If it is true that there are rather welcoming prisons, in which inmates can take advantage of comforts such as television, rooms for cultivating hobbies, ping pong tables, good food with generous portions, it is also true that still today prison structures called “Hell on earth persist. “ : and pay attention to prejudices, because looking at the ranking of the worst prisons in the world you will find that many of them are located in undemocratic countries and in which the processes are notorious for not being totally fair.
15 – Stanley Prison, Hong Kong (China)
Built in 1937, this prison is one of the six high-security structures in Hong Kong . It was the site of numerous death penalty executions, before its abolition in 1990. During the Japanese occupation, Stanley Prison was also a place of torture and execution for over 600 Japanese inmates.
14 – Montelupich Prison, Krakow (Poland)
Photo by Butyrka_prison.jpg. Among the worst Nazi prisons in Poland , it was used extensively by the Gestapo during the Second World War to house British and Soviet political prisoners, deserters and spies: it is estimated that from 1940 to 1944 over 50,000 prisoners passed through, to whom they were applied in stage of interrogation medieval torture methods . After the Second World War this place became a Soviet prison , with many Polish soldiers murdered and tortured.
13 – Central Prison, Vladimir (Russia)
Built in 1783, this prison has become famous for hosting numerous political prisoners during the Soviet Union period. Today the prison is overcrowded and infested with disease ; in addition, the guards practice sadistic abuse of inmates .
12 – Kamiti maximum security prison, Nairobi (Kenya)
Situated on a plot of over 1,200 acres, this maximum security prison has acquired notoriety due to the squalor in which the inmates live : sodomy , malnutrition , cholera , ulcer are unfortunately situations on the agenda.
11 – Butyrka Prison, Moscow (Russia)
Butyrka Prison is the largest transit prison in Moscow, and is known for its brutality : it currently experiences a huge problem of overcrowding , and in summer it turns into an oven with the spread of diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis. 10 – Petak Island Prison, White Lake (Russia)
Russian version of the much better known Alcatraz, this prison structure guarantees isolation due to its location in the White Lake , and is suitable for hosting the most dangerous prisoners . The psychological deterioration here is devastating: the prisoners live in solitary confinement cells without toilets or showers
, and they are surrounded by freezing water and snow.
9 – San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima (Peru)
Known by many as the toughest prison in South America , it was built to house 2,500 inmates even though today almost 7,000 prisoners live there : they are not separated, but roam the structure, free to commit murder or other acts of violence.
8 – Rikers Island Prison, New York (USA)
Photo by Tim Rodenberg. Beatings, stabbings and brutal treatment are the norm for this American prison: there are sad episodes of mutual violence between prisoners and guards. In particular, this prison is famous for its cruel treatment of inmates with mental problems, who are often driven to suicide.
7 – San Quentin Prison, California (USA)
Photo by Staunited. This prison is the oldest in the California state ; opened in 1852, it has hosted both males and females. In 1930 there were episodes of corruption, with inter-racial fights even encouraged by the guards . It is currently the prison where the highest number of executions of men are carried out .
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6 – La Sante prison, Paris (France)
The name is a whole program: “sante” in fact means “health”, but this prison has very little to say hello: the prisoners are forced to live in deplorable conditions , in overcrowded cells and in the company of mice and lice. In short, a place capable of making anyone lose their mental balance; not for nothing there are dozens of suicides every year.
5 – Alcatraz, San Francisco, California (USA) The famous Alcatraz prison
could not be missing from this special ranking, also called “Devil’s Island”: built in 1920, it was designed in such a way as to make escape quite impossible, with a total loss of contact with the outside world. Closed in 1963, Alcatraz is now open for tourist visits, but beware: it is said that the spirits of some inmates roam inside the huge structure …
4 – Diyarbakir prison (Turkey)
One of the most sadistic prison in the world , experienced numerous episodes of human rights violations: this prison was notorious for the high frequency of physical and mental torture . Currently the prison is closed, and many are asking for it to be transformed into a museum, testifying to the numerous abuses.
3 – El Rodeo prison, Guatire (Venezuela)
During the presidency of Hugo Chavez, up to 50,000 inmates were housed in this prison, two thirds of them even before receiving a judgment. In 2011 there was a bloodbath between rival gangs , leading to a siege that lasted about 1 month.
2 – Carandiru prison (Brazil)
Site of the sad tragedy of Carandiru in 1992 , where there were riots that led to a mass execution of prisoners , this prison has become known for its very high number of deaths : 1,300 in 46 years of history. The prison was closed in 2002 thanks to the intervention of Amnesty International, the organization promoting numerous campaigns following the report of the serious violation of human rights.
1 – Camp 22 (North Korea)
And here we are at the top of our ranking of the worst prisons in the world : the sad record belongs to Camp 22 , a concentration camp activated in 1965. The complex is huge, and houses about 50,000 inmates, mainly political prisoners, often locked up with their families. Although the information on this place of detention is not entirely verifiable, it seems there are many testimonies of brutality experienced by those who passed through here: many detainees would have been subjected tomoments of extreme torture or even episodes of human experimentation . However, there are also those who belittle the value of such testimonies, considering them exaggerations as the result of US anti-North Korean propaganda.
