Top 50 Most Dangerous And Most Secure Prisons In The World

Name: Top 50 Most Dangerous And Most Secure Prisons In The World
Uploaded: 2025-10-17T09:37:46+00:00
Duration: 40 min 16 s
Channel: Vidello Productions

00:00From one of Russia's most secure and feared prisons, to a prison that has been described

00:04simply as hell on earth, and even the most feared Evin prison in Iran.

00:11Welcome to the top 50 most dangerous prisons in the entire world.

00:15Don't forget to smash the like button if you're enjoying the long form content, hit

00:19the subscribe button with the bell icon to get notified of new videos just like this

00:23one, and don't forget to comment down below your thoughts on these prisons.

00:29And if I have missed any other prisons that should have made the list, I hope you enjoy

00:33the video.

00:34Number 50 Devil's Island

00:36Located over 40 metres above sea level, on a remote island off the coast of French Guinea,

00:42this prison was a dumping ground for those opposing Napoleon III's coup d'etat.

00:48Filled with a variety of various deadly tropical diseases, thanks mainly to limited sanitary

00:52systems and prolific mosquito infestations, it wiped out much of the prison population.

00:59France was a harsh place to receive a prison sentence in the late 19th century, and those

01:03with more than 8 years were doomed to remain on the island for the rest of their lives,

01:08mainly due to the extreme living conditions.

01:11While Devil's Island was mainly reserved for hardened criminals such as murderers and thieves,

01:16some women were also deported to the island in an attempt to keep the population sustainable.

01:21Incredibly the island was still operating in 1938, however by 1953 it was closed and any

01:27remaining prisoners were returned to the mainland France, with some even electing to remain

01:32on the island.

01:33Visitors can still view the island from boats, however it is strictly off limits to the public.

01:39Number 49 Pelican Bay State Prison

01:41Used to house some of the most difficult and dangerous prisoners in California, Pelican Bay

01:46opened in 1989 and earned its reputation for having a system that it used to break the psychological

01:53well-being of inmates.

01:54One of the few Supermax facilities in the state, this prison sits on 275 acres of land in Del

02:02Norte County and is named after a shallow bay on the Pacific coast.

02:07The prison is split onto two areas, one being general population and the other being nicknamed

02:12the SHU, or Special Housing Unit for short.

02:16Surrounded by an electric fence, this is the most degrading part of the prison, with inmates

02:21confined to their cells for 22 hours each day and often fed only two meals.

02:26No windows exist in cells and prisoners are forced to take exercise in a concrete yard known

02:32as the Dog Run.

02:33Many SHU prisoners often make it back into general population, however many of the

02:37the 3,000 inmates who have served more than eight years in solitary say they still suffer

02:42from SHU syndrome.

02:43Of notable inmates in Pelican Bay, the most famous has to be Robert Walter Scully, a man sentenced

02:50to death for fatally shooting a Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputy in 1995.

02:56Number 48 McNeil Island

02:58Famous for having a beautiful view of the ocean, unfortunately any escapees will probably

03:03drown in an attempted escape thanks to the deadly undercurrents of Pit Passage.

03:09Located north of Anderson Island, this six-mile stretch of land was purchased by the US government

03:14in 1870 and was turned into a correctional facility just five years later.

03:19One of America's last remaining island prisons, it's noted as being more dangerous for escaping

03:24inmates than those locked inside.

03:27Several inmates include Charles Manson, Robert Stroud, and the FBI's public enemy number

03:32one, Alvin Karpis.

03:35Number 47 Auburn Correctional Facility

03:38Originally built on the site of an Indian village, this prison is famous for being the

03:42site of the first electric chair.

03:45The second state prison built in New York, the prison had a strict manual labour regime,

03:50and all profits went straight back to the prison.

03:53Officers were separated for their crimes into different coloured clothing, and it is famous

03:57for the colonial soldiers sitting atop the complex, known as Copper John.

04:02The strict rehabilitation regime became known as the Auburn system, and the prisons suffered

04:07many riots and scandals.

04:10Inmates often sprayed acid in an officer's face, gained access to the prison armory, set

04:15fire to prison shops, and many guards were often taken hostage.

04:19Legal tensions were often blamed on the prison riots, which claimed the lives of two people,

04:24and notable inmates for Auburn include Lucci's crime family mob associate Jimmy Burke and

04:30J. Frank Hickney, the postcard killer.

