Of course, nobody wants to go to prison, but there are some prisons that you really, really don’t want to be imprisoned as an inmate. Being in jail is only part of the problem, staying alive is the bigger issue. Here are the top 10 most dangerous prisons in the world.
10. San Quentin Prison
San Quentin, California – In the 1930’s, San Quentin was rife with corruption by management, until a new director, Clinton Truman Duffy, appalled at the inhumane conditions at the prison, decided to implement reforms in the 1940’s. Prior to his appointment, prisoners made counterfeit currency in the prison shops, had their heads shaved and were forced to wear numbered uniforms, while eating out of pails and enduring solitary confinement in poured-concrete cells that had little air and no light. Even a petty offense to prison regulations would land an inmate in solitary, and race riots would put inmate lives at risk on a regular basis. San Quentin is still a harsh environment, filled with California’s most violent offenders, and the high ratio of guards to general population, just barely keeps the prison system from spiraling out of control.
9. Bang Kwang Prison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vu9X6mPqR8
Thailand – Known as the “Bangkok Hilton”, Bang Kwang is understaffed, overcrowded, and filled with inmates who struggle with insanity as they spend the first months of their sentences chained in leg irons. The Thai culture doesn’t believe in coddling prisoners, and, in the words of Director of Prison Khun Nattee, “Thai prisons are tough…you don’t want to be in Bang Kwang.” Poor medical care is standard at this prison, with sick inmates shackled to their beds as they wait for medicines they probably will never get. If you find yourself on Death Row at Bangkwang, you will have leg irons welded on until your execution, and you will be given only two hours notice before dying by lethal injection.
8. Rikers Island Prison
Rikers Island, New York – Stabbings, beatings and brutal treatment from prison guards characterize this American prison. Filled primarily with offenders who are visible minorities, jailed on drug offenses, the prison is a hotbed of violence and aggression. In 2007, prisoner Charles Afflic was beaten senseless with a billy club by a prison official, who hit him repeatedly from behind: his injuries were so severe they necessitated brain surgery. 6 inmates committed suicide, hanging themselves with bedsheets in their cells, during the first six months of 2003 alone. Rikers has a reputation for its cruel treatment of mentally ill prisoners, who often turn to suicide in lieu of treatment and understanding.
7. ADX Florence Supermax Facility
Colorado – This prison was built in response to the violent attacks on guards and prison staff at other US prisons – it was meant to be the ultimate deterrent, a place where inmates were completely isolated from prison staff, and left to live in slow psychological torture as they spent 23 hours a day in barren cells. Inmates at ADX are the worst of the worst, often repeat offenders who have killed or injured other inmates, or even prison guards, during their time in other institutions. Describes by inmates as a nightmare vision of punishment, “meant to inflict misery and pain”, this “clean version of hell” is also a violent place, despite all the steps taken to segregate and isolate the general population. In its 13 years of operation, two prisoners have been killed at ADX Florence. Another prisoner, named Lawrence Klaker, was shot and injured as he entered the Supermax prison for the first time: he later killed himself within prison walls.
6. Alcatraz Island Prison
San Francisco, CA – This prison, known as “The Rock”, or “Devil’s Island” was built to house the criminals of the 1920’s, who broke laws during the times of Prohibition leading into the Great Depression. Another study in stark, soul-destroying discomfort and isolation, Alcatraz was known for its unique design, which made escape almost unthinkable. Inmates had no contact with the world outside the prison gates, and suffered harsh discipline from prison officials, as well as an inhumane policy of “silence” that forced prisoners to forgo speech for long periods of time. As can be expected, this was no boon to mental health, and many inmates went insane as they were forced to endure the stringent conditions of the prison without any conversation or other release of their emotions. The prison was shut down in 1963, but its grim legacy lives on, in film and legend.
5. La Sante Prison
Paris, France – According to whistle-blower and former prison official Veronique Vasseur, this prison was a hellhole, where prisoners were forced to live out their sentences in concrete cells full of rats and lice. Inmates were prone to lose their sanity as they dealt with the harsh daily realities of life at La Sante – which translates, ironically, to “health” in the English language. The well being of inmates was very low on the list of priorities for the French administrators of this torture chamber on a grand scale: weaker inmates were routinely enslaved by stronger ones, and rapes were a daily event at the prison. Suicide was rampant at la Sante, with a staggering 122 self-inflicted deaths of prisoners in 2002, and 73 more by mid 2003. The tendency to suicide could be linked to the terrible living conditions that plunged inmates into clinical depression: overcrowding, understaffing, and prison violence led these people to swallow drain cleaner in order to end their suffering once and for all.
4. Diyarbakir Prison
Turkey – This prison has been cited for its human right violations, which are thought to cross the line into true atrocity. From 1981 to 1984, 34 prisoners lost their lives due to the excessive instances of torture, both mental and physical, practiced at Diyarbakir. This prison is notorious for the sexual abuse of its inmates, and its unlivable conditions. Prisoners have attempted hunger strikes, set themselves on fire in protest of prison conditions, and committed suicide in order to escape the horrors of this Turkish facility. Diyarbakir is known to incarcerate mere children for sentences of life imprisonment, and its “crimes against humanity” make it one of the word’s most sadistic and forbidding penal institutions.
3. La Sabaneta Prison
Venezuela – Venezuela is known for its brutal prisons, where violence is a daily occurrence, and inmates are at the mercy of disease outbreaks, underpaid staff, little medical services, and insufficient food and care. La Sabaneta is the worst of the worst, a place where cholera outbreaks have wiped out 700 inmates, amidst “appalling violence” and riots that triggered a horrific massacre of 100 inmates back in 1994. Death is rampant at La Sabaneta, and the hair-trigger tempers of inmates and staff are thought to be linked to idleness and boredom, as no activities are permitted to release tension: left to their own devices, prisoners fight amongst themselves, fashion shivs and other deadly weapons, and kill one another in this truly archaic penal facility.
