You’ve earned a reputation as one of the
most feared criminals in your prison, and the guards have taken notice. No punishment could break you, and you were
soon back in the yard causing mayhem. But that’s about to change, because now
you find yourself shackled on a prison bus, surrounded by guards and other prisoners with
the same threat level as you. Your new home is going to be ready for you,
because it’s a prison designed for the most dangerous inmates in the entire corrections
system. You’re headed for the place where inmates
who can’t be handled by minimum security, medium security, or even regular maximum security
are held. You’re headed for Supermax. You didn’t get to where you are by going
in unprepared, so you did all the research you could before your transfer. You haven’t been intimidated by any prison
before, and you’re not going to start now - but Supermax is testing that. For one thing, it doesn’t seem like you’ll
be able to rule over the yard like you used to. Supermax prisons are designed to provide long-term
segregated housing for the worst of the worst, and those who head to Supermax usually don’t
leave. Some are going to be there for decades, but
most inmates sent to Supermax are serving life sentences - one way or another. Almost every Supermax prison has a death row
attached, unless it’s in a state that doesn’t have the death penalty. A Supermax prison has several key characteristics
beyond being for long-term sentences. Their administration is powerful and has wide
latitude to keep the inmates under control. That includes punishment without the opportunity
for appeal or outside overview. Activities are limited compared to other prison
types, with few opportunities for recreation, college classes, or support groups like you
might find in other prisons. Guess you’ll have to wait for your next
prison to pursue that law degree. It’s extremely rare for an inmate to be
sentenced to Supermax at trial, unless they’re considered a pressing security risk to the
public. Most inmates are sent there after extensive
trouble at other prisons. You consider it a badge of honor. But the thing that worries you the most about
Supermax? Boredom. At your old prison, you kept busy. You were a regular fixture in the yard, working
out and getting ripped. All the better to intimidate your fellow inmates
and scrap with the guards. But at Supermax, security is much tighter. When you arrive and are thoroughly searched,
you’re immediately taken to your cell. No cellmates to cook up schemes with here
- your cell is segregated, and you’ll stay in it for 23 hours of the day. You’ve got a toilet, and some limited entertainment
options including approved books. Some jurisdictions offer a TV for inmates
who stay on their best behavior - something that’s never easy for you. You’ll even be taking meals in your cell,
delivered through a slot in the door. They’re not taking any chances. That’s a shame - your favorite part of lunchtime
was getting an extra dessert from some unfortunate new fish seated next to you. But what about that one extra hour a day? Finally, some recreation. You’re let out into the yard, and you’re
looking forward to stretching your legs - but good luck with that! Even when you’re exercising, you’re in
a cage. Recreation time is spent in small, secure
spaces, and inmates are either let out alone or with one other inmate, and the guards are
always close by to make sure no one makes contact. You’ll have to get used to being watched
at all times. One of the most consistent parts of being
in Supermax is that surveillance is everywhere. Closed-circuit cameras are pointed in every
cell, and when an inmate is out of their cell you can bet there’ll be several guards right
by to take them down should they try anything. You remember at your old prison when you were
on work detail and you snuck off and hitchhiked to the next county. It doesn’t look like you’ll be pulling
a repeat performance here. You won’t have a roommate, but you can’t
help but wonder - who’s sharing this prison with you? You know it’s the worst of the worst, and
many of them have lengthy rap sheets like you. You got here one crime and fight at a time,
but many of your fellow inmates got here a lot faster. High-security prisoners are often transferred
to Supermax immediately, especially if the government is worried about someone trying
to break them out pre-trial or after sentencing. If an inmate has ties to foreign radical groups,
or is a high-level drug dealer, they’re likely to be sent here out of caution. You don’t know if they’re in this very
prison, but notorious criminals ripped from the headlines like drug kingpin El Chapo or
Russian spy Robert Hanssen are serving life sentences in Supermax. But you’re not intimidated! You know you’ll get an opportunity to get
the drop on a guard, and you’ll show everyone in here who’s the boss. After all, what’s the worst they can do
to you? You’re already in Supermax. Well, the sight of another inmate yelling
as they drag him down the hall might give you a clue. The rules in Supermax are enforced strictly,
and there’s usually only one punishment for breaking them - solitary confinement. But you’re already in solitary confinement
in your cell, right? Not quite. At Supermax, when you get sent to solitary
confinement, you’re going to “the hole”. This windowless, featureless cell is very
different from the one you’re used to, and it’s easy to lose track of time in there. If that’s what awaits you, maybe picking
a fight at the first opportunity isn’t the best idea. At least there’s some things to look forward
to around here - including mealtime! You’re not getting fine dining, that’s
for sure, but there’s a pretty steady parade of decent fare, not that different from when
you were in school. Good ol’ school days - intimidating the
lunch lady for an extra portion of fries. For lunch, you might have scrambled eggs,
a chicken sandwich, or tacos. For dinners, it’s usually heartier fare
like meatloaf, pasta marinara, or roast beef. There’ll also be a vegetarian option, and
