10 Most Controversial Supermax Prisons in the World

10 Most Controversial Supermax Prisons in the World

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be discussing maximum security prisons that have earned infamous distinctions as a “supermax” facility.

al-Ha'ir Prison

Saudi Arabia

Classifying a prison or rehabilitation center as a “supermax” often arrives with a number of criteria. The al-Ha'ir prison in Saudi Arabia achieves its somewhat loose descriptor as a supermax thanks to isolation measures that are enforced for many of its prisoners. Those held at al-Ha'ir prison can range from members of terrorist organizations, such as al-Qaeda, to governmental critics or journalists who have spoken out against certain political figures. This is where al-Ha'ir’s reputation comes into question, since it’s been lauded by the Saudi government (via its sponsored tours) as a place with welcomed amenities. Meanwhile, human rights advocates have accused al-Ha'ir as being a place where the uncharged are held against their will, and tortured behind a smokescreen of goodwill propaganda.

Khao Bin Central Prison

Thailand

There are various infamous prisons to be found within Thailand, from Bang Kwang Central Prison north of Bangkok, to Khao Bin Central Prison in the west. This supermax-styled facility houses a variety of inmates, from the intensely dangerous to those simply unlucky enough to be poor… and on the wrong side of local law. Isolation from the outside world is what most affects those confined within the walls of Khao Bin, since visitors aren’t allowed, and the sentences are extensive for crimes such as drug trafficking. This has led to articles from outlets such as The Bangkok Post, ones that have exposed the amount of foreign nationals who reside, forgotten, within the depths of Khao Bin Central Prison.

Nusa Kambangan Prison

Indonesia

It’s been known by different names over the years, from “Indonesia’s Alcatraz” to “Execution Island.” Yet, the reputation of Nusa Kambangan Prison all depends upon one’s perspective. This is thanks to some native Indonesians who see Nusa Kambangan’s high capital punishment rate as a badge of honor. The ultimate endgame for the country’s “war on drugs.” Elsewhere, however, criticisms have been levied at those in charge at Nusa Kambangan Prison, who isolate condemned prisoners in a cell prior to taking them out into island fields to face the firing squad. The island’s legacy as a colonial era Dutch penal colony seems to be intact in the modern day, since Nusa Kambangan’s varied prisons range from lenient “open” styled to maximum security supermaxes.

Al-Muwaqqar II Correctional and Rehabilitation Center

Jordan

Those critical of the supermax system of imprisonment will often point to the psychological ramifications of isolation as a worrying factor with regard to inmate health. But these worries pale in comparison to the real, everyday dangers faced by those locked up within Al-Muwaqqar I and II Correctional and Rehabilitation Center in Jordan. Human Rights advocates have accused officials at Al-Muwaqqar II of physically torturing inmates, without any fear of reprisal. Reports have also surfaced with regards to the quality of food and conditions at Al-Muwaqqar II, although some modern assessments have pointed out some improvements at the Center since the 2010s.

Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1, a.k.a. Altiplano Prison

Mexico

Some dangerously high-profile inmates have resided within the walls of Mexico’s Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 over the years, including Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. The facility, also known as Altiplano Prison, has boasted about its security levels over the years, including restricted airspace. Yet, this hasn’t stopped certain successful escape attempts over the years, including one from the aforementioned “El Chapo” back in 2015. El Altiplano retains its supermax distinction, however, via its isolationist practices and intense monitoring over the daily lives of its inmates. Monitoring that includes constant surveillance and multiple inspections on a daily basis.

Giovanni Bacchiddu Facility at Sassari District Prison

Bancali, Sardinia, Italy

The 41-bis regime, or orcarcere duro, serves the Italian prison system whenever regular security measures fail. It’s incorporated within institutions such as the Giovanni Bacchiddu Facility at Sassari District Prison, a Sardinian area that houses Italy’s highest-level offenders and biggest flight risks. The “hard prison regime” implemented within these walls focuses upon, again, isolation, restricting, and watching over all movements within the Facility. Giovanni Bacchiddu also suffers from severe overcrowding and is controversially understaffed, given the sorts of individuals that are housed on the prison grounds. All of this and more has led to allegations of prisoner torture and abuse on prison grounds.

Tora Prison 992 Maximum-Security, a.k.a The Al-Aqrab (Scorpion) Prison

Egypt

It speaks volumes that a former warden at Tora Prison 992 Maximum-Security, otherwise known as “The Scorpion Prison,” was quoted in 2012 explaining how “it was designed so that those who go in don’t come out again unless dead.” Al-Aqrab was constructed to house political prisoners, but human rights organizations have released reports detailing the horrific conditions and tortures that are said to go on behind its walls. Accusations of violence towards inmates by the staff and a denial of basic toiletry needs are just the beginning. Other accusations have included excessive solitary confinement, corruption of the due process administration, and even theft of funds sent between family members and inmates. That is, when said inmates are allowed to communicate with family members at all…

Goulburn Correctional Centre

Australia

Don’t confuse the upgrades made to the Goulburn Correctional Centre in New South Wales, Australia as a means to offer conveniences to prisoners. This is a supermax prison with a history that dates back to 1884, while those aforementioned upgrades included more beds to increase capacity. This space is also used to further isolate some of the centre’s most dangerous criminals from the general population. Visitors are allowed at Goulburn, but every conversation is monitored at all times by the staff, with no native languages allowed: English only. Goulburn is a place of controlled movement and controlled behavior, as opposed to physical torture. Yet, this doesn’t change the fact that this supermax is the last sort of place in which you’d like to land.

Terrorism Confinement Center

El Salvador

It’s a “mega prison” with a surprisingly modern history. A supermax known as the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, or CECOT, which translates to the Terrorism Confinement Center. It was constructed in 2022 in response to a régimen de excepción, or state of emergency, concerning gang violence in El Salvador. The conditions here at CECOT are designed to intentionally damage the bodies and spirits of those inside; a hell on earth that’s carved in stone. Prisoners are frequently only let out of their cells for 30 minutes daily, are victims of severe overcrowding, and aren’t allowed any contact with anybody, ever.

USP Florence ADMAX a.k.a. ADX Florence

United States

The United States only has one official supermax prison in operation at the time of this writing, but its reputation definitely precedes it on the world stage. The United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility, better known as ADX Florence, possesses a reputation for housing some of the country’s most infamous prisoners. Names such as Timothy McVeigh, Ted Kaczynski, and Ramzi Yousef, domestic terrorists who are privy to ADX Florence’s extreme isolation policies. Lockdowns are a frequent occurrence, and inmates should expect little to no stimulation, only a controlled existence between prison walls and constant surveillance.

Should prison be about punishment or rehabilitation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.