2. Tadmor Prison
Syria – The death count may not rank Tadmor Prison as number one on this list, but no other prison sent such shivers down my spine as I did my research. The violence at Tadmor is so gruesome and utterly merciless, I felt sick reading about it. Described as a “kingdom of death and madness” by a former detainee, Tadmor features bloodthirsty guards who butcher inmates with axes, and political prisoners (read: non violent protestors) who are starved to concentration camp emaciation by prison administrators. In 1980, after an assassination attempt on the President (in Damascus), inmates were made to pay the ultimate price as commandos landed at Tadmor in helicopters, and butchered as many as 500 prisoners in their cells: this “warning: sent a clear message to Syrians about staying in line. When guards are not busy tying up inmates and dragging them to death, they can be found chopping up body parts in one of the prison’s several courtyards.
1. Carandiru Prison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F8gi9c20uI
Brazil – The body count was sky-high at this notorious Brazilian prison, where riots in 1992 triggered a massacre of the general population by local police: inmates, who had already given in and surrendered to police, were shot as they cowered in terror in their tiny cells. Deaths at this facility are thought to be as many as 1300 over its 46 year history: the reign of terror by prison officials was stopped in 2002 when the prison was closed, amidst campaigns from Amnesty International, and reports of gross human rights violations that could not be quieted by Brazilian officials. The violence wasn’t the only thing threatening the unfortunate residents of this dark place: an AIDS epidemic at the facility spread rapidly, with as many as one in five of the inmates suffering from the disease.
163 Comments
if that was true then russia would be crime free. russia and the former nations of the Soviet union are experiencing the rise of a form of government best described as kleptocracies. If you have any brains there no need for me to define what that means. Communism straight to nations ruled by a criminal class the likes of america has never even witnessed. They were trained in some of the harshest prisons in the world. The last few rulers of the ukraine managed to steal so much their economy isn’t expected to recover from years if then.
Makes me sad for the children that are imprisoned. Too young to waste a life. 🙁
I don’t feel bad for anyone who goes to prison.
Well I am 65 and never was in prision. Yes I am against violence and bad treatment in jail, but I true who are in jail no have no right. Who I don’t care are who are in or drugs, use, make or selling must be Capitol penalty first time. Many peoples are afraid go in jail, but for many another is not afraid is funny. Now ask why we a citizen must paid taxes for have in jail peoples for drug offence?
In USA see a numbers, majority for drug offenses are blacks easy two to one whites, and blacks claim rights , what rights? and now liberals blacks support and protect another criminals. For minor offences is OK keep in jail, but for murder, drugs, sexual offence, and repeat offender simple dead penalty, better for all and save money.
Do you not think that those countries who treat their prisoners badly will invariably treat the rest of society in a similar way? Disregard of human life at whatever level of society will spill into other areas of society. It’s no coincidence that the worst of these prisons are in countries that are rife with human rights abuses and Islamic law. Of course, I’d rather be a criminal in the UK than in Saudi Arabia where they chop your head off for the most minor offences.
The violence and bad treatment of prisoners only makes them worse when they are released. They will need treatment for PTSD, depression and medical attention for any dieseases sustained including probable malnutrition. Most prisoners in the US are in for non-violent drug related crimes anyway. Would you advocate torture of a cannabis user or dealer? The drug that has never killed anyone?
Prisons should be for reform and correction at the same time, a place of character building, not a torture chamber.
Wow, Heather – great article. You have certainly captured a curious audience – these comments go for miles, and I am fascinated by the controversial interest.
All I can add is, I find it ironic that guards are murdering people or have the “rights” in some prisons to kill, chop and torture inmates.. Regardless of what the reason they are in prison for. It’s an evil world inside these prison walls.. The human race is scary
I lost interest as soon as I saw a US prison on the list. No “first world”, Western country has prisons with the same amount of dire corruption, inhumane conditions & deprivation as most “third world” prisons do. At least in a maximum security jail in a first world country the inmate has regular access to clean water, meals, visits and free legal advice thanks to things like the US constitution, Canadian constitution, European Union Court of Human Rights, etc. which strictly prohibit inhumane treatment of prisoners. A Thai, Turkish or Columbian jail has none of that.
I see Sam’s point and, yes, was surprised at the prisons that aren’t on this list. My specific issues is members of the Baha’i Faith in prison in Iran—and in the past few years this has included educators Baha’i kids can be kicked out the public school system just for being Baha’is, and they are flatly denied access to higher education (there’s been a grass roots level attempt to remedy this situation but the administrators and some of the teachers plus a group of 7 (being from the 60’s I like to call them the Tehran 7! Technically they are called the Yarah—a group of helpers whose job it was to make sure the Baha’is in Iran had the basic necessities of life, since it has become illegal for the Baha’is to work in a whole pile of jobs, including anything to do with the government (over there, this includes teachers and administrators, people who work for oil companies etc).
The other group that puts the government over the line that demarcates “society has the right to protect itself” from “we have utterly given up all claim to our fundamental decency and humanity.” This group was a number of nursing mothers whose nursing infants accompanies their moms to jail with them. I *so* wanted to write an article for something like the Onion about how Ahmadinejad and Khameini were such great supporters of La Leche League that they fully supported the young mothers’ right to cart their kids into some of the filthiest, most crowded prisons in the country. So, you may add to your list Evin, Gohar’dasht, Qarzak (think the old movie “Escape from New York” on a smaller scale, and any of the places in Semnan where the moms with infants have been incarcerated (I don’t think you can even uphold this conviction and sentence by using anything in Shariar Law. And I mention the Baha’is because the atrocities committed against them since the 1979 Revolution (and you can hardly find a more industrious, peace-loving group who are told specifically in their scriptures to be the well-wishers of the government in land in which they love) have been unusually severe. But Iran certainly has more than its fair share of POCs, and prisons like Gohar’dasht have special “political wings” where POCs the government would just like to go away are mixed in with much more violent offenders—and if a death or severe injury happens the guards are told not to inquire too closely. Sorry for the rant. This kind of thing drives me nuts.
Let me guess… your American? Look at the countries these prisons are situated in (including the US) and compare the crime stats to them… treat humans like animals and that is what they become. Treat them with decency and… well, you know the rest.