04:34Number 46 Folsom State Prison

04:36Another prison in California, this time located in the state capital Sacramento.

04:41Folsom was the first to have electricity in prisons.

04:45Grossly overpopulated, like many in the system, over 93 prisoners were hanged at Folsom between

04:511895 and 1937.

04:54Many escape attempts were made, before a huge granite wall was constructed around the prison

04:59in 1920.

05:00The warden was killed in 1920, and an officer several months later, with one of the prison's

05:05most famous inmates, Glenn Stuart Godwin, having a successful escape attempt that landed him

05:11on the FBI's 10 most wanted list.

05:13Two more inmates escaped in 2010, and incredible violence between gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood,

05:19make this one of the most dangerous prisons in California.

05:22Apart from the dangerous nature of life at the prison, it is important to note that a considerable

05:27amount of California's license plates are made here, thanks to several inmate programs.

05:33Number 45 Robin Island

05:35First used as a prison in the late 17th century, this prison has famously been used as a leper

05:42colony in the 1800s.

05:44Its most famous resident, Nelson Mandela, was forced to perform hard labour at the colony,

05:49and prisoners were often separated by race, with some black prisoners receiving smaller

05:54amounts of food.

05:56Located at the entrance to Table Bay, escape was considered impossible, thanks to the vast

06:01amount of water surrounding the island, with at least one escaped prisoner the victim of

06:06drowning.

06:07Much of the prison still remains to this day, after it closed at the end of apartheid, and

06:12it has become a major tourist attraction for the Cape Town area.

06:17Number 44 The Hanoi Hilton

06:19Housing many political prisoners during the Vietnam War, Hanoi's most brutal prison gets its

06:24name mainly from prisoners who were tortured during their incarceration.

06:28Built at the end of the 19th century, the prison's nickname was Hell's Hole, and it was

06:33just that, with routine beatings, electrocutions and prisoners were often forced to make false

06:39statements about their treatment.

06:41None of the guards at the prison were charged after the war, despite claims of the war crimes

06:45that took place there, and the prison was remodelled to look nothing like it was during

06:50the war.

06:51The prison was partially demolished during the mid-90s, with many parts being turned into

06:55a museum, and it is also the site of two 25-storey apartment buildings.

07:01Number 43 Abu Ghraib

07:03Opened in the 1950s, Abu Ghraib prison is located roughly 32 kilometres west of Baghdad, and was

07:08one of Iraq's most dangerous prisons.

07:11Weekly executions, torture and poor living conditions under former dictator Saddam Hussein, led to many

07:17political prisoners disappearing at the site.

07:21The prison, which closed in 2014, gained international attention in 2003, when more torture and abuse

07:26of inmates was released by the media, and labelled the perpetrators as guards from coalition forces.

07:33Several mass graves were discovered at the site, thought to have been created by the Saddam regime,

07:38with over 101 prisoners being reported killed in one day alone.

07:42All 2,400 prisoners were removed and transferred to other prisons in 2014, after authorities feared ISIL might take over the complex.

07:52Number 42 Kolditz Castle

07:54Situated high on a hill in the state of Saxony, Germany, Kolditz Castle is probably one of the most famous World War II prisons.

08:03Made famous by the movie Escape from Kolditz, that followed the real life escape of several prisoners of war,

08:09the prison was originally deemed unescapable.

08:12When the Nazis rose to power in 1933, the castle was converted into a prison for political prisoners,

08:19and later, a high security prisoner of war camp, for the officers who would become a security or escape risks.

08:25Prisoners were watched constantly by armed centuries, and the walls of the outer courtyard only had two exits.

08:32Surrounded by kilometres of barbed wire, the prison was home to people of many different countries,

08:37including Poland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain and Canada.

08:42After the war, the POW camp was converted by the Soviets into a prison for local criminals,

08:47and later became a nursing home.

08:49Number 41 Evin Prison

08:52Making headlines in the news recently, Evin Prison has been described as the most dangerous and worst prison in Iran.

08:59Brutal in its nature, Evin is designed to degrade and instill fear into anyone who is incarcerated there.

09:06Prisoners, most of them political, from Iran or countries deemed to be enemy states,

09:11are regularly starved, beaten, raped and tortured.

09:14Serious human rights abuses have also been labelled against the prison,

09:17which is controlled by both the Iran Revolutionary Guard and the government.