prisons work to accommodate special diets like allergies and religious needs. There goes that plan to escape by getting
taken to the hospital with an allergic reaction. But if you’re not satisfied with the meals,
you’ve got one other option - the prison commissary. This is like a 7-11 in Supermax. If you’ve got someone on the outside willing
to put money into your account, you can purchase anything you want from the shelves and have
it brought to your cell. Treats include instant ramen, dried fruit,
packaged taco fixings, and popular snacks from the outside world. Not exactly fine dining, but it’s a taste
of home that you’re in dire need of. Just make sure to manage your money wisely
- it’s not like you can earn more through work detail like you did at your old prison. It doesn’t take long, and you’re starting
to go stir-crazy! Your thoughts once again turn to escape. After all, how hard could it be? You haven’t met a prison yet that could
break you. Well, you might want to rethink that. Not only are those security cameras watching
you at all times, but if you manage to get outside, you’ll be up against the guard
towers. You’ll find yourself in a wide-open space,
with nothing blocking the view from the armed guards above. There’s a reason Supermax prisons are usually
in isolated locations, not crowded urban centers - the fewer places there are to hide, the
harder it is for you to get away. When a Supermax prisoner manages to escape,
which happens rarely, the guards will try to capture them. But if they get far enough that it’s only
the guard towers between them and escape - well, they’re not coming back to their cell one
way or another. At least you’re not as isolated as the people
in the very first Supermax prison. They were taken by ferry to one of the most
notorious sites in prison history - the famous Alcatraz Island, where freezing shark-infested
waters stood between them and escape. Alcatraz was considered a prototype for the
Supermax facility when it was founded as a federal prison in 1934. The far-off location in San Francisco bay
made up for the lack of modern security, and it was very successful at keeping people on
the island. There were fourteen escape attempts over the
years, with 23 being caught alive, six being shot while escaping, two drowning, and five
never being found. Authorities believe these five men drowned
and their bodies were lost, but many believe they escaped. The only prisoner to ever get off Alcatraz
Island was John Paul Scott, who successfully swam all the way to shore - only to collapse
from exhaustion on the beach and be quickly apprehended. Supermax prisons aren’t on islands anymore,
because the government uses state-of-the-art technology to make sure prisoners are secure. For those federal inmates who the government
wants to keep under lock and key, there’s only one destination - ADX Florence in Fremont
County, Colorado. Often called the Alcatraz of the Rockies,
it’s home to virtually all of the country’s most notorious federal prisoners including
foreign and domestic attackers, spies, organized crime bosses, cult leaders, and drug kingpins. Almost all are doing sentences of twenty years
or more, with most doing life or awaiting execution. But there are over fifty prisons with Supermax
facilities around the United States, most holding prisoners of different security levels. Supermax facilities in standard prisons are
known as SHUs, or segregated housing units, and the prisoners in these units never interact
with the lower-security prisoners sharing the facility. Being here is going to be pretty boring and
you’re not optimistic about escaping, so it’s time to find out how you’re going
to keep yourself occupied. Well, they’re obviously not going to let
you wander around the prison, and exercise is strictly regulated. Amenities vary by prison, but most offer a
library. Inmates make requests for books from the prison
library, and they’re delivered to your cell. Almost like a bookmobile. You don’t think they’ll give you books
about how to tunnel out of your cell, so maybe it’s time to catch up on some of those great
American novels you didn’t read in high school. Computer access is strictly limited and monitored,
but some Supermax prisons allow for their use. It’s even possible in some Supermax prisons
to take remote college classes, with coursework being delivered remotely via mail. One thing’s for sure - however you keep
yourself busy in your new home, you’d better get used to doing it alone. The one thing you’re not going to get in
your new digs is socializing time. The good news is, there’s one way you might
be getting out of here sooner than the judge wants. Supermax prisons are coming under increasing
fire from civil rights activists who say they amount to cruel and unusual punishment. The United Nations has condemned the way they’re
run, and a federal lawsuit against ADX Florence was filed in 2012 claiming chronic abuse and
neglect. The suit was dismissed, but a campaign to
abolish them continues. Adding to that momentum, they’re extremely
expensive to run. ADX Florence cost over 60 million dollars
to build in 1994, and the costs keep rising. Outfitting a Supermax can cost up to three
times as much as a regular maximum security block, and many people question if it’s
money well spent. No one’s looking to transfer El Chapo into
general population, but advocates say many inmates could be better rehabilitated in a
more integrated environment. If you want to survive Supemax, you’ll need
a few things. You’ll need to be able to handle isolation. You’ll want to take advantage of every opportunity
you have for entertainment and comfort - reading, taking enrichment courses, getting special
snacks from the commissary. Even if they’re not exactly your cup of
tea, your options are limited. You’ll need to get your exercise in close
quarters, and to stay off the guards’ radar. Most of all, you’ll need patience - and
maybe to sign some of those petitions to abolish Supermax prisons. Now go watch “Why You Wouldn’t Survive
Alcatraz Prison”. Or check out “Prison Where Inmates Live
in Coffins” to see how much worse it could be.