If this is what passes for journalism, we are in a very sad state indeed. The US prison are far, far better than the a host of other prisions across the world. The author has commited a crime of lazy journalism…or what she thinks passes for journalism. Sad that some people will consider this well researched. It is far from that.
If you did somthing so heinous to end up in these prisons I dont feel sorry for ya. The only time you should kill someone is when someone is threatening your life or the life of your loved ones and in immediate danger of losing your life period end of story.
In my personal opinions prisons like these and all the rest are necessary, now I understand human rights are abused here and some people are unjustly prosecuted but look at it from another point of view, if prison were not like this and were “easier” or built for rehabilitation then civilians would be less inclined to avoid criminal acts. if you knew that if you attacked person X then you would end up in a easy prison or a rehabilitation center you are more likely to think “hmmm it’s not that bad” , to cut things simple the fear of going to prison stops a lot of people committing crimes that is the tertiary role of prisons and not necessarily just punish prisoners. Now my view may be narrow minded so I genuinely appreciate comments which may enlighten my view.
I see your point, and it was used successfully some years ago as a reason *not* to make rape a crime punishable by death (because if you were going to face the death penalty anyway, why not kill your one certain witness?) However, let me point out that, while this might work in an ideallized society, part of the problem with these obscenely run prisons is that they include as prisoners PoCs (prisoners of conscience), who are basically innocent people who stood up for civil rights and civil liberties in countries where these were largely denied. Prisons like Evin in Iran have “political wings” where they imprison PoCs side by side with murderers and don’t investigate any mayhem in those cell blocks very closely. My particular interest is two groups of Baha’is currently imprisoned in Iran. One group was appointed to look after the beleaguered Baha’i community to make sure they had food, shelter, etc, because the government is making it harder and harder for them to survive by depriving them of the rights to be educated, to work, etc. They got 20 year sentences. The second group had responded to the governments refusal to let Baha’i youth have access to higher (and sometimes lower) education by creating its own higher education network. Most of these people are not young; one was denied a release to attend the funeral of his wife. There have been cases where Baha’is of all ages have been tortured (electronic whips seem popular, as is the bastinado) because they would not recant their extremely peaceful and non-seditious faith. I would urge you to look up the site educationunderfire.com for a look at just one instance of how this sort of prison is grossly misused. In this case, a whole lotta people asked themselves if their acts of kindness, charity, and sanity were worth a prison term and said yes.
I see what you are saying, the PoC do not belong in prisons, but they are in prison and if prisons allow humans right to be breached, these people who are not necessarily criminals may have there human rights abused for trying to do good. That is unfair.
I note your point “while this might work in an ideallized society”. I do live in the United Kingdom, it is difficult without seeing these conditions first hand how bad they really are. But that said in countries such as the United Kingdom people are still sent to prison because they fight for a cause (such as Palestine) and will suffer the conditions, albeit not so bad. Although I am aware of this point and I too believe that this is unfair.
What I am trying to say is that the prisons listed here and many others “take it too far” if that’s a correct term. but in the United Kingdom the prisons (not that I have ever been in one) would not appear to breach human rights so openly, as in guards do not murder prisoners or torture them, deprive them of food etc. and still I would avoid committing a crime to avoid going to a UK prison. So UK prisons still achieve a type of fear of prisons without the conditions that these top 10 and other prisons have.
So! that all said you are right these types of prisons on this top 10 list are wrong, and the types of criminals inside contain PoC’s which is truly injustice. I shall look at the link you sent me aswell.
If what I said does not make any sense please let me know, and feel free to respond.
I guess in the true idealized society, people would all do good just because of an innate or nurtured moral imperative and would feel no compulsion to commit crimes; likewise, the true idealized society would make provision for people who truly need care, food, housing, etc., and only people in need would make use of these resources. There’s a nice Hadith that says, roughly, “He is a good man who does good for others.” Part of what makes this subject so difficult is that even if everyone started doing good for others right this second, the damage done by conditions of both society as a whole and within families are going to take generations to shake out.
In response to your second email (found that here when I came over to reply): this is a whole other subject and perhaps the most complex of the lot. I’ve read of cases where long-term prisoners (I’m guessing not the ones in, say, Iran’s Qarzak, which really should be on this list) are so used to the confining routine of prison they can’t function on the outside and so commit crimes to get back in. What is wrong with this picture? There’s such a fine balance with reintroducing long-term prisoners back into society. Society deserves to protect itself, but it should have an obligation to help parolees get off on the right foot better than it does. I had a friend who was an attorney who said she pitied the people who got into the system who truly were innocent because they got exactly the same harsh treatment the guilty did.
Something else I thought about after my last reply, I understand that the prisoners themselves abuse other prisoners, this can be difficult to control in some cases. not sure how I would proceed with that one.
Also Another effect of prisons in western society is the fact that if you have been to prison on leaving prison it becomes far more difficult to find a job, this can be both negative and positive the fact that it is harder to get a job with a criminal record would mean people would again avoid prison but then if you have been to prison life becomes much harder when you come out which can lead to other problems. I kind of gone a bit of topic there I think but I hope you understand what I’m saying.
Feel free to correct/comment.
ive seen docs on san qeuntin and its defo not as bad as mountjoy or st patricks there way worse!!!
What about the gulags during the worst years of communism in Russia?
The Deadiest prison in the world is Gldani #8 Prison in Tbilisi, Georgia. In this prison in former Soviet Republic of Georgia people are systematically raped, beate and killed. It is worse than Abu Ghraib prinson; videos of tortures are available in the Internet.
Yeah, go ahead and treat prisoners bad. Once they get out, guess who they will take it out on ? Yep, that’s right!! Also, the business about prisoners not wanting to ‘go back’ is BS. All that would mean is that the law breaker in question would look at his odds in this way: “Hmmm….If I let this guy after robbing him, I go to prison! If I kill him, there is at least a chance that I might not get caught and will get away w/ it!” The same idea applies to rapist debating whether or not to let their victims live.
The tougher prisons get, the tougher prisoners get. Education and rehabilitation are the keys to keeping folks out of prison, not more mindless ‘punishment’ given out by a borderline sadistic governement!