09:21Located at the foot of the Aborz Mountains, some of its more notable inmates have included British

09:27Iranian mother Nadeem Zaghari, Ratcliffe and Australian British academic Kylie Moore Gilbert.

09:33Number 40 Sednaya Prison

09:35Spontaneous executions without fair trials, torture and malnutrition have all been reported at Sednaya

09:42prison, Syria's most brutal military prison camp located near Damascus.

09:47Between 5000 and 13,000 people were extrajudicially executed at Sednaya between September 2011 and

09:55December 2015, and the prison is one of many in the country to routinely execute prisoners.

10:01Many prisoners were forced to choose between dying themselves or killing one of their own relatives or

10:06friends and instances of forced cannibalism have been reported.

10:10Interrogation through torture is commonplace, with beatings, electrocution and stress positions

10:16all being used to extract forced confessions.

10:19It has been reported that a crematorium was built to cover up the extent of mass murders being carried

10:24out at the prison by guards.

10:27Number 39 Newgate Prison

10:29Built in 1188 by Henry II, this London prison was often rented out to various people by the sheriffs who

10:36owned it. After demanding payment from prisoners just to remove their chains, guards were often

10:41given an incentive to be cruel to inmates. Female prisoners and children were also housed at the site

10:47and were forced to live in squalor, with executions taking place at the site during the 18th century.

10:53The prison, by this time, had become London's main, was decrepit and many prisoners died from

10:59dysentery, cholera and other unspeakable diseases. Notable inmates included religious scholar William Penn,

11:06and famous pirate Captain William Kidd.

11:09Number 38 Sing Sing Correctional Facility

11:12Operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision,

11:16this maximum security facility gets its name from the Sint Sink Native American tribe who sold the land

11:23in 1685. Prisoners held here often bribed prison officials and intimidated other inmates as punishment

11:30for breaking a rule of absolute silence included whipping. The prison was once the site of the original

11:36old sparky electric chair and a number of prisoners met their ends here. Notable inmates include serial killers

11:43John Roche and Norman Roy, career criminal Willie Sutton and notorious hitman Elmer Trigger Burke.

11:50Number 37 Chateau d'If Island Prison. Located 35 kilometres west of the old port of Marseille,

11:57this massive, fortified island was considered an escape-proof prison thanks to its deadly currents,

12:03high ramparts and steep cliffs. Wealth often indicated how a prisoner was treated during their

12:09time locked up. Here and many poorer inmates were kept in the dungeon areas, often 20 people to one

12:16cell. Edmund Dantes became the first prisoner to ever escape and inspired the novel The Count of Monte

12:22Christo, making the prison and island famous in the process. Number 36 Brandvelli Prison. Containing a

12:29maximum security unit and medium security unit and even a juvenile unit, this South African prison

12:35houses members of the notorious numbers gang. Hierarchy within the prison is clear and both the guards and

12:41wardens only have control of the populations thanks to mainly the gang ranks. Cells are shared with eight

12:48inmates locked in each one and the prison has three sections with inmates in charge of life and death

12:54within its walls. Number 35 La Modelo Prison. Known for its horrific violence, this Colombian prison is

13:00located in the city of Bogota and houses roughly 11,000 inmates. Separated into two areas, the left-wing

13:07rebels populate the north wing and the government supporters and paramilitaries populate the south wing.

13:13Many killings take place between these zones and a huge riot took place in April 2000 with over 800

13:19men involved. The battle lasted for 12 hours and saw 37 people killed, with another 17 inmates declared

13:26missing. Other incidents have seen over 100 prisoners and inmates killed in riots including at least 23

13:32prisoners whom were attacked in 2020 alone. Number 34 Gitarama Prison. Suffering from some appalling

13:39medical conditions, inmates at Gitarama Prison are stuffed into a space that's only meant to hold

13:44around 1000 people. This has led to conditions that cost the lives of seven or eight prisoners per day

13:50and with many resorting to cannibalism just to stay alive. Gitarama Central Prison is revered in Rwanda

13:57and for good reason. Most men or women who end up here are robbers, rapists, murderers and gang members who

14:03are serving life sentences. Number 33 Elmina Castle. One of the principal slave depots in the transatlantic

14:10slave trade for more than three centuries, this prison once served its purpose during the most brutal

14:16and tragic periods of human existence. Captives were confined to Elmina's dungeons where conditions

14:22were shocking with no bathrooms and many slaves were branded with red hot tools. After a three month stay,

14:29many of the captives were led onto boats through a door of no return and taken off to their fate.

