15 MOST Secure Prisons in the World

try escaping from one of these prisons they are the most guarded places on earth housing the most dangerous prisoners ever seen here are the top 15 most secure prisons in the world number 15 adx florence officially known as the united states penitentiary administrative maximum facility adx florence is a federal super max prison in florence colorado which is about 100 miles to the south of denver it was opened in 1994 to provide a place to hold people that posed a particular threat to the safety of staff or other inmates and usually has a prison population of around 365 people this is one of the most highly secure places on earth and is where some of america's most notorious criminals are held including mexican drug lord el chapo the boston marathon bomber dosakar tsarnaev and many more domestic and international terrorists the entire facility covers an area of 37 acres and has been carefully designed to ensure that inmates have no chance of escaping once they've entered and very little opportunity to misbehave they're confined to their cells for 23 hours each day and these small box rooms have been made from poured concrete to ensure there's no way out they have little in terms of entertainment with just a radio and in cases of good behavior a tv with limited access to programming and the small windows are designed to make sure that the inmates can't figure out their precise location within the complex prisoners are monitored 24 hours a day so staff can quickly react to any issues their one hour outside of their cell is spent in a deep concrete pit where they can exercise and the building contains more than fourteen hundred remote controlled doors pressure pads motion sensors countless security cameras and many more electronic monitoring devices and is surrounded by razor wire and armed guards as the last line of defense as a result there have been no known escapes from the facility and the only way you can leave once you set foot inside is either by being free through the legal process or by being admitted to the morgue number 14 cayenne despite no longer being in operation the cayenne penal colony which was more commonly known as devil's island is still thought of as being the most secure prison facility to have ever been created it was run by the french between 1852 and 1953 and was where they sent political prisoners along with the worst thieves and murderers located in french guiana people held there were kept in terrible conditions and at one point 75 of those who were sent to the island would be expected to die there either as a result of the way they were treated or by contracting one of the various tropical diseases that spread like wildfire throughout the population prison was actually spread out across three islands and with the exception of the solitary confinement building most prisoners were allowed to move around with relative freedom since the only way to leave was through the shark-infested waters of the more than 80 000 people that were confined there while it was open there were only nine supposed escapes most of these are disputed by the french authorities which means it's most likely people were only able to leave once their sentences were over it didn't end there for prisoners though because in an attempt to ensure the colony survived the law stated that convicts would then have to live in french guiana for the length that they had been imprisoned for before they were truly allowed to leave which in effect doubled everyone's sentence [Music] number 13 chicheng prison built in 1958 xichang prison is one of the most notorious prisons in china and has a maximum security facility in beijing it's where the vast majority of high-profile prisoners are sent recent inmates have included those involved in the tiananmen square protests in 1989 political prisoners such as important figures from tibet and taiwan and more recently those convicted for corruption along with the most dangerous murderers and other criminals from across china the complex was built in line with the 1954 reformed through labor regulations which means that it was split into three sections the first is where the jail houses are with prisoners separated based on their ranking which is determined by their social status previous job in the outside world and the severity of their crime the second section is where the inmates are put to work and include washrooms factories at a farm while the third part of the prison is where the staff and their families live in an attempt to further dehumanize inmates their names are no longer used once they enter and instead they are assigned a number treatment food amenities and even healthcare is all provided in different levels depending on a person's importance and behavior there have been countless stories from former inmates of abuse inside the prison but also of positive experiences this remains one of the top security and secret places in china and while very few images exist of what life's like within the walls everyone in the country knows that it's the last place they want to end up number 12 alcatraz the alcatraz federal penitentiary on alcatraz island off the coast of san francisco is without a doubt the most famous high security prison in the world even though prisoners haven't been kept there since 1963. the island had long been used as a military outpost and later a military prison but it was in 1934 that it was put under federal jurisdiction and used to hold some of america's most notorious criminals including al capone access to the island was only possible by boat and with freezing waters surrounding it they were often home to sharks and other dangerous wildlife it was said to be impossible to escape from still to this day it's believed that no one successfully managed to leave before their sentences were over even though 36 prisoners tried during 14 attempts of which 23 were recaptured six were shot dead two drowned and the remaining five were presumed dead not only was the chance of escape virtually non-existent but the conditions inside were notoriously harsh prisoners reported horrific treatment which often led them to attacking each other on regular occasions and the cruel and unusual punishment they were subjected to was even used as a defense in murder cases a number of times eventually both because of the cost of the operation and its notoriety the decision was taken to close alcatraz in 1963 and it's now one of the most popular tourist attractions in san francisco number 11 black dolphin prison the russian federal governmental institution penal colony number six which is more commonly known as the black dolphin prison because of a prisoner-built statue outside the entrance is one of the oldest and most secure institutions in the country it's located in the town of soliletsk which is in the oblast region on the border with kazakhstan and is thought to have first been used to incarcerate criminals as far back as 1745 it has of course undergone major upgrades since then and from 2000 has been used exclusively to house those with life sentences meaning it's full of around 700 of the most dangerous people from across russia including murderers terrorists and cannibals