Hi but any prisoner in the prison is a criminal
You have to remember that in many countries there are prisoners serving time for things that here in the US they would be getting community service for… so the one not using their head is you! Not to mention there are many out there who are innocent serving time as well…
I hate criminals and do have quite a right wing view on criminals/prison etc but even I think these prisons are a disgrace,especially tadmoor.
If you treat people like animals,when they,if they do,come out of prison they’ll act like animals.
I think there should be a happy medium where prisons are harsh but not brutal.
Wow, you did a lot of research, however your number 1 pick shouldn’t even be on the list.. No American prisons belong on the list.. Prisons out there such as Venezuela where prisoners walk around with guns.
I think Guantanamo Bay should be number 1. Not sure what they do there, but pretty sure it’s not very humane.
Interesting article and comments.
People in the United States need to take their head out of the sand and make a point of doing something with the way our Prisons are ran for one very big reason. Over 80% of those sentenced to Prison will be released back into Society at some point. Spend a little time watching Lock-Up on MSNBC and tell me you want any of those guys on the streets of your community. Guys with Zero tolerance for disrespect even on the smallest level that most people wouldn’t even recognize. Guys who are extremely hardened to other peoples feelings that wouldn’t think twice about victimizing others since that’s how you survive in the Prison environment if need be.
In Ca our Prisons really are Gladiator Academies for the major gangs and a way to further their advancement within their gang. For them Prison has become a right of passage and a badge of honor for most. This needs to change as does the entire Prison environment which is sculpted bye the actions of these groups. We need to make sure we are not releasing what amounts to superior predators back into the environment we are supposed to be keeping safe to begin with.
If people cant see the value to all of our lives by changing this then pat yourselves on the back for helping to make someone else a statistic and don’t whine about it when its someone you care about.
the fact that you have U.S. prisons on this list makes in so laughably ridiculous. it just shows you really haven’t a clue. there isn’t a single prison in the whole of the united states that is worse than any prison on the whole continent of africa. hell, throw in the entire middle east, a good portion of south america, and the majority of asia (outside of japan, south korea, taiwan). in fact, even the U.S. prisons on your list are safer, more comfortable, and enjoy a higher quality of life than entire nations in this world. by putting out a list like this, and by ranking american prisons ahead of regions around the world littered with prisons that are so horrific in every details, youre diverting attention away from places/people that live in conditions beyond human comprehension. you are doing way more harm than good by spreading this ignorance. oh, and so you know, i’ve spent the past 17 years of my life working in prisons around the world. working to help bring funding, human rights, actual food (yes, there are regions in the world where prisoners are lucky to get 500 calories a day, if anything), actual drinkable water (there are thousands of prisons in regions of the world where the inmates drink actual sewer water). to bring basic sanitation (there are prisons in the world where the sanitation levels are below those of 16th century europe. are below those of anything you could actually comprehend. where 2/3rds of inmates will not survive more than 5 years, because of disease and illnesses that are so easily preventable, that arent even in existance in these american “prisons” on your list). working to bring these inmates any form of medical care. yes, ANY form, b/c they have NOTHING. they dont even have FREAKIN SOPE, so people die every single day (actually many die every day) b/c they were unable to clean a basic scratch, and that turns to infection, that turns to death. let alone any forms of medication whatsoever. yet, you have american prisons that have healthcare better than the “free populations” of the majority of the world. god, ignorance like yours does nothing but help keep things this way.
Soap*
Patrick, I agree you about the poor situation in numerous prisons in Africa, Asia, Latin America. Could you say more about the “world prison project”…
Seems like your wrong 😉 Check out the Norwegian prison system, its the most humane in the world, and Norway has the least of reoffenders. Rehabilitation is the key, not punishment and torture. If you treat a person bad, he wanta to do bad things to uou, common sense 😉
Yes i beliveing in punishment,,,, but abusing the human rights of the prisoner is very very wrong.
How unsurprising that the most, if not necessarily the worst, were located in the US.
U know what I’ve read ALLLL the posts – like all the old sayings. DO THE CRIME DO THE TIME – u have a brain people DON’T BREAK THE LAW its that simple!
I think that you are quite a horrible person if these options don’t make you weak in the knees. It is not alright to chop people up even if they are prisoners, especially when you consider that some of the “prisoners” are people that are arrested for speaking against a tyrannical regime.(#2 Syria)
There are way too many prisoners in the US – we need to eliminate as many as we can. I would like to see a slow acting poison given to the prisoners over several months with all prisoners dying within 6 months. We need to ship all new prisoners and gang members to Russian, and Chinese prisons – there they need to be tortured and beaten regularly. If they get out of line let the Russians and Chinese deal with them as they see fit. No law suites no family members making demands. We need to ship all prisoners to foreign prisons -the world would be a better place. If the Chinese want to harvest body parts from US prisoners great let them.
Oh, and it’s roughly the size of Los Angeles! It is denied to even exist by many.
I’m a bit surprised to not see “CAMP 22” on the list. It is by far one of the worst, IF not the worst. This was well written with great information.
Now you know how I feel when I’ve recommended getting any of the Iranian prisons on Amnesty’s hit list (thinking Evin, Gohardasht, and Qarzak for a start) into this top ten. My particular concern is the Baha’is, but they have imprisoned many more prisoners of conscience for the reasons you describe above. I was a little discourage when I followed the link to your letter to see that there are now links to petitions to do such things as overturn Roe vs. Wade. That’ seems out of keeping with a site that’s decrying human rights violations in prisons around the world.
Don’t worry. You’re not alone.Actually, although I see your point about keeping silent (and we do on partisan politics) I’ve taught my son to stand tall and be as **** vocal as he wants when voicing his views on things like the brotherhood of man and the equality of men and women!
Wow. I read some of what people posting here say and after promising I would not get upset, I am extremely upset. I am sad at what this country that used to be a country that gave hope to other nations set an example of what humanity is, nolonger exists. Even though we were never perfect, we recognized that we could always improve and strived to become better.
I am literally scared as I read people here calling for the death and torture of pot smokers and drug addicts and petty thieves. I truly believe people like myself who label themselves liberal and free thinking would be on their list as well.