14:35Number 32 Mendoza Prison. Another facility subject to massive overcrowding, Mendoza houses 1600 inmates

14:43in a facility that's built for only 600 inhabitants. Conditions are harsh with many prisoners dying from

14:50disease rather than violence and other prisoners have resorted to sewing their mouths shut in protest at

14:56living conditions. Inmates are crowded into cells that measure only 43 square feet in size and most

15:02are forced to sleep on the floor without mattresses. Inadequate medical care and a lack of any proper

15:08sewage system forces inmates to use plastic bags and bottles in their washrooms. Number 31 HM Prison,

15:15Dartmoor. Gaining most of its reputation after the 1920s, Dartmoor Prison, which is located in the

15:21English county of Devon, housed some of Britain's worst criminals. Murderers, gangsters, thieves,

15:26spies and robbers have all been held behind its walls and numerous escape attempts have been made.

15:32Its worst riot on the 24th of January 1932 was mainly due to the severe food quality where prisoners

15:38thought it had been tampered with and forced the warden and staff to abandon their posts and let the

15:43prisoners run amok. Today the prison is less dangerous but it was once a place of great fear and terror for

15:49its population. Number 30 Black Beach Prison. Located on the island of Bioko in the capital city of

15:55Malabo in Equatorial Guinea, Black Beach is one of the more infamous prisons in Africa. Having a

16:01reputation for systematically neglecting and brutalising inmates, food rations are said to be

16:06meagre and medical treatment is usually non-existent. Built in the 1940s during the time of the Spanish

16:12colonial rule, many political opponents were imprisoned and killed in the prison. However,

16:17common criminals were also imprisoned here. Notable prisoners and former prisoners include

16:21SAS officer Simon Mann and former South African arms dealer Nick de Troyes.

16:26Number 29 Hooyong Concentration Camp. One of the most brutal prisons in the world and the most remote

16:32prison in North Korea, this prison is more well known as the Penal Labour Colony Number 22. The North

16:38Korean government has always denied its existence of the camp and it has only recently been added to maps.

16:44Founded around 1965, the camp was surrounded by an inner 3,300 volt electric fence and an outer barbed

16:51wire fence with traps and hidden nails in between. The 1,500 guards and agents were armed with machine

16:58guns, hand grenades, clubs, whips and trained dogs to keep the estimated 50,000 prisoners from escaping.

17:05Most prisoners are held on whole life sentences and on the guilt by association principle within the country.

17:11Most prisoners live in bunk houses holding up to a hundred people and suffered from horrendous

17:16ailments due to lack of medical care and prisoners were allowed access only to dirty and crowded

17:22communal toilets. Thousands of prisoners died in the camps, hard labour mining sections with those

17:29trapped due to collapses left to die alone. Number 28 HM Prison Maze. Now closed, the infamous maze prison

17:36located in the former Royal Air Force station of Long Kesh, Northern Ireland became famous for housing

17:42some of the IRA's most notorious terrorists. Many paramilitary linked prisoners were often granted

17:47special treatment in the prison, while guards, mainly Protestants, were often seen carrying out

17:52revenge attacks on prisoners. Provisional IRA prisoners held several hunger strikes within the prison

17:58and this contributed to the deaths of nine prisoners within. Regular escapes occurred from the prison,

18:04which had some of the most sophisticated security in Europe and several guards died during one escape.

18:10Today, only one H block remains from the decommissioned site and it has more recently been turned into a

18:15temporary hospital. Number 27 Petak Island. Known as the Alcatraz of Russia, this prison is completely

18:23surrounded by the freezing and deadly waters of White Lake. Prisoners inside are broken in will and have only

18:29limited access to basic necessities like lavatories and some do not even have that luxury. Disease is

18:35a particular issue within its walls and most who spend time at the prison are psychologically destroyed.

18:41Half of the population reportedly suffer from tuberculosis, while terrifying pitch black isolation

18:46cells hold those breaking rules for up to 15 days. If prisoners try to dig their way out, they freeze

18:52to death. If they try to run out, they are shot by guards. In the words of one former head guard,

18:59while the prison is more safer inside than most, it is hopelessly inescapable.

