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20 Notorious Prisons across the World

The human race has witnessed some of the most notoriously dangerous prisons in the world where people experience the harshest living conditions. Some of these prisons are described as 鈥榣iving hell鈥� by those who witnessed the physical and mental human suffering. Those who happen to pass through the most dangerous prisons in the world will never want to have the same experience in the future because of the living conditions inside those four walls. The prisons are located in different parts of the world where all injustice and disrespect to human rights occur.

Every country around the world seems to have one or two of these dangerous environments that no human would wish to go through. From the dangerous Black Dolphin in Russia, to the most crowded Kamiti Maximum Prison in Nairobi Kenya, as well as the isolated Alcatraz in the United States of America, these are some of the places that hide the darkest side of humanity. The dangerous penitentiaries across all seven continents have a history of torture, pain, awful environments, violent prisoners, and extremely horrible stories. Though they are meant to be correction centers, these prisons have become dead beds for many people.

Taking a look at some of these dangerous prisons helps us understand what happens behind closed doors and inside the four walls. Understanding these places would help us appreciate human rights that are violated at all times inside these places.

The following are some of the twenty most notorious prisons in the world:

1. Muhanga or Gitarama Prison, Rwanda

Gitarama Prison in Rwanda is not only one of the most notorious prisons but also one of the most crowded in the world. The prison was initially built to a capacity of just four hundred prisoners. However, after the unfortunate 1994 genocide, the prison was flooded by inmates and now has more than fifteen times its intended capacity. The seven thousand inmates have limited space and most of them have to stand for many hours in filthy conditions. Given there is only one doctor to attend to those who become sick, many inmates die for lack of medical attention. The estimated number of deaths per day at Gitarama Prison is six.

2. Black Dolphin Prison, Russia

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 The Russian prison located near Kazakhstan is a strict place with ruthless rules that inmates must follow. The Black Dolphin Prison is the destination for the most dangerous convicts in the country, including serial killers, terrorists, cannibals, and other inmates who might be a threat to other ordinary inmates. Here, the prisoners are only allowed out for a maximum of two hours a day. The guards have the hardest job because they must make rounds every quarter an hour and must watch the inmates twenty-four hours a day. The inmates are neither allowed to interact with other inmates, nor know the layout of the facility. They are blindfolded whenever they are transferred from one place to another.

3. Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, Kenya

Kamiti Maximum Prison is Kenya鈥檚 most notorious and one of the most crowded in the world. The facility was built in 1954 by the British to house Kenyan freedom fighters. However, despite having a capacity of thousands and hundreds of inmates, Kamiti has more than three times the capacity. The living conditions are bad as inmates battle several health conditions including HIV/AIDS, gonorrhea, syphilis, tuberculosis, and other sexual and airborne diseases. Kamiti has been in the headlines for years including the 2021 attempted escape by two terror suspect convicts.

4. Mendoza Prison, Argentina

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Mendoza Prison in Argentina is known for having a small space that has to carry three times its capacity. The overcrowded prison has poor health conditions, which forced some inmates to sew their mouths in an attempt to protest for better living conditions. There are five inmates in small cells measuring less than five square meters, making many inmates sleep on the filthy floor. There are limited toilets in the prison which makes many prisoners use plastic bags and bottles to dispose of human waste. The living conditions lead to numerous deaths per year in Mendoza.

5. Gldani Prison, Georgia

Gldani Prison in Georgia has been in the spotlight for all bad reasons and living conditions in the facility. The guards in the prison have a reputation for torturing the inmates. A video was released in 2012 by a former prison guard revealing the abuse of human rights by the prison officials. Inmates experience violations of human rights, including rape, assault, and torture among other physical and mental torture. Although the conditions in the prison improved after the release of the video, Gldani has been in the spotlight again after former president Mikheil Saakashvili was imprisoned there.

6. Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX), United States of America

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The prison has several names for its reputation, including ADX Florence, Supermax, and the Alcatraz of the Rockies. The Alcatraz of the Rockies is the highly secured maximum security in the United States, housing some of the globally dangerous criminals including terrorists and serial killers. Men and women involved in the Trade Center bombing and the infamous 9/11 have their homes in the ADX Florence. Here, prisoners live in small rooms with tiny windows to allow light and are served meals through a small opening at the door. Inmates are allowed one hour a day to see the sunlight, under heavy guarding. As described by former prison warden Robert Hood, the Alcatraz of the Rockies is a clean version of hell.