This is why,I tell my kids to keep their political views secret, as the people that are loudest in this country despise knowledge, loathe compassion, and are a threat to opposing views.
As of now we are not locking citizens up for being “too liberal” but I say these people who have let religion control their minds , hate radio harden their hearts, would pass laws against us and have us locked away and tortured for dissent. I feel complete hatred from people such as Common Sense, and he is not rare.He is not an anomoly. In fact, there is an entire political party in this country to represent him.
Freedom as we know it will not exist for future generations. I think humanity and free thinking will be driven underground once again.
We are already locking people away younger and younger and trying to criminalize moral indiscretions. Don’t feel too safe when people with as much hatred and as ignorant as Common Sense walk amongst us.
If there is a God he is not in the hearts of the animals I have read here. The evil of some of the crimes committed is matched by the evil of lusting for the suffering of others.
I, in no way shape or form think anyone who,has murdered should ever walk the streets, but I draw the line at becoming murderers and torturers ourselves. Common Sense, when you go to church tomorrow to pray for your soul, dont bother, you do not have one.
Thanks for the read.
K.
Is this list just for modern prisons? If not then you would have thought that Treblinka and Auschwitz would be on there. And even then, I would have thought that Camp 22 (North Korean labour camp) would be on there. I don’t mean any offence at all.
Im guessing they are not counting internment camps. Just prisons where the offenders have faced some sort of trial. i could be wrong.
Right common sense not quite the fact remains that supporting disease infested parasitic dens of death do not fit remotely close the equality of the crime where as you just lump them all together to pay the fiddler you gotta know a car thief is not the same as a diddler molester and a hit man is not the same as pot dealer so watch where you put your I,s and cross out the T,s because you are not the guy who wants to land framed in the slam after a screw the prisoner speech like you did man.
I’ve discovered another candidate for the Top 10 list: Qarzak in Iran. Its description will remind you of the old movie “Escape from New York.” They’ve basically gutted a huge factory into which they toss “”criminals” including, of course, prisoners of conscience. My previous pick had been Evin, followed by Gohardasht (both have political wings where inconvenient prisoners of conscience can be attacked or killed with impunity. Both the Yaran and members of the BIHE, which offered educational opportunities to Baha’i youth denied the right to education, have been in Evin, and the Yaran, including two women, have been through all 3. If you Google “Education Under Fire,” you can read about the BIHE group; info on the Yaran and what they’ve endured (including the ludicrous charges upon which groups were convicted) may be found at iran.bahai.us.
Doesn’t it say something awful about the state of the world that this list of the 10 worst prisons has evoked a response from people saying “No, wait, you forgot this other one.”
This video shows a dangerously overcrowded Brazilian jail:
http://www.discoveringsaopaulo.com/2012/02/sao-paulo-in-statistics-prisoner.html
These are MKULTRA test facilities.
My sister was murdered when she was 11 years old. He waited in the woods took aim at her and fired. He didn’t even know her name ….only her face through the scope on his gun that he used to end her life. Even I can see basic human rights being of no concern in some of the instances described above. I believe in The Death Sentence and I believe prisons should never be a good nor easy time. I just wonder where in a human being such cruel purposeful intentions are born? Imagine taking an axe to a living being , some just children as described at Diyarbakir Prison in Turkey …..hacking them up piece by piece. That is way beyond what my mind can even begin to process. I agree with both sides and perhaps that makes me weak for not taking a firm stand . I’ll tell you… Child abusers of any kind I have no pitty or use for. In my opinion they deserve no human rights because they don’t deserve a life to live ( and no ….. I was not abused). I can even justify reason for murder. A mother or father protecting their children, siblings protecting each other . Women and men who have been broken and beaten by their spouse for years and finally they say , not today. Back me against a wall in any one of their shoes and I would kill too. Some of these offenders are hot check writers, drug addicts, drunks and many other types of non-violent offenders and NO they don’t deserve torture but a restricted, boring, a bit uncomfortable, no frills, no say, do as your told prison sentence to pay their debt to society . Then you have armed robbery, home invasion , car jacking, crimes of passion what do you do with people who commit these level of crimes? The day we as humans loose hope in the idea that people can change , people can learn and sometimes a 2nd chance is warrented and redemption possible…..well that’s the day we become the very same “MONSTERS” we curse. Again, some of these offenders need a ticket straight to hell but there will always be an exception to the rule .
The “He” who killed my sister was also 11 years old.
….. He broke almost every exception to every rule I ever thought I stood firm on or would feel towards anyone who even might be capable of killing my baby and only sister.
I enjoyed your article very much. Thank you.
Replying to Missie:
OMG what a letter. Deep sympathies for your sister. I don’t know what to think about the 11yo kid who murdered your 11yo sister (and presumably already knew how to use what sounds like a sniper scope). I know there are groups that will brainwash kids much younger, and I think there is a special place in Hell (a really, especially *hot* place) more for the adults who brainwash the kids than for these young perps themselves. Children know what they are taught; my guess is if brainwashing was not a factor, the kid was from an abusive or otherwise violent home where acting out aggression was the norm. I believe in the death penalty largely because my religion, the Baha’i Faith (that was a little hyperbole above; we believe Heaven and Hell are more spiritual realities than physical ones) suggests that certain crimes need to be expiated in certain ways, if not here, then in the hereafter. I have thought just about every thought you’ve expressed in your letter about prisons and what to do with purse snatchers vs mass murderers. Society has the obligation to protect itself, yet many faith traditions would teach that the individual’s role is to forgive. I truly believe that holding onto hate poisons no one but oneself. Could I forgive if someone harmed my child (not much older than your sister)? No, probably my first reaction would be to try to take the perp apart with my bare hands *if* I believed he or she had been identified accurately (and that’s a big if). On second chances, yes, if the person learned by example, torture, brainwashing, being a victim, etc, the person can UNlearn given exposure to the right influences. Do we find those right influences in the penal system (ours or anyone else’s)? I like to think of Malcolm X, who *did* eventually find his spiritual path, and that his path did begin in prison (even if Elijah Muhammad’s take on Islam might have been other than the intent of the Holy Qur’an). But his case is an unfortunately rare one. Thank you for sharing your story and your thoughts.
