In a world where fairness is questioned, and freedom is hard to find, prisons are places where human stories stop suddenly. Inside these prisons without much sunlight, the usual rules of society give way to a tough fight for survival, showing the not-so-nice parts of humanity. So, let’s visit ten of the world’s worst prisons, where helping people change for the better is not the main goal, and punishment is what matters most.
The Black Dolphin, Russia
The Black Dolphin, Russia: Perched perilously near the Kazakhstan frontier, this Russian stronghold is the Pandora’s Box of the penal system. Home to cannibals and terrorists, it’s a penitentiary seemingly pulled from a John le Carré novel. The facility is a labyrinth of unbreakable steel doors, each designed to keep its dark tenants far removed from the world they once knew. So, the prisoners are draped in blindfolds, rendering them reliant on guards who walk them like marionettes in a grim puppet show.
Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, Kenya
Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, Kenya: A vestige of colonial cruelty, Kamiti is a petri dish of human suffering. In there, your prison mates aren’t just inmates. They’re carriers of diseases that fester in conditions resembling Dante’s Inferno. Overcrowding? That’s putting it mildly. Therefore, imagine 2,500 souls jammed in a space meant for 1,200, each competing for the basics: food, air, life.
Terre Haute, USA
Terre Haute, U.S.A.: In the heartland of America lies a correctional facility so bleak it earned the title “Guantanamo North.” So, don’t let the nondescript façade fool you; this prison complex houses a grotesque gallery of the nation’s most notorious criminals. So, sleep is a luxury, drowned out by ceaseless clamour, as lawyers and activists scream about the inhumane conditions to no avail.
San Quentin State Prison, USA
San Quentin State Prison, U.S.A.: A relic of bygone brutality, San Quentin still haunts the California landscape like an everlasting specter. Imagine a space so cutthroat that even the guards stoke the embers of discord. Notable figures like Charles Manson became mere silhouettes against a backdrop of almost mythical violence. (One of his many prisons anyway).
Diyarbakir Prison, Turkey
Diyarbakir Prison, Turkey: It has a notorious history of extreme abuse and inhumane conditions, especially during 1981-1984 when it was a military prison following a coup in 1980. Guard Captain Esat Oktay Yıldıran’s german shepherd, named ‘Jo,’ was trained to bite the genitals of stripped inmates, while coded language like ‘disco’ and ‘theatre’ signaled various forms of torture. Inmates were also forced into sexual violence against each other, and some even set themselves on fire in protest. Despite numerous deaths from suicide, hunger strikes, and beatings, the prison remains operational. There have been calls to convert it into a museum to prevent the erasure of its dark history, especially after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to turn it into a cultural center.
Mendoza Prison, Argentina
Mendoza Prison, Argentina: Overcrowding reaches feverish new heights in Mendoza, where the walls sweat and the air is thick with desperation. The conditions are so deplorable, that prisoners take extreme measures like sewing their mouths shut to protest overcrowded cells, lack of basic sanitation, and hazardous living environments.
Mendoza Prison is known for its brutal conditions and overcrowding. Built for 600 people, it holds 1,600 inmates. Amnesty International criticized the prison in 2005. They warned that even untried inmates could leave in worse shape. Guards are infamous for mistreating both prisoners and their families.
Gldani Prison, Georgia
Gldani Prison, Georgia: In 2012, the cauldron of abuse finally reached its boiling point, effectively tearing away the façade that had long shielded Georgia’s justice system. Consequently, shocking footage of inmate abuse emerged, making stomachs churn not just locally but also on a global scale. This unsettling revelation showcased a level of sanctioned sadism that extended well beyond the boundaries of mere incarceration.
ADX Florence, USA
ADX Florence, U.S.A. is the toughest prison in the U.S. It was built in 1994 and holds really dangerous criminals. People in this prison live in small concrete rooms that are just 7 feet by 12 feet. They’re alone in these rooms for 23 hours every day. The windows are tiny and their food comes through a small slot in the door.
Inmates are in near-total solitary confinement. Good behavior can earn them more time outside their cells. The prison offers some educational and recreational programs. However, strict security is always a priority. So, the inmates start with 23-hour lock-up and can gradually earn more freedom.
Camp 14 Kacheon, North Korea
Camp 14 Kaechon is a political prison camp in North Korea where people who are seen as “enemies” are sent for life. This includes people who have spoken against the government or done poorly in their jobs. The prison also follows a harsh rule where three generations of a prisoner’s family can be sent to the camp, even if they haven’t done anything wrong. Inside the camp, prisoners are made to do really hard work like mining and farming and are often not given enough food, leading them to eat things like rats and frogs to survive.
Gitarama Prison, Rwanda
Gitarama Prison, Rwanda: The grotesque epitome of overcrowded hellscapes, Gitarama makes the unimaginable a daily reality. It’s a place where standing room only takes on a new meaning. Where feet rot away, dissolving into the same earth that bore witness to Rwanda’s darkest hour.
These are the depths where hope fades, and humanity fractures. They are dungeons that question our ideas of justice. In these 10 prisons, life isn’t lived, only endured—a haunting reminder of the complex contradictions that define us as humans.
Talking about prisons… did you know about 5 Influencers caught in Crime Cases?