7. Camp 14 Kacheon, North Korea

The North Korean prison is referred to as both Camp 14 and Kacheon. The prison was built in the late 1950s and has been a living hell for top officials in the country and across the world. The prison has a capacity of more than fifteen thousand inmates, who are imprisoned here for the rest of their lives for being the enemies of their country. The most outstanding feature of Camp 14 is the 鈥榯hree-generation punishment鈥� policy. According to the policy, some people are serving life imprisonment for being related to crime suspects. Some people will live and die in the person without having committed a single crime in their lives. Prisoners here are starved to death, while others are forced into hard labor including farming and mining. Camp 14 is the most dreaded prison in the country.

8. Diyarbakir Prison, Turkey

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When President Tayyip Erdogan announced that Diyarbakir prison would become a cultural center, many were happy but those who went through the facility would never forget the experience. The prison was built in 1980 after the Turkish coup entered in the same year. The prison was turned into a martial law military prison where more than half a million Kurds were imprisoned. The inmates have told horrifying stories of the conditions in the prison, despite the officials denying the allegations. Those who went through the system have told about the torture in the prison including rape, a threat to rape, hanging of prisoners, electric shock in the genitals, nail removal, and removing healthy teeth. The abuses in the prisons led to the formation of Kurdistan groups that fight for human rights to date.

9. San Quentin State Prison, United States of America

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San Quentin State Prison is located in California, in the United States. The prison has been known for the several death sentences, where more than seven hundred inmates were executed. The prison has been home to dangerous criminals including Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated Robert F. Kennedy. This is the oldest prison in the country and has the largest facility in America. San Quentin was in the spotlight in the 1970s for the corruption scandals in the facility as well as interracial riots that were facilitated by the prison guards.

10. Terre Haute, United States of America

Terre Haute, a complex prison located in Indiana has all the horrific stories in the history of prisons. The facility has maximum security, medium security, and low-security units where inmates are placed depending on the type of offense. This is the place where federal government executions take place and there are several death row inmates in the facility. However, the prison has been in the news for having inadequate conditions for men and women on death row. The death row inmates are denied access to medical care, and mental health services and deprived of sleep. Terre Haute was the place where the first woman, Lisa Montgomery was executed.

11. Guantanamo Bay Prison, Cuba

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After the 9/11 terrorist attack, the United States government under President George Bush took the initiative to fight terrorism and Guantanamo Bay Prison was part of the big project. The prison was opened in 2002 and would soon be overcrowded with inmates believed to have been linked to terror attacks. However, the prison received a lot of criticism for violating human rights. Inmates in the prison experienced physical torture such as waterboarding and sexual abuse. Due to poor living conditions and continued violence, several inmates committed suicide and others were rescued attempting to kill themselves. The number of inmates was reduced under the Obama administration but Guantanamo Bay remains one of the most dangerous prisons on earth.

12. Alcatraz Prison, United States of America

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This prison was nicknamed 鈥楬ellcatraz鈥� because of the harsh environment and violence inside the facility. The facility is located in an isolated Alcatraz Island next to San Francisco offering the perfect location for housing the world鈥檚 most notorious criminals. The prison was closed back in 1963 but left behind a deep wound and history that will never be forgotten. Despite housing the most dangerous criminals, their life inside the prison was extremely harsh. Several inmates would fail to cope with the condition and go insane while others committed suicide. Historic criminals such as Al Capone, Robert Stroud, and Machine Gun Kelly went through Alcatraz.

13. Carandiru Penitentiary, Brazil

Carandiru prison in Brazil is one of the oldest prisons in the world, with the harshest living conditions. The prison was built back in the 1920s and has grown to be a home for more than eight thousand inmates. Poor living conditions and violation of human rights led to riots in the prison that caused more than a hundred deaths of inmates. The riots began after a football match between two teams that collided leading to the government sending military police. The police used live bullets killing a hundred and ten unarmed inmates in the Carandiru massacre.