19:04Number 26 Fremantle Prison. Now a tourist attraction in Fremantle, Western Australia,

19:10this six-hectare site was initially used for convicts, transported from Britain. It was used as a

19:17military prison during both world wars and was one of more than 50 military prisons across Australia,

19:23holding a combined total of more than 12,000 enemy aliens. Prisoners were often punished with flogging,

19:29solitary confinement and working in chain gangs at gunpoint and later punishments even included a

19:35bread and water only diet. At least 43 men and one women were hanged in the prison between 1888

19:42and 1964, with death row prisoners kept in a concrete, flawed cell. Notable prisoners included

19:50serial killer David Burney, former lead singer of rock band ACDC Don Scott and Irish nationalist James

19:59Wilson. Number 25 Chalapalca Prison. One of the three maximum security prisons located in Peru,

20:05its location at 4,800 metres above sea level makes this prison almost unescapable.

20:12Located on the Andes mountain range towards the border between Peru and Bolivia,

20:17the prison covers a land area of 12,000 square metres. Many offenders are victims of physical

20:23and psychological abuse and are often kept in deplorable hygienic conditions, suffer extreme

20:28cold temperatures and rarely see daylight. None of the inmates have access to technology

20:33and rarely receive visits due to the prison's remote location. Many of Peru's most dangerous

20:39prisoners are held here and most have to be held in solitary confinement to stop them planning riots.

20:45Number 24 San Pedro Prison. Currently thought to be the largest prison in La Paz, Bolivia,

20:52this massive complex is more well known as its own city within a city, thanks mainly in part due to

20:58inmates owning accommodation, having jobs and even living with family members. With 3,000 inmates currently

21:04serving time, the prison is five times over its intended capacity and prison rules are enforced

21:11by specific leaders within society, mainly through violence. Cocaine is rife within the population and

21:17is often sold to visitors for income to buy food and sells and violence is often handed down severely

21:23to those who don't pay up. No guards exist within the prison, making it especially dangerous and all

21:29guards give no regard for what happens to anyone on the inside. Guards are commonly bribed by prisoners

21:35to assist in the trafficking of drugs and sometimes guards must be bribed for inmates to even receive a trial.

21:42Number 23 The Scorpion Prison. Officially named Torah Prison 992 Maximum Security,

21:48this supermax prison in Helwan, Egypt sits just south of Cairo. Used mainly for political prisoners and

21:55opponents of the Egyptian government, it holds many Muslim Brotherhood and April 6th Youth Movement leaders

22:01among its inmate ranks. Inmates often suffer from ill-treatment and shortages of food and the prison is

22:07surrounded by a wall of seven metres and armoured gates. The prison was designed so that the sunlight

22:12never enters any of its cells during the day and many inmates have developed diseases due to a lack of vitamin D.

22:19During summer, temperatures rise to an unbearable level, while in winter it turns into a freezer

22:25thanks to a lack of any air conditioning. So if you don't die from being stabbed or assaulted,

22:29the freezing cold or lethal heat will get you. Number 22 Lahasa Prison Number 1.

22:35Currently the largest prison in Tibet, China. Located in Lahasa, it was originally a military garrison

22:42until it was converted into a prison after the 1959 Tibetan uprising. Gaining a notorious reputation,

22:49the prison is feared by Tibetans for its strong management and brutality. Dungeons within the

22:54prison exist mainly for torture of inmates and most are made up of freedom activists that have been

22:59incarcerated and some have even lost their lives. 27 deaths and sentence executions of 47 political

23:06prisoners have been recorded since 1987, with the prison administrated by Chinese authorities.

23:13Number 21 Nairobi Prison Originally named Kamiti Downs, this central Kenyan prison held many

23:21political prisoners during the 1980s and early 1990s. Infamous for its poor conditions and inhumane

23:27treatment, no reliable water supply exists within its walls, and inmates working on the industry

23:33section are paid only 10 cents. Many staying in the G Block have reported a particularly brutal lifestyle,

23:40thanks to the frequent cholera outbreaks. Major overcrowding exists at the prison with 1,400

23:46prisoner spaces now housing over 3,600 in decrepit living conditions.