PS If this isn’t asking too much, it sounds like the murderer was identified. Was there an outcome that led to his incarceration or other civil punishment?
Good read. I must object a little though. You may want to look up butyrka prison in Moscow. They cleaned it up allot over the last decade but during the USSR and the 1990s it was an absolute hell hole. It’ was by no means even close to being the worst prison on earth, but definitely worse then allot of the prisons mentioned in this article.
Um im pretty sure all african and south america, russia and asia’s prisons are alot worse then americas, all we get is the excess mexicans and black criminals overflowing from there country
I was confused why the Gulag wasn’t part of the list too.
Long Kesh is worse, the Russian Black Dolfin is maybe the worst….as far as history goes, look at GUlag…..millions died, Russian systems are rampant with death, unlike Venezuela and Iran Russia is a superpower, civilized….Dolfin will break any American down to jelly—that, or they die.
So, if we strip them of their dignity, feed them HIV, and drive them completely insane then were doing our jobs? I hate to state the obvious but this entire logic is completely fuhkt. And I have a feeling that the “guards” mobbing around the Syrian prisons with axes are significantly more screwed up in the head than the inmates. I’m not too sure where humanity went and I’m not sure how of ALL the people we have in this world we can’t collectively agree this isn’t right, and change it. I realize these are world issues that are forgotten about in day to day life, but this should be addressed. It’s not helping, it’s destroying minds, and spirits, and potentially releasing them back into society. Since when do we teach a lesson by DESTROYING a person? If we tell our teenage daughter not to have sex, we don’t cut her hands off, so she will be too afraid to do it again. We heal her. We create an opportunity for her to feel more of a person, and discover self respect and love. Just had to put my two cents in, great article!! -Salam
Yeah…who do you think is more insane, the prisoner who is locked up in one of these prisons, or the guards who are there on their own free will?
I think whoever compiled this list needs to check out Black Dolphin prison in Russia, subject of a recent National Geo documentary. Prisoners forced to stand all day in one spot, kneel with eyes closed for their meals, forced to sleep without shielding their eyes in a brightly lit cells, terroized by dogs the size of wolves with routine beatings as part of their sentence (for years) – and all this at minus 40 degrees in winter. Yeah, I guess Bang Kwang is no joke, but it’s nowhere near as bad as the place I’ve just mentioned.
Just a time-out to point out something I just noticed about the site. It may be a way of keeping the site free or affordable, but it seems ironic that a lot of these prisons have women being raped and tortured (or as the recent post notes, maybe beaten and raped at home and finally fights back and ends up in one of these hell holes), but what is the deal with the revealing photos of Kate Perry, etc? I mean, the site is decrying places where violence against women is being carried out but stimulating (mainly) men with provocative photos that could induce someone who had that propensity toward sexual violence to turn the propensity to reality.
And in response to the comment that for some reason is in my inbox but not on the site, please remember *any* of these prisons are also populated with PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE who are there due to belief in unpopular things like justice and the brotherhood of man.
@ “Common sense” and alot of other commenters…not a very appropriate name really if your gonna give a reply like that to an article like this…Fair enough Yes i will agree with you that people who have been involved or commited massacre, rape, general murder, been involved in child pornorgraphy, molestation or any other class A crimes should be submitted to these type of conditions! Its the least they deserve after comitting such horrible crimes…
However you forgetting everybody else that ends up in these hell holes, what about your average mother/father who couldn’t afford to pay her/his taxes and ends up in one of these prisons for a week? What about the women who got beaten and raped to a by her husband each and everyday and during one of these beatings fought back and accidently ended up killing her husband I’m sure shes really endured enough suffering in her life without ending up in one of these prisons where she would would of been better off if her husband had just beaten her to death Or even him in some cases! What abourt the parents of family that are submitted to the poor ecomomic conditions of the countries that most of these prisons are in and have to steal food to feed their kids and themselves Yes I’ll agree these people do deserve some sort of punishment because obviously if we let them get away with it we wouldn’t be living in fair societys, but do these people who have hit rock bottom in the real world have to endure these sort of prisons aswell, haven’t these people gone through enough in life without being beaten, raped, left hungry with a good chance that inside they will commit suicide? I personally would of prefered the everyday beating and starvation rather then end up in one of these prisons.
These prisons are inhumane and for class A criminals it serves them right but what alot are forgetting is that even people like you who have had a bad turn in life and are struggling to keep your head above water have ended up in these prisons!
And yes before any of you comment saying that alot of these prisons are only for CLASS A criminals I am aware of that but that doesn’t stop people who have had a bad turn in life end up in these sort of jails! These are only ten prisons in the world there are a hell of alot more like them and some in which alot of children under the age of 15 end up in for petty theft. Can you imagine if one of your kids or family members had to endure these sort of conditions for a petty crime? because if they lived in thialand or brazil these are the sort of conditions that they’d have to endure….
No no no , the Saudi Arabia is a biggest Prison in the world . believe me I am a Saudi
I read that Tadmor was closed in 2001. I’m just saying this because the description above makes it seem like it’s still open.
I don’t think it’s civilized to subject prisoners to degrading conditions, no matter what they’ve done. However, I believe in a distinction between harsh penalties and degrading conditions. I believe at times corporal or capital punishment are appropriate. Sometimes a criminal should be punished with hard labor or meager rations. But it must be clear to the convict, to the authorities and to the public that these punishments are impartial sentences, not just indulgence of vengeful emotions or sadism. I totally oppose “punishing” prisoners with any kind of sexual assault, or feeding them rotten or unclean food, or denying them medical attention.
