Prisons have always been somewhat of a controversial subject. People often wonder whether these institutions are really correctional or just further promote violence and criminal behavior, and no one can offer any conclusive arguments. What we do know, however, is that there are bad prisons, and then there are absolutely the worst ones known all over the world for their brutality. So, join us on this rather peculiar journey to find the worst prison in the world. Hopefully, you’ll never get to see the insides of one of these even if you’re inclined to a life of crime (and you shouldn’t be).
San Quentin
Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)
We’ll start things off with one of America’s most famous and most notorious prisons active today – San Quentin. This prison was opened in the mid-19th century and has, over time, became known for its poor conditions and extreme violence among the inmates. Besides regular cells, the prison also has a death row where dangerous criminals are sent away with a lethal injection. One of the possible reasons why this prison is still active despite its numerous incidents and unhealthy living conditions is the fact that it’s California’s oldest prison facility with the largest death row section. Besides that, San Quentin is also featured in a number of films, shows and music videos (like the one Metallica did some time ago), which keep it open and working. Also, many criminals refrain from committing more serious crimes out of pure fear that they’ll be sent to this unforgiving prison.
ADX-Florence Supermax Facility
With a name like that, you can’t expect ADX Florence to be just an average little prison, can you? Founded in 1994, this prison has quickly gained popularity thanks to the fact that it houses some of USA’s worst prisoners. It is even said that most of these prisoners are in daily solitary confinements for their safety and the safety of others. The story behind the facility states that it was created in order to deal with the ever-increasing attacks on the guards in other US prisons. Namely, whoever transgresses in such a way, gets sent out to Florence and gets to experience its hell. According to a number of allegations, ADX-Florence is an abusive facility that lets its guards use excessive force against the inmates who, in turn, often behave like caged animals. While some have praised the facility’s strictness, many just ignore the underlying problems of the facility for the “greater good.”
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)
Speaking of publicly recognized US prisons, almost nothing can come close to the famous Alcatraz. Opened in 1934 and closed in 1963, this maximum security federal prison gained recognition mainly due to its location on a secluded island of Alcatraz and some of its more prominent inmates like the one and only Al Capone. Besides that, Alcatraz was also famous for its numerous amazing escape attempts, some of which were never really proven. Just a year before the prison was shut down, three inmates by the name of Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin, performed what is called one of the most intricate escape attempts in the history. The three of them managed to escape the prison walls, fooling the guards with paper models of themselves and riding off on a boat made out of 50 raincoats. The official investigation stated that they’ve drowned, but many believe they actually managed to escape the inescapable Alcatraz, which eventually led to its demise.
Rikers Island Jail
There’s something about island confinements that makes them quite terrifying and the one on Rikers Island is no exception. The island was converted to jail in 1932 to help out the overcrowded New York jails at the time. Though it did help with the overcrowding problem, Rikers introduced a whole new level of violence in the correctional facilities and quickly gained quite a lot of notoriety. In the period when the prison was at its worst, it was reported that there have been as many as 1,000 stabbings per year. Thanks to a couple of reforms, this number was drastically lowered in the recent years, but the reputation remains. The reason why Rikers was so dangerous at the time was not only because the guards used excessive force, but because they also employed other guards to do the dirty work for them. What really damaged the jail’s reputation was the 2007 incident when an 18-year-old inmate was savagely beaten by other inmates while the guards peacefully watched. Add this to their well-known history of neglecting mentally ill patients who often committed suicide, and you can see why it’s on this list.
Tadmor
Of course, USA is not the only country with some of the worst prisons in the world. In fact, Tadmor prison in Syria is globally known for its inhumane treatment of prisoners to the point where a huge number of them was even shot in 1980. This world-resounding incident was triggered by a failed assassination attempt of then-president Hafez al-Assad. As a form of retaliation, just a day later, the president’s brother ordered the slaughter of about 1000 prisoners in Tadmor, both political adversaries, and common criminals. Despite that, and all the rest of the bad reputation it garnered over the years, Tadmor managed to remain open until 2001 when it was closed down, only to be opened again ten years later. Tadmor was often used for dealing with the political opponents, which is why it was demolished in 2015 by the members of the unrecognized Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Using a lot of explosives, they flattened it down on the 30th of May.
Carandiru Penitentiary
Photo: Peter Macdiarmid (Getty Images)
The next place on our list goes out to Carandiru penitentiary, the Brazil’s hellish prison that many believe to be the worst prison in the world. Carandiru was built in 1920 and began working in 1956, quickly becoming the largest Brazillian prison with a steady flow of inmates. There are two things this prison is most famous for: the 1992 massacre and HIV epidemic that happened within their walls. Following a riot in 1992, the prison guards decided to let a special military police intervene that went in and slaughtered more than a hundred inmates. According to many witnesses, the police shot both problematic and surrendering prisoners. The second time that Carandiru came to public’s eye was when it was announced that almost every fifth prisoner in there was HIV-positive. Thankfully, this horrendous establishment was demolished in 2002.
Hoeryong Concentration Camp
The fact that there are still concentration camps in the 21st century is what makes Hoeryong such a scary place. This maximum security facility was founded in 1965 and can hold up to 50,000 inmates at a time. Throughout its history, Camp 22 (as it was named) was used for numerous political confrontations with dissidents. There is a myth that at one point three generations of dissidents were imprisoned in it to make sure they’re extinct. Besides the usual violence expected in such a place, the guards of the Camp 22 also use various torture techniques like water torture, hanging torture, pigeon torture, and so on. This information about the harsh prison life was revealed to the world by its warden who defected to China in 2012 and other former employees. As if that’s not bad enough, the camp also imprisons children who are given work and who are poorly fed, resulting in their premature deaths. They are even more brutal towards the sick people, who are usually quarantined and left to die in isolation. For now, we have no way of knowing if these practices are still used today, but the very thought of it is disturbing enough.
Out of all these, which one do you think is the worst prison in the world? Why?