23:53Number 20 Guantanamo Bay Feared and dreaded by anyone unlucky enough to be detained there,

23:59this military style prison was made famous for housing some of the most dangerous terrorists

24:04after the 9-11 terror attacks. Cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment and torture of detainees was

24:11rampant within the facility and medical professionals were ordered to ignore ethical standards during

24:17involvement in abusive interrogation. Hunger striking prisoners were often force fed and

24:23prisoners were deemed not to fall under the Geneva Convention. Sexual degradation, forced drugging and

24:29religious persecution were all reported techniques used at the prison with beatings and sleep deprivation

24:35a continuous threat for inmates. Almost no reports of danger came from inmate to inmate contact,

24:41and instead from guard to inmate contact. Number 19 Khaliti Prison

24:47Commonly referred to as more of a Gulag, thanks to its decrepit and deplorable conditions,

24:53the location of this prison sits 11 kilometres south of central Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Sheet metal

25:01shacks arranged in a dense maze form most of the interior, and there are 8 zones within the complex.

25:08Hundreds of inmates are held in single, poorly ventilated cells, and many suffer from tuberculosis,

25:13fleas and lice thanks to poor sanitation. Water for both drinking and washing is insufficient,

25:20and any prisoner who complains about conditions at the prison is susceptible to torture or abuse from

25:26the guards. The prison has housed many Ethiopian journalists and political prisoners over the years.

25:32Number 18 Cereso Number 3 State Prison Another one of Mexico's most dangerous prisons,

25:39this prison is known to house many of the country's gang leaders. Due to the prison's gang-style culture,

25:45violence occurs on an almost daily basis, with various attacks also coming from outside its walls.

25:52On 1st January 2023, a massive riot began inside the prison, and coupled with a gang attack from

25:59outside the prison using armoured vehicles, ten guards, seven inmates and two gunmen were killed.

26:05Regular shootouts, terrible living conditions and inmates living in fear of their every move,

26:11combined to make this one of the most dangerous prisons in Mexico.

26:16Number 17 Arthur Road Jail Built in 1926, this is Mumbai's largest and

26:22oldest central prison, that is famed for its run-down prison conditions and obvious human rights

26:28infringements. No prisoner has ever been known to escape, and there have also been several attempts

26:33to break in, but this has also been unsuccessful. Built to be an impenetrable fortress, it stands on

26:41two acres of land and is officially named Mumbai's central prison. Many gangs roam the prison and

26:47poor cleanliness has led to outbreaks of many diseases, such as cholera and other nasty viruses.

26:53Number 16 Melakovo IK6 Infamous for its brutal conditions and

26:58reported systematic abuse of inmates, this prison, located in Russia, has been described as the torture

27:05conveyor belt. Prisoners are regularly beaten and raped at the hands of both correctional officers and

27:10fellow prisoners, whom are tasked with intimidating new inmates. One famous inmate moved to the prison

27:17recently includes Putin critic Eblexi Navalny, after his opposition movement was labelled as extremist.

27:23Number 15 Bogota District Prison Nicknamed La Modelo

27:2911,000 inmates are incarcerated within this violent prison's walls, with vicious fights and stabbings

27:35taking place on a daily basis. Filled with hit men, murderers, drug traffickers and rapists,

27:40the prison has appeared on several television programmes. The guards in the prison do not carry

27:45rifles inside the walls and instead leave the prisoners, many of whom are violent drug addicts,

27:51to create their own rules. Prisoners were involved in a mass riot in 2020 due to the poor health

27:57conditions and this resulted in the deaths of 23 inmates. Inmates often set fire to their mattresses,

28:05burn the jail down and in 2016 the remains of over 100 prisoners and visitors were found in tunnels

28:11under the jail. Number 14 Alcuaz Prison Said to be one of the most violent prisons in the world for

28:18riots, over 140 inmates died in gang warfare during 2017 alone. Almost all of the inmates killed in the

28:26riots were decapitated and feuds are often between some of Brazil's most powerful drug gangs. Guns,

28:32knives, cell phones and just about anything else can be smuggled through tunnels under the prison

28:38and only a dozen guards are responsible for only 1,500 inmates. Nicknamed Swiss cheese, Alcuaz is among

28:46the worst prisons in Brazil and the state has albeit lost complete control within its walls. Authorities

28:53acknowledge that Alcuaz is now beyond saving and stretchers lowered from outside the prison often

28:59collect the wounding or dead. Number 13 Chikorubi Prison Putting a foot wrong in Zimbabwe can land

29:05you in prison very quickly and there is nowhere worse to end up than Chikorubi Prison on the outskirts

29:11of the country's capital Harare. Known for its overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions, cells

29:17typically measure 30 feet by 13 feet and as many as 25 prisoners are housed in each cell. The prison has

29:24held a number of notable people over the years including political prisoners many of whom are