May I bring the subscribers’ attention to Qarchak Prison in Iran. My concern there is that the two female members of the Yaran, 7 members of the Baha’i Faith who have been imprisoned illegally with only, 3 years into their incarceration, a complete sham of a trial. Evin, their first prison, was one I thought should be on this list, but Gohardasht, where they went after a sentence of 20 years was pronounced: surely *that* was the one that belonged on the list. Political prisoners went in, but, like the Roach Motel, didn’t check out. Very convenient wing for murderers who wanted reduced sentences to shiv the poor prisoners of conscience. But now these two poor middle-aged women have been sent to Qarchak, and this one takes the cake. If you ever saw “Escape from New York,” that’s pretty much the setup her. Large warehouse-type facility where they shove 400 people in and slam the door. 3 bathrooms meant to serve as toilet facilities as well as where people wash dishes and clothing. Please, can we rethink the top ten or add a “almost made the top ten? iran.bahai.us for further info. Really, anyone on this list who’s interested in human rights violations should be following this story.
I think everyone is getting hung up on the illusion of human rights. No one has the right to anything not even life.
Wow, that’s very cynical. If you can’t believe in the essential nobility of the human spirit and man’s ability to administer the higher concepts like justice, or mercy and compassion? Just because some secular and religious leaders are besotted with their own power and the way they can use it to oppress the masses doesn’t mean concepts like human rights don’t (or can’t) exist. The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that good people stand by and do nothing. So we fight.
Well you use terms like”evil and good”. Who is evil and who is good? who decides what life is worth something? And i am not cynical nature is cynical it cruel and viscous. The human race has that killer instinct just like a lion. America being one of the most ” civilized” nations has been the cause of some of the most devastating acts. We are the only nation to use the atom bomb during war time. Every act of war is self serving . We will fight for gold or diamonds or self preservation. the one thing i have never seen us goto war for was humanity. We fight for our own selfish ends.
OK, we’re going to have to agree to disagree here a bit, and I think this forum may boot both of us for having this discussion here. However, till they do… I think cynical pre-supposes an ability to choose your actions (so while nature can be destructive, I disagree syntactically with calling it cynical). For you to define good vs. evil, you have to have a reference point that dictates one vs. the other. I happen to call mine God, or the universe. I wasn’t sure “consonant with the will of God” was pithy or clear enough. Have to agree with you about why we make war, but if you look at an entity like Desert Storm, that was an instance of many nations banding together to put down an oppressor, Iraq, ganging up on a smaller nation, Kuwait. That is a very different picture from us using the A bomb on civilian targets or entering Iraq a decade after Desert Storm to look for mythical weapons of mass destruction. Anyway, the thread here is worst prisons, and for my money, Iran has 3 that should be on this list.
You mean this article was’nt about flying or airline security? Silly me for thinking rhat
people commit crimes for many different reasons and therefore they should be delt with in many different ways. a theif should not be exposed to the same environment as a murderer but then someone who murders out of passion or “heat of the moment” should not be seen as the same as a premeditated murderer. in the end it all comes down to resources available and its far cheaper to just throw everyone into a cell together
I like reading about this sort of thing, but may I ask what’s the point? I mean, school children aren’t going to be doing homework on this or anything. POOR POOR PEOPLE.
Not everyone who goes to prison is a “bad” person there are so many people locked up for years simply because of personal drug use. It is a victimless crime and waste of money.
These prisons are a joke compared to “Lurigancho-Peru”
i was surprised to see that it wasn’t listed in here.
The are alot of hardcore prisons around the world with inhuman conditions in namibia prisoners get to eat three descent meals a day and have access to medical services and hav blankets and laundry rooms and free movement they even get to visit shops to buy food or cosmetics accompanied by a police officer yet they are trying to make riots and attack wardens knowing they can not be punished i would like the goverment of this country to change it laws and regulations regarding prisoners as they seem to have more freedom thats why they misbehave all the time they are taking advantage of the system….
I’m curious that two of the worst and scariest prisons in the world, Evin and Gohardasht near Tehran, Iran, are not on this list. They have specific wings dedicated to political prisoners that are like the Roach Motel: prisoners check in but they don’t check out (ie, death by violence at the hands of other inmates or guards are not uncommon. I was also reading a horrendously disturbing article that, amidst the torture, rape has been used for many years as a way to either torture or elicit confessions. Recently, a Gohardasht inmate, an elderly man who was one of 7 Baha’is who got a travesty of a trial and then were moved from Evin (almost as bad), was refused permission to attend the funeral of his wife of 50 years. There’s a line that should never be crossed with dissidents, and several of these are sexual abuse and the mistreatment of both the elderly and little children. Baha’is and other prisoners of conscience in Iran have suffered the lot. I’m sure Muhammad is very proud (not!)
I always wonders if the word civilization has any meaning or should be used on this planet.
Convicts are human beings like us. There are many types of criminals. People become criminal because of many reasons. They were once a part of the society in which we live. So in a way or another, society (we) 2 is responsible for them becoming criminals. Even after they have commited crimes, they should be given fair sentences, sentences which they are capable of serving. If the law treats them by giving inhumane, torturing sentences then whats the difference b/n them & law. An eye for an eye wud only make the world blind. Punishments should be meant to improve them, to make them better human beings. I donot say that they shouldnt be given harsh punishments. But at the same time they should be given love/hope in the form of physcatric treatment, spiritual sessions, value education,general education…. & things like this. In short, punishments are for the wrong doings & things like physcatric treatment, spiritual ……. are so that they donot loose hope in humanity & good citizens. This will be a slow but an effective process. Kitchen wastes, excreta (human & animal) etc. which we consier dirty, using right technology can be converted to biogas which can be used for generating electricity, cooking, & as automobile fuel. Crimanls, whom we treat simialrly, if given proper sentence & treatment can be converted to good citizens
In seeing such a stark difference of opinions of proper punishment/rehabilitation of prisoners, it leads me to the following moral question: Is it right to support the physical abuse of another person without actually engaging in that abuse personally? In other words, is there a moral difference between disciplining someone, or telling another person to discipline someone? I have confidence that the comments being posted by those supporting harsh prison conditions would argue that there is a difference. However, it is much easier to support increased punishment when the moral responsibility is being shared by others, when the cost is ameliorated. Who here would feel right about starving someone to death, or torturing someone, or enabling sexual assault against someone? I’m sure there is no one who could commit these acts in good conscience. So how can we possibly ask someone else to do them? I would not put that burden on others. And with regard to the criminal: It is the action that is evil, not the person. We are all victims of our environment, of cultural norms, of societal pressures for self-regulation, and so forth. Do any of us really want to hurt other people or violate each others natural rights as human beings? No, we don’t. It is the criminal that leads the meanest of lives, in prison or otherwise. And if anything, we should have sympathy for these people. The best thing we can do is to identify and reform the environment that perpetuates these crimes and stop committing violence on one another.
