Number 9 Black Dolphin
Near the border with Kazakhstan is one of Russia’s oldest and toughest prisons. It’s been in use
since at least 1745, when it was operated as a hard labor camp. Its current common name is
“Black Dolphin”, derived from a sculpture, made by inmates, which is found at the front entrance.
This notoriously strict prison is the final destination for many prisoners serving life
sentences. It houses hundreds of the country’s most dangerous murderers, molesters, terrorists
and cannibals. Arriving inmates are blindfolded to prevent them from identifying escape routes.
They are then locked behind a set of three steel doors and are only let out of their cells for an
hour and a half every day. During this time they exercise in a large cage,
while their cells are inspected. The inmates spend the rest of the day in isolation,
with guards checking up on them, every 15 minutes. There’s reportedly one strict rule according to
which they aren’t allowed to rest or sit on their bunks from the time they wake until bedtime,
roughly 16 hours. Every command made by their supervising officers must be answered with “Yes,
sir!” Whenever the inmates are transported through the prison, they are handcuffed behind the back
and held in a stress position meant to give the guards full control while limiting the inmates’
view of their surroundings. Number 8 USP Florence ADMAX
USP Florence is the only supermax prison in the United States and it’s designed to hold inmates
deemed most capable of extreme violence. They include high-profile terrorists, gang lords and
serial killers. They’re held in single cells for 23 hours per day and supervised round the clock.
The perimeter of USP Florence features pressure pads, a multitude of motion detectors and cameras,
in addition to a 12-foot tall razor-wire fence. It has numerous remote-controlled doors and the
entire facility can be locked down at the push of a button. The sinks, desks, stools and beds in the
cells are made almost entirely of poured concrete, to prevent prisoners from harming themselves.
The 4 inches by 4 feet windows are designed in such a way that inmates never know their exact
location in the prison. After a few years of extreme confinement and strictly limited human
contact, some may be transferred to a prison with fewer restrictions. According to recent reports,
suicide attempts are relatively common at USP Florence and they often succeed.
In 2012, a number of inmates launched a federal class-action against the prison, alleging
chronic abuse and improper attention given to those suffering from severe mental illnesses.
Number 7 La Tumba La Tumba, which translates as “The Tomb”,
is an underground detention facility in Caracas, Venezuela. It’s part of the tower which serves as
the headquarters for the Bolivarian Intelligence Service. Prisoners are kept in small cells and
under constant bright lights, which cause them to lose their sense of time.
There are no windows and the only sound that they hear is that of the Caracas Metro trains nearby.
The inmates have no possibility of interaction because each cell is aligned next to one another.
Security protocols require any visitors to undergo strip searches performed by multiple
secret intelligence personnel. Due to the inhumane living conditions, political prisoners held in
La Tumba for extended periods of time tend to become very ill. Even so, they are reportedly
often denied medical treatment. Number 6 Bang Kwang Prison
Ironically known as the “Bangkok Hilton” the Bang Kwang Prison in Thailand’s capital city is known
worldwide for having a brutal regime. It was built for 3,500 inmates but houses over 8,000, most of
whom are serving at least 25 years. New prisoners, for 3 months, must always wear shackles.
The inmates on death row also have shackles welded to their legs. Only one meal is served per day,
usually consisting of a bowl of rice and soup. Most prisoners are not only malnourished but
they also contract diseases, resulting from faulty running water and sewage systems. These issues are
only made worse by the severe overcrowding. Number 5 Rikers Island
Rapper Lil Wayne, punk icon Sid Vicious and Mark David Chapman,
the man who killed John Lennon, have all at some point gone through Rikers Island, New York City’s
largest and most famous jail. Found between Queens and the Bronx, the massive facility handles an
average of 10,000 inmates daily. Even though it generally holds low-grade offenders, Rikers
Island has a notorious record of systematic abuse. According to the New York Times, in 2013 alone,
over 129 inmates were severely injured by the guards. The list of injuries included brutal
head wounds, deep cuts and broken bones. To make matters worse, the vast majority of those inmates
had already been diagnosed with mental illnesses. Throughout the years at Rikers, there have also
been reports of guards often sanctioning violence between inmates. Some guards would
reportedly select inmates to act as enforcers on their behalf. It’s this constant friction that
has gradually led to an increase of violence at Rikers Island. Over 9,400 assaults were registered
in 2015 alone. The prison’s infamous reputation is why the New York City Council has recently voted
to have it closed down by 2026. Number 4 Piotrkow Prison
Piotrkow Prison, in Poland, is home to some of most dangerous criminals in the country but
also to a number of those deemed too violent for other European incarceration facilities.