29:29held without trial or release date. Security is particularly tight and only two escapees have

29:36ever been recorded. Number 12 Black Dolphin Prison

29:40Located near to the border with Kazakhstan lies one of the oldest prisons in Russia named penal colony

29:47number six of the Federal Penitentiary Service or as it has better become known Black Dolphin. Arriving

29:53inmates are blindfolded to avoid seeing planning and preparation areas and the same happens whenever

29:58they are transported between buildings. Inmates are also bent over in a stress position while being

30:05moved and are handcuffed and shackled at all times when outside their cells. Inmates whom are 700 of the

30:12worst in Russia are checked in their cells every 15 minutes and must answer yes sir to all commands.

30:19Cells have a set of three steel doors force inmates to exercise in large cages for 90 minutes per day

30:25and inmates cannot sit or rest on their bunks from dawn until dusk. No one has ever escaped Black Dolphin

30:33and those who enter its walls are condemned to die within them. Number 11 The Terrorist Confinement Center

30:40This new prison located in El Salvador has massive 100 man cells that include just 80 beds,

30:47two showers and two toilets. Described as the largest prison in the world over 40,000 inmates can be

30:54held here with all inmates held under a strict regime that bans all technology and contact with the

30:59outside world. Featuring seven different layers of security these include 19 watchtowers, electric fences,

31:06huge anti-climb walls, solid steel cells and several patrol zones. Designed to hold the many thousands of

31:13gang members that have terrorized El Salvador over the years and with many if not most of the same

31:19gang members all in one place this makes it one of El Salvador's most dangerous prisons. Number 10

31:26San Quentin Prison One of the only American prisons on the list, San Quentin Prison located north of San

31:32Francisco houses the state's only death row for male inmates. The prison is old, antiquated, dirty, poorly

31:40staffed, poorly maintained, with inadequate medical space and is severely overcrowded, sometimes being

31:46called worse than many African prisons. Between 1996 and 2006, 11 people were executed at San Quentin

31:53by lethal injection and the state has also carried out three state executions. Numerous escape attempts

32:00have been recorded with most inmates ending up shot by guards. Notable inmates include vampire killer

32:06Richard Chase, serial killer Anthony McKnight and the notorious Charles Manson. Number 9 Bang Quang

32:14Prison Located about 11 kilometers north of Bangkok, Thailand, this prison handles death row and long

32:20sentence prisoners but is also the main penitentiary for many foreign prisoners. Conditions within the

32:26prison are harsh and all prisoners were required to wear leg irons for the first three months of their

32:32sentences. Nicknamed Big Tiger, by the Thais the prison holds about 6,000 inmates in total and has been known as

32:41the Bangkok Hilton by many of the foreign prisoners it holds. Conditions inside have been known to cause some

32:47inmates to lose their sanity and before a change in 2013 death row inmates were forced to weld their shackles on.

32:55Number 8 Rikers Island Prison Famous as New York City's toughest jail, Rikers is

33:01situated on its own island in the East River and is also the city's largest jail with places for up to

33:0815,000 detainees. The complex is actually made up of 10 different jails and holds mainly local offenders

33:15who are awaiting trial, serving sentences of one year or less or are temporarily placed there pending

33:22transfer to another facility. Rikers has a reputation for violence, both abuse and neglect of inmates often

33:29resulting in serious injuries. Several gangs have been born in the jails at Rikers and these include

33:34the United Blood Nation or East Coast Bloods as it is better known. Viral outbreaks, staffing shortages and

33:42exacerbated mental health crises among detainees have all contributed to 15 reported deaths of inmates

33:48since 2021. Number 7 Alcatraz Prison Island One of the most famous prisons in American history,

33:55Alcatraz was originally nicknamed The Rock and was practically unescapable with many suggesting it

34:02never had a single successful escape. Others state that a few lucky inmates did manage to make it across

34:08the freezing currents of the San Francisco harbour and the prison, albeit for a short time, was the

34:13toughest and most secure in the country. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts with two men trying

34:21twice and 23 caught. Six were shot and killed during their escape, two drowned and five are listed as

34:27missing and presumed drowned. Number 6 ADX Florence

34:32Considered to be the most secure prison in the United States, ADX Florence has earned its nickname as Alcatraz of the Rockies.