14. Sabaneta Prison, Venezuela

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Sabaneta prison, located in Maracaibo in Venezuela is one of the most notorious prisons in history. The prison operated from 1958 to 2013 before being closed because of the number of deaths inside the four walls. Sabaneta was built to house just seven hundred inmates but became home to more than four thousand prisoners when it was closed. The fascinating fact about Sabaneta was that it was run by criminal gangs called 鈥榩rans鈥�. One of the gang leaders was a multiple homicide convict, Mocho Edwin. The inmates caused riots inside the prison in 1994, leading to more than a hundred and fifty deaths of inmates. Another riot erupted in 2013 leading to sixty-nine deaths which caused the prison to be closed down.

15. Bang Kwang Central Prison, Thailand

Bang Kwang is one of the worst prisons in the world because of overcrowding and filthy living conditions. Located in Bangkok, Thailand, the Bang Kwang has a history of inmates putting up with maggots. The prison was built in 1933 and had the worst environment until 2013 when the conditions were changed. Here, prisoners have stories of guards beating people mercilessly including the mentally ill, pregnant women, and the elderly. The vulnerable soon succumb to a lack of food and constant beating.

16. La Sant茅 Prison, France

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La Sant茅 Prison is located in the French capital city, 麻豆APP. This is not an ordinary prison as many prisoners are always trying to find a way out either by escaping or committing suicide. The prison was built in the mid-1800s and has been a living hell for those who went through the facility. The inmates at La Sant茅 are allowed to take a shower twice a week and the poor environment leads to health issues throughout the year. This is the French鈥檚 most dangerous prison.

17. Rikers Island Prison, United States of America

There are tough prisons in America and across the world but Rikers prison is one of the most dangerous in the world. The prison is on an island, placing it in an isolated place where nobody can run away. The prison was known for extreme violence that led to ten separate jail cells for men, women, and youth. The prison guards in Rikers are known to play a role in the violence inside the prison. The prisoners are encouraged to form small groups that beat up other inmates to establish order in the facility. Rikers prison is famous for excessive violence, and corruption scandals.

18. Camp 22, North Korea

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Camp 22 prison, famously known as Hoeryong concentration camp is a prison in North Korea that is known for gross violation of human rights. This is the prison where experienced doctors perform human experimentation on the inmates, and in most cases kill them. Although the prison was closed in 2012, Camp 22 was a torture chamber and a living hell for those who went there. Witnesses say that more than two thousand inmates died in the prison due to malnutrition. Others died due to health issues, torture, and suicide. The government denied the existence of Camp 22 making it a secret place where those who went in would never come out. Inmates were tortured by hanging, water torture, kneeling, and other forms of torture. Gladly, the place was closed after being exposed.

19. Arthur Road Jail, India

Arthur Road Jail, also known as Mumbai Central Prison is one of the longest serving prisons in India. Having a large capacity has also made Arthur Road one of the most famous prisons in the world. Although it was built to have a hundred inmates, the prison is overcrowded with more than two thousand inmates leading to abuse of space, and overcrowding that causes diseases. The few staff in the prison cannot handle the huge crowds and therefore riots are common in this place. Inmates get injured during riots and the weak are always at the risk of dying in the process.

20. La Modelo, Columbia

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La Modelo is probably one of the scariest prisons for both prisoners and staff. The prison is located in Bogota and has two sections that hold different criminals. There is the north wing that holds rebels and the south wing has government supporters. The prisoners in La Modelo have access to firearms which they use to kill each other during riots. A recent riot in 2020 broke out due to the fear of the spread of COVID-19 inside the prison leading to more than twenty deaths and almost a hundred injured.

Prisons are built to make people better but some of the most notorious prisons have caused more harm to humans than good. Behind the closed doors of these tough prisons are horrific scenes, violence, pain, and eventually death. From the isolated Alcatraz to the overcrowded Muhanga Prison in Rwanda, these dangerous places have the darkest history in the world. As many people cry for justice for their loved ones, those who go through the gates of these penitentiaries have horrible stories to tell. People are deprived of freedom and their human rights are violated to the worst levels possible. Those who managed to serve their terms would never wish for anybody to go through the same experience.