for the majority of their day each inmate is kept isolated in their own cell that's secured by three independently operated steel doors but they're allowed out for 90 minutes during which time they can exercise in a cage and are searched for contraband upon entry inmates are blindfolded so they aren't able to learn about the prison designed to plan and escape and they're also forced to wear a hood if they're being moved between buildings inmates are fed soup four times a day are only allowed a radio books and newspapers inside their cells and are monitored 24 hours a day very little further is known about the conditions inside the prison and since everyone in there is serving a life sentence and no one's known to have ever escaped it's very unlikely anyone will ever be released to tell the tale while there are reports and rumors of extreme abuse taking place within the walls there's no evidence to back this up number 10 hmp belmarsh first opened in 1991 hmp belmarsh is a category a prison in southeast london in the uk and is one of england's top security facilities where criminals from across the country are sent some of the country's worst offenders from terrorists and murderers are kept there but surprisingly they aren't contained anywhere near as strictly as similar facilities elsewhere in the world it's spread across four different residential units and at least 60 of inmates are held in multi-occupancy cells most prisoners have access to education and exercise facilities but this is seen as a reward for good behavior those who don't comply will have a very different experience reports have often criticized the extremely high amount of force that's used to control unruly inmates and a troubling number of people being kept there show signs of trauma as a result of the way they've been treated with a population of around 900 people you'd have maybe thought that a prison like this that's within a large city like london would be somewhere people could escape from but so far there's not a single person who's found a way out apart from the end of their sentence something has been made possible by the use of latest technology and methods that are highly classified so inmates and their accomplices aren't able to work out ways to counteract the security number nine portlash prison portlage prison is a maximum security prison in the town of portlage in central ireland and is one of the most secure facilities in the whole of europe the site was first used to hold prisoners in the 1830s and has been responsible for holding some of ireland's most notorious and dangerous criminals including members of the ira and other terrorist organizations due to the prison's unique security measures anyone convicted under the offenses against the state act must be incarcerated at port leash while it officially is a capacity of up to 400 people it rarely holds more than 120 to ensure that each one of them is properly secured the facility is patrolled around the clock by a platoon of soldiers each of whom is armed with a rifle an anti-aircraft machine gun and the perimeter is surrounded by high fences cameras and variety of other means of monitoring people's movement that includes motion detectors heat sensors and pressure pads in its history there have only been two successful escapes one that took place in 1902 and another in 1974 that saw 19 prisoners breach the walls there have in recent years been concerns about the amount of contraband that's made its way into the prison and this has led to a significant increase in the number of searches that take place the introduction of further measures to ensure inmates have very little interaction with the outside world we are constantly adding more people to the top fives production team to bring you all the best content be sure to subscribe with notifications on and hit the like button number eight north branch correctional institution the north branch correctional institution was opened in 2003 in cumberland maryland and is one of the most high-tech maximum security prisons in the world it cost more than 175 million dollars to build and has annual operation costs in excess of 50 million dollars the usual prison population of around 1400 inmates the prison was built in an inverted fortress style that positions the master control tower in the center with a ring of housing units and support structures around it this allows for fewer staff to have a greater view and control over the facility and it's from the control tower that all the electronic doors are controlled from as well as the security cameras and even the flow of water into each cell the cells are made from poured concrete which helps to reduce where contraband can be hidden the door windows are made from ballistic glass so the prisoners can be seen easier and there's very little within each cell apart from a bed that's bolted to the floor and toilet facilities the walls throughout the prison are coated in an epoxy paint which resists scratching fires and acid and the entire perimeter is surrounded by inward facing razor wire motion sensors regular patrols and continual checking of the fences since opening there have been no known escapes from the prison but it's a design that has not been without controversy there have been several homicides and attacks and there have been suggestions that these may have been linked with the stressful conditions the inmates are kept in number 7 arthur road jail the arthur road jail which is now officially known as the mumbai central prison is one of india's most famous and oldest correctional facilities it was built in 1926 and now holds most prisoners from the city in a complex that now covers two acres originally designed to hold up to 800 people it regularly sees the prison population swell to more than three times that which means that the space inside is a valued commodity cells are often overcrowded the conditions inside have been claimed to be inhumane and there have been reports of abuse and torture taking place inside by the prison staff still the facility has been proven to be remarkably efficient at keeping people held inside there are no known reports of anyone managing to escape even though some have come very close to their premature freedom but the main hurdle mostly faces virtually the impenetrable 22-foot tall wall that surrounds it number six terre haute federal correction complex located in terre haute indiana and first opened in 1940 the terre haute federal correction complex is a federally run complex and is where the federal execution chamber is along with all the inmates on federal death row and all eight people executed by the us government since 1963 have met their fate there this means that some of the most dangerous people in america are kept within its perimeter so this calls for extreme security measures to ensure that they remain inside the new upgraded facility on the site opened in 2005 and now holds around 1480 people 52 of those are on death row and are kept completely separate from the rest of the prison population and the remaining inmates are kept across six housing units which are where they sleep and work there's a big emphasis for those who aren't serving life sentences on