Very niceLy stated 🙂
I agree ! Keep it up
may i know what you do by profession ?
well articulated. think about africa where the governments refused/failed to provide the basic infrastructures for its citizens thereby subjecting them into hopelessness. societal factors should be more attended to.
nice article although the guard pictured at “Bang Kwang” appears to be an AFP/Getty photo from Bangkoks Klong Prem prison (photographer Stephen Shaver)
I wouLd defineiteLy like to know about the progress of this discussion and it will not be worth until we reach a unanimous conclusion..so lets take a major step towards it and hope this thought will make actual impact on the prison system..
The Life at prison is certainly the toughest of all , I believe,after reading this article..
The motto of our society and authority should be to make arrangements to avoid the crime instead of thinking of ways to improve how to make punishment severe and the prisons a Limbo..!No country feels pride to boast to have
deadliest prison in the world. Instead it should boast what measures they are
taking to bring these criminal minds to humane..If the
criminals are tortured inhumanely and to the death of
their mind and if not it the body then the actual purpose
is served,that is death..then why not sentence death
penalty in the first place ?!!
if they know that the prisoner is so dangerous
and is not falsely accused then he deserves death if not
forgiveness.Releasing prisoners after 10 years or so
serve doesnt mean that they wont commit crime again..but
the chances are more that they will blame society and
find more grisly way to take revenge on it ! The severity
of the crime and degree of danger from a criminal is not
directly proportional to the years they are sentenced in
the prison..it can be possible that a prisoner serving 5
years is more dangerous than the one who is life
sentenced..it is because system works on rule where there
is no exception but there are exceptions in real life !
In indian prison,many innovative steps are
implemented in order to give the prison a chance to
realise their mistake and undergo cathartic
procedures..for example lectures by spiritual leaders
such as “Art of Living ” etc..this is beneficial if not
for all but significan portion of the inmates..making
them realise how beautiful life is and commiting crime
can snatch their right to live it is only way..as many
comments above have shown concern over releasing of
prisoners, after finishing their term ,who might be
incesed with the brutal treatment..
There are no evidence that says that existence of
such prisons their appalling conditions create any
deterrence among criminals who are free and the crime
rate is lowered..
i would say if they really want to punish ,death
is only way ,rather than torturing so inhumanely..i dont
know what motto they serve by mercilessly torturing and
butchering the mind and soul of the inmates before their
body..because one false punishment is unimaginable than
killing many hardcore criminals whereas overall
forgiveness and chance to second life is better
option..that will definitely heal atleast 40% of the
inmates if not all of them..
My comment is not an expert view but i feel it
definitely has something to offer to this discussion.,and
sorry for poor english use ,if any !
I understand both perspectives of these people’s arguments. My older brother was murdered and raped at the age of 19; While I was 7. And I understand there are human rights. But when you or someone close to you has been effected, All of these Human rights vanish. So try to open up your minds a little bit to understand the emotions and affect or both perspectives. ~Scott S.
I think that the prison in Syria should without doubt be number 1 on the list.
Love this site.
IMPRISONMENT IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC State prisons of Cerna.
Every prisoner has his own cell in the underground prison.
The temperature in the underground prison is about 16 – 18 degrees of Celsius.
Prisoners are kept under lock in a total darkness cell by 1,5 x 1,8 m size Rough stone walls on two sides.,
the only exception is the presence of the Wardress.
Feeding twice a day by a dry bread, in case of good behaviour possible leftovers from the kitchen.
Every prisoner has a bowl of fresh water available all the time.
A bucket with a lid is used as a toilet, the prisoner is released once a day for cleaning purposes.
Showering of the prisoners is up to the Guardess decision (if the prisoner intolerably stinks).
The prisoner is totaly nakedwith metal shackles around wrists and ankles all the time together with a metalcollar with a chain locked to wall. Prisoner has right to claim two blankets, in case of good behaviour another blanket can be given. The prisoner must not talk, only if he is asked to do so by the Wardress. From 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. the prisoner must not be sitting nor lying in the cell.
In the presence of the Guardess in the prison, the prisoners mustkneel, with head down, staring to the ground.
The prison in the Czech Republic is not suitable for creatures suffering from claustrophobia, diabetes, underage person. All punishments are executed mercilessly, heartlessly, with no regard to the prisoner’s requests and wishes.
Punishments in the case of bad behaviour:
blanket removal
no food
gag in the mouth
longlasting kneeling
locking into the Scavengers Daughter (mediavaltorture device)
night in a cell for standing prisoners
canebeating
whippign
hard labour in the prison area (floor scrubbing with a toothbrush)
Basic daily regime:
08.00 – wake up
until 9.00 buckets cleaning
09.15 – breakfast
12.00 – punishmentexecution
14.00 – 16.00 cleaning in the cells
16.00 – cleaning inspection
16.30 – 18.30 – disciplinable penal labour in the Area in shackles
(Without a break,naked, under supervision, gag in mouth. Any signs of laziness will be strictly punished by whlp.)
20.00 – dinner
21.00 – punishmentexecution
22.00 – taps
AS I READ MORE OF THESE COMMENTS I AM INCREASINGLY APPALLED BY THE BREATHTAKING ABSENCE OF ANY CRITICAL THINKING EXHIBITED BY SOME OF THESE RESPONDERS. JOSHUA’S COMMENTS ARE A SHINING EXAMPLE. HE SAYS YOU ARE SUBJECT TO THE LAWS OF THE SOCIETY YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN NO MATTER HOW BRUTAL OR BARBARIC. TRANSLATION: IT’S ALL GOOD IF A DESPOTIC REGIME