34:40The prison ADMAX holds only the most dangerous criminals in America and those serving life or near life sentences,

34:47and including terrorists, gang leaders and political prisoners. In the 29 years it has been open and

34:53escape has never been attempted and prisoners are not allowed to come into contact with other prisoners

34:59during the first three years of their stay. Recreation time is spent in a concrete pit

35:04with an open covered roof that allows inmates to see the sky only and this is the same for the cell windows.

35:12Inmates are kept in their cells 23 hours a day for the first year and cells are also soundproof to

35:18avoid any contact at all between prisoners. Keys used to unlock doors are covered in a steel shield

35:25once used and a multitude of motion detections. Cameras, 12 foot tall razor wire fences, pressure pads, laser beams

35:33and heavily armed officers with patrol dogs are based on the perimeter. The prison has its own prison

35:39within ADX named Range 13, a special four cell wing with special housing units for inmates who need

35:47the tightest control. Number five, Pretoria Local Prison. Part of three separate clusters of prisons,

35:54Pretoria Central Prison was known as one of the most difficult to escape from thanks in part to both its

36:00design and regime. White political prisoners were held in the maximum security section of the prison

36:06behind a series of locked doors, each requiring a different key. Located in an L-shaped building,

36:12daily routines including mopping floors and cleaning toilets, with guards constantly watching the

36:17interior sections during the daylight hours. Guards however let their guard down at night when all

36:23prisoners were confined to their cells and three inmates took advantage of this crafting keys and

36:28escaping to freedom. Many South African freedom fighters never escaped the prison and died during their

36:35sentences. Number four, Diabakia Prison. Located in South East Turkey, Diabakia Prison was established

36:42in 1980 as an Itai prison by the Turkish Ministry of Justice. Constantly overcrowded the prison suffered

36:49from a period of barbarity in the mid-1980s. Many prisoners were exposed to horrific acts of systemic

36:55torture and execution. Most inmates were not allowed to speak in another language other than Turkish and

37:02inmates were obliged to memorize the Turkish national anthem and other Turkish nationalist songs. On the 24th

37:10of September 1996, 10 inmates were killed and another 46 prisoners were wounded when gendarmes and prison

37:17wardens stormed the prison after an apparent uprising. Number three, La Sabanita Prison. Another notoriously

37:25violent prison in the city of Maracaybo, Venezuela, Sabanita Prison was severely overcrowded with

37:32inadequate access to medical care, food and clean water. Violence among prisoners was common with gangs

37:38ruling the prison with an iron fist and it continued like this until its closure in 2013. Occasional raids by

37:45the government often led to massive amounts of weapons and drugs being seized and a riot in 1994 claimed the lives of up to

37:53150 inmates. One raid conducted by the government contracted officers discovered a collection of

38:00prison animals being kept in a zoo with a few endangered species also present. Number two, Tadmor Prison.

38:08Earning its nickname as the Kingdom of Madness and Death, this terrifying prison was once located in the

38:14Syrian desert 200 kilometers north of Damascus. During one mass riot, defense brigades of the

38:21commandos forces slaughtered roughly a thousand inmates and the death toll is still unknown to this day.

38:29Prison guards used brutal methods to torture and make the inmates suffer and summary executions and

38:36harsh conditions are the usual way prisoners here met their end. The prison was blown up in May 2015,

38:42putting an end to its infamous reign of terror. Number one, Karandiru Penitentiary.

38:48Officially known as the Sao Paulo House of Detention, this prison was South America's largest

38:54penitentiary during its operation between 1956 to 2002, holding over 8,000 inmates. The site of the

39:03Karandiru massacre, military police stormed the penitentiary following a prison riot which left 111 prisoners

39:11dead. The entire inside of the prison was controlled by the inmates. Escape was virtually impossible thanks

39:19mainly to the large number of guards on the perimeter and many hundreds are thought to have died through an

39:25AIDS epidemic which swept through the prison from 1989 to 2001. The prison was demolished on the December

39:348th 2002. However, one prison block was left intact and turned into a museum that can be visited by the

39:41public and today a cultural, recreational and sports complex is located on the site.

39:47Thanks for watching this video on the top 50 most dangerous and secure prisons in the world. As always

39:53please throw a like on the video to support the ongoing series, comment down below if you think

39:58I'm Mr Prison and make sure you hit the subscribe button with the bell icon for more top list videos

40:03coming soon. Don't forget to check out the next video on this page and I will see you

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40:11Thanks for watching

Top 50 Most Dangerous And Most Secure Prisons In The World

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