rehabilitation and prisoners are offered classes to improve their literacy and numeracy as well as counseling and psychiatric treatment and generally nicer conditions than are found elsewhere this has meant that there are far fewer incidents at terre haute than you'd expect from a facility of its size since it was upgraded in 2005 no one has escaped number five fuchu prison futu prison which is in the japanese city of fuchu that's to the west of tokyo was first opened in 1935 to replace sugamo prison that had been destroyed in an earthquake it soon became where high-profile prisoners were sent including communist and korean leaders particularly during the second world war and is now the largest prison in all of japan it holds around 2 100 prisoners at any one time and while there have been escapes during its history there have been no successful breakouts since it was upgraded between 1986 and 1995. the facility is surrounded by a 1.1 mile long wall that's 18 feet tall and it covers an area of 56 acres if you're a foreigner in japan and are convicted of a crime it'll be fuchu prison that you're sent to it's split into four different blocks one that's solely for foreign prisoners with the others being designated for normal prisoners physically disabled or injured prisoners and those with certain psychiatric requirements number four camp delta with the need to build a facility to hold prisoners that were captured during missions around the world u.s authorities began building the first facilities of camp delta in 2002 it's changed significantly in the years since but has had as many as seven different official detainment camps on site each of which were used for different categories of prisoners to circumvent international and domestic laws camp delta wasn't built on the american mainland but instead was an extension of the guantanamo bay naval base in southern cuba the camps ranged from being nothing more than cages to designs that more resemble prisoners of war camp to camp five which purportedly based on the design of the terre haute supermax prison in indiana camp seven was where the highest value detainees were kept and even its existence was kept secret for many years before details began to emerge of the conditions the inmates were being kept in while camp delta has become notorious for questions around its legality and the treatment of prisoners in recent years there's no doubt that at least some of the people kept behind bars were extremely dangerous the unfamiliar tropical environment along with multiple perimeter walls hidden recording devices throughout the facility arm patrols security cameras and satellite observation meant that it was easily one of the most secure compounds in the world and it's a little surprise that no prisoners ever managed to escape now it mostly has been closed with the remaining inmates being transferred to other facilities but parts of it remain open but still arguably the most feared and most secured prison in the world number three lasante prison francis lasante prison which translates to mean the prison of health was opened in 1867 in the center of paris and remains to this day one of the three main prison facilities in the city built around hub and spoke design it's also the most well-known prison in the country thanks to the inclusion of its vip and maximum security wings this means that any famous celebrities who are imprisoned are usually sent to lasante along with the worst criminals between 1909 and 1972 it was where the majority of french executions took place with the guillotine installed in the main courtyard so it's no surprise that there were plenty of escape attempts throughout its history only three of these are known to have been successful however including one prisoner who managed to forge documents and was released in 1927. another three who scaled the walls in 1978 and one of the most famous prison escapes of all time in 1986 when michael vajjour's wife landed a helicopter in the main courtyard and flew him to freedom with a prison population of around 2000 la santa is regarded as one of the most secure in europe and continues to be where french authorities send the worst of the worst number two sousa baranowski correctional center named after two guards that were shot and killed by an inmate in a previous iteration of the prison the souza baranowski correctional center in its current form opened in 1997 as a high-tech maximum security prison in the town of lancaster massachusetts it's the only such facility in the state and has a capacity of 1024 inmates who are kept in individual cells and are rarely allowed out apart for an exercise in a wash every day at a cost of 105 million dollars it has all of the security precautions you'd expect the doors are electronically controlled from a central hub there are cameras that monitor prisoners 24 hours a day regular guard patrols a huge perimeter fence motion detectors and careful planning of prisoner schedules even though it's one of the most advanced prisons in the us it hasn't been without its controversy there are almost twice as many deaths as you'd expect of prisoners mainly due to homicides and suicides there are extreme levels of violence between inmates and towards the guards this has led to questions around whether it's a result of the prison's design the way prisoners are being treated or for other reasons altogether and efforts are underway to try to reduce the shocking number for good there's no doubting it's security though because after more than 23 years not a single person has managed to escape number one krasnoyarsk prison if you were to list the places in the world you'd least like to be incarcerated then the chances are that siberia in russia would be near the top but in 2014 the krasnoyar's high security prison was named as the best in russia where prisoners were held in surprisingly comfortable conditions according to reports from the time the facility contains a library and even a pasta and meat shop that inmates are able to visit and in each of their cells is a fridge a television a kettle and a water supply they're also given a subscription to a newspaper so that they can keep up to date with current events but don't let the amenities on offer fool you this is still a place that's designed to keep some of the most serious criminals incarcerated although violent offenders like those convicted of murder are kept elsewhere the way that they're treated is designed to increase prisoner compliance and reduce the number of incidents that occur and it seems to be working the facility is also fitted with 500 cameras electronically controlled doors and a facial recognition system at all the entrances which has meant that as far as anyone knows no one has yet found a way to escape from within these walls watch our binge watching playlist if you'd like to watch all of our most popular top 15 videos grab a drink grab a snack and get ready to binge

Channel: Top Fives

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Keywords: MOST Secure Prisons in the World, secure places, guarded prisons

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Length: 20min 15sec (1215 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 02 2020