Inmates from every wing are monitored 24 hours a day with sophisticated surveillance systems.
Despite its imposing size, the feel of Piotrkow Prison is often described as claustrophobic.
It was constructed in such a manner that inmates are isolated and have minimal contact with each
other. This is meant to prevent violent prison-gang culture and the trafficking of
amphetamines. Piotrkow has an extreme isolation cell, conceptualized with the intent of breaking
down even the most hardened criminals. It’s a 6 by 3 feet room in which inmates’ are held
with their hands and feet shackled. A sensory deprivation helmet is placed on their heads,
which prevents them from seeing, hearing and even speaking properly. This form of psychological
torture is reportedly meant to subdue prisoners that have repeated violent outbreaks.
Number 3 San Quentin The San Quentin State Prison has what has been
described as the largest death row in the Western Hemisphere. Throughout San Quentin’s history,
215 prisoners were executed by hanging, 186 died in the gas chamber and 11 were given the lethal
injection. While, in recent years, the state of California has temporarily suspended executions,
San Quentin remains a brutal prison to be locked up in. Inmates exercise in rows of independent
cages. Even sessions of group therapy are often held with each prisoner segregated
in a small cage. Prisoners deemed the “worst of the worst” are housed in a building called
the Adjustment Center, the harshest of the death row units. Due to California’s
long appeal process, the inmates may spend years on end inside cells which are
6 by 9 feet, smaller than the standard parking spot. There are no chairs or desks nor are there
proper sources of natural light or airflow. Human interaction is virtually inexistent while
the Adjustment Center is immersed in constant noise, thus causing sleep deprivation. It’s due
to this incredibly tough regime that it’s been argued more people on death row at San Quentin
have died from suicide rather than execution. Today's topic was requested by Bobby Vernon.
If you have any other topics you'd like to learn about, subscribe & let us know in the
comments section below Number 2 Evin Prison
Evin Prison, located in the eponymous neighborhood of Tehran, Iran, has been
criticized by human rights groups for severe abuses against its political prisoners. Evin
has denied access to these groups for years and is believed to have covered up various atrocities,
such as rape, severe beatings and other forms of horrendous torture. The prison has become known
for its extensive use of white torture. While this doesn’t involve physically assaulting the inmate,
it wreaks havoc on their mind. Their cell is entirely white, with no windows. Their
clothes are also white while the neon lights above them, which are always on,
are positioned so that no shadows are shown. Prisoners aren’t allowed to speak, their cell
is soundproof and the guards wear padded shoes, to avoid making any noise. The surfaces are smooth,
robbing inmates of variable tactile sensations, and the food they’re served is also white,
usually unseasoned rice. Some prisoners at Evin were reportedly held for years in such
conditions. They’d gradually begin to lose their sense of self and suffer hallucinations
or psychotic episodes. The first documented report of white torture at Evin came in 2004,
from writer Amir-Abbas Fakhravar, who’d been imprisoned for making comments on Iranian
authorities in his book. Writer Ebrahim Nabavi was also subjected to white torture and claimed that,
even after he left Evin, he couldn’t sleep without pills and still felt the effects of the
excruciating loneliness. Number 1 Sednaya Prison
Sednaya Prison, operated by the Syrian government near Damascus, has been reported as responsible
for utterly horrific human rights abuses. It earned a reputation as the military prison
where detainees were taken to die. Over 13,000 people are believed to have been the victims of
summary execution at Sednaya, which also had a crematorium on its premises. Once taken there,
some prisoners were forced to choose between dying themselves and killing a friend or relative.
Sednaya is so inaccessible to the outside world that most of the information about its hellish
regime comes from former inmates. They claim that, upon arrival, the detainees were severely beaten
as part of a “welcome party”. While blindfolded, they were savagely struck with cables, metal bars
or a whip made out of a tire cut into strips. It was called the tank belt, because of the explosive
sound it made when it struck human flesh. Torture was rampant and included keeping inmates in stress
positions while they were beaten, electrocuted or had cigarettes put out on their bodies. They
were constantly deprived of food or water. Some were raped or forced at gunpoint to rape others.
Prior to Sednaya, one detainee had spent time at a different prison, where the brutal conditions
and shortages had forced him to become a cannibal. The man called that former
prison “heaven” when compared to Sednaya. Thanks for watching! Would you rather spend a
month in a supermax prison or a year at sea? Let us know in the comments section below!