Bruno Pugh
Prison systems exist worldwide, yet certain prisons have earned reputations that extend far beyond their walls. Some facilities have become synonymous with violence, while others operate under life-threatening conditions that would shock most people. Here are 10 prisons that have earned their place as the most feared institutions on Earth.
ADX Florence Supermax Prison, USA
ADX Florence locks up America’s most notorious criminals, including serial killers, bombers, and gang leaders. Outside their concrete cells, inmates receive one hour of daily exercise, but in a small cage. In fact, the facility’s complete isolation drives many prisoners insane, thus earning its reputation as a psychological torture chamber.
Rikers Island Correctional Facility, USA
Built in 1932, Rikers Island holds around 7,000 people awaiting trial in New York. Guards regularly beat inmates, while gangs control cell blocks through fear and intimidation. Mental health crises occur daily as prisoners attempt suicide at rates far above national averages. Stabbings and riots further create constant chaos throughout the facility.
Bang Kwang Central Prison, Thailand
Prisoners once wore heavy leg irons for years at Bang Kwang prison, though this practice was stopped after 2013 due to global pressure. Thai locals call this prison “Big Tiger” because it devours every prisoner who enters. Foreign prisoners even face additional torture from guards, and many call the conditions nightmarish.
Black Dolphin Prison, Russia
Black Dolphin houses Russia’s worst serial killers and cannibals in complete isolation. Guards bend prisoners over during transport so they cannot memorize escape routes. Cameras monitor every movement as inmates eat through slots in steel doors. This psychological pressure breaks even the most hardened criminals over time.
San Quentin State Prison, USA
San Quentin keeps California’s death row prisoners in old cells built over 170 years ago. Though executions ceased with a 2006 moratorium, around 700 inmates still await sentences unlikely to be carried out. Overcrowding sometimes forces three prisoners into cells designed for one person, while gangs sell drugs and attack rivals daily throughout the old prison buildings.
Pelican Bay State Prison, USA
Opened in 1989, the Pelican Bay house houses inmates who spend years locked in windowless cells without human contact, leading to severe mental breakdowns. The Security Housing Unit keeps prisoners isolated for decades, with some never seeing sunlight. Additionally, Gang wars between different ethnic groups result in frequent stabbings.
Carandiru Penitentiary, Brazil
Police stormed Carandiru prison in 1992 and killed 111 inmates during violent clashes over terrible living conditions. Built for 1,200 prisoners, the facility held over 8,000 people in cells infested with rats and disease. Gang members controlled different floors while authorities lost complete control. Brazil demolished the prison in 2002 following international pressure.
Diyarbakir Prison, Turkey
Time Magazine ranked Diyarbakir as the world’s fourth worst prison in 2008. After Turkey’s 1980 coup, authorities tried to erase the cultural identity of the Kurdish inmates. They appointed guards who forced the prisoners to memorize Turkish nationalist songs while subjecting them to psychological torment. At least 34 prisoners passed away between 1981 and 1984 from hunger strikes.
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Since 2002, over 780 detainees from 48 nations have been held at Guantanamo Bay, most without formal charges. Guards subjected prisoners to brutal techniques like waterboarding, sleep deprivation, etc., to extract information. FBI reports revealed that detainees were chained in cramped positions for 24 hours, covered in their own waste.
Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, Kenya
Built for 1,400 inmates, this facility now crams over 3,600 prisoners into squalid cells where beatings occur daily. The prison’s notorious “G” block is controlled by predatory gangs who terrorize weaker inmates. In 2021, three terror convicts escaped with insider help, exposing massive security failures of the prison.