitchhiked
to the next county.
It doesn’t look like you’ll be pulling a repeat performance here.
You won’t have a roommate, but you can’t help but wonder - who’s sharing this prison
with you?
You know it’s the worst of the worst, and many of them have lengthy rap sheets like
you.
You got here one crime and fight at a time, but many of your fellow inmates got here a
lot faster.
High-security prisoners are often transferred to Supermax immediately, especially if the
government is worried about someone trying to break them out pre-trial or after sentencing.
If an inmate has ties to foreign radical groups, or is a high-level drug dealer, they’re
likely to be sent here out of caution.
You don’t know if they’re in this very prison, but notorious criminals ripped from
the headlines like drug kingpin El Chapo or Russian spy Robert Hanssen are serving life
sentences in Supermax.
But you’re not intimidated!
You know you’ll get an opportunity to get the drop on a guard, and you’ll show everyone
in here who’s the boss.
After all, what’s the worst they can do to you?
You’re already in Supermax.
Well, the sight of another inmate yelling as they drag him down the hall might give
you a clue.
The rules in Supermax are enforced strictly, and there’s usually only one punishment
for breaking them - solitary confinement.
But you’re already in solitary confinement in your cell, right?
Not quite.
At Supermax, when you get sent to solitary confinement, you’re going to “the hole”.
This windowless, featureless cell is very different from the one you’re used to, and
it’s easy to lose track of time in there.
If that’s what awaits you, maybe picking a fight at the first opportunity isn’t the
best idea.
At least there’s some things to look forward to around here - including mealtime!
You’re not getting fine dining, that’s for sure, but there’s a pretty steady parade
of decent fare, not that different from when you were in school.
Good ol’ school days - intimidating the lunch lady for an extra portion of fries.
For lunch, you might have scrambled eggs, a chicken sandwich, or tacos.
For dinners, it’s usually heartier fare like meatloaf, pasta marinara, or roast beef.
There’ll also be a vegetarian option, and prisons work to accommodate special diets
like allergies and religious needs.
There goes that plan to escape by getting taken to the hospital with an allergic reaction.
But if you’re not satisfied with the meals, you’ve got one other option - the prison
commissary.
This is like a 7-11 in Supermax.
If you’ve got someone on the outside willing to put money into your account, you can purchase
anything you want from the shelves and have it brought to your cell.
Treats include instant ramen, dried fruit, packaged taco fixings, and popular snacks
from the outside world.
Not exactly fine dining, but it’s a taste of home that you’re in dire need of.
Just make sure to manage your money wisely - it’s not like you can earn more through
work detail like you did at your old prison.
It doesn’t take long, and you’re starting to go stir-crazy!
Your thoughts once again turn to escape.
After all, how hard could it be?
You haven’t met a prison yet that could break you.
Well, you might want to rethink that.
Not only are those security cameras watching you at all times, but if you manage to get
outside, you’ll be up against the guard towers.
You’ll find yourself in a wide-open space, with nothing blocking the view from the armed
guards above.
There’s a reason Supermax prisons are usually in isolated locations, not crowded urban centers
- the fewer places there are to hide, the harder it is for you to get away.
When a Supermax prisoner manages to escape, which happens rarely, the guards will try
to capture them.
But if they get far enough that it’s only the guard towers between them and escape - well,
they’re not coming back to their cell one way or another.
At least you’re not as isolated as the people in the very first Supermax prison.
They were taken by ferry to one of the most notorious sites in prison history - the famous
Alcatraz Island, where freezing shark-infested waters stood between them and escape.
Alcatraz was considered a prototype for the Supermax facility when it was founded as a
federal prison in 1934.
The far-off location in San Francisco bay made up for the lack of modern security, and
it was very successful at keeping people on the island.
There were fourteen escape attempts over the years, with 23 being caught alive, six being
shot while escaping, two drowning, and five never being found.
Authorities believe these five men drowned and their bodies were lost, but many believe
they escaped.
The only prisoner to ever get off Alcatraz Island was John Paul Scott, who successfully
swam all the way to shore - only to collapse from exhaustion on the beach and be quickly
apprehended.
Supermax prisons aren’t on islands anymore, because the government uses state-of-the-art
technology to make sure prisoners are secure.
For those federal inmates who the government wants to keep under lock and key, there’s
only one destination - ADX Florence in Fremont County, Colorado.
Often called the Alcatraz of the Rockies, it’s home to virtually all of the country’s
most notorious federal prisoners including foreign and domestic attackers, spies, organized
crime bosses, cult leaders, and drug kingpins.
Almost all are doing sentences of twenty years or more, with most doing life or awaiting
execution.
But there are over fifty prisons with Supermax facilities around the United States, most
holding prisoners of different security levels.
Supermax facilities in standard prisons are known as SHUs, or segregated housing units,
and the prisoners in these units never interact with the lower-security prisoners sharing
the facility.
Being here is going to be pretty boring and you’re not optimistic about escaping, so
it’s time to find out how you’re going to keep yourself occupied.
Well, they’re obviously not going to let you wander around the prison, and exercise
is strictly regulated.
Amenities vary by prison, but most offer a library.
Inmates make requests for books from the prison library, and they’re delivered to your cell.
Almost like a bookmobile.
You don’t think they’ll give you books about how to tunnel out of your cell, so maybe
it’s time to catch up on some of those great American novels you didn’t read in high
school.
Computer access is strictly limited and monitored, but some Supermax prisons allow for their
use.
It’s even possible in some Supermax prisons to take remote college classes, with coursework
being delivered remotely via mail.
One thing’s for sure - however you keep yourself busy in your new home, you’d better
get used to doing it alone.
The one thing you’re not going to get in your new digs is socializing time.
The good news is, there’s one way you might be getting out of here sooner than the judge
wants.
Supermax prisons are coming under increasing fire from civil rights activists who say they
amount to cruel and unusual punishment.
The United Nations has condemned the way they’re run, and a federal lawsuit against ADX Florence
was filed in 2012 claiming chronic abuse and neglect.
The suit was dismissed, but a campaign to abolish them continues.
Adding to that momentum, they’re extremely expensive to run.
ADX Florence cost over 60 million dollars to build in 1994, and the costs keep rising.
Outfitting a Supermax can cost up to three times as much as a regular maximum security
block, and many people question if it’s money well spent.
No one’s looking to transfer El Chapo into general population, but advocates say many
inmates could be better rehabilitated in a more integrated environment.
If you want to survive Supemax, you’ll need a few things.
You’ll need to be able to handle isolation.
You’ll want to take advantage of every opportunity you have for entertainment and comfort - reading,
taking enrichment courses, getting special snacks from the commissary.
Even if they’re not exactly your cup of tea, your options are limited.
You’ll need to get your exercise in close quarters, and to stay off the guards’ radar.
Most of all, you’ll need patience - and maybe to sign some of those petitions to abolish
Supermax prisons.
Now go watch “Why You Wouldn’t Survive Alcatraz Prison”.
Or check out “Prison Where Inmates Live in Coffins” to see how much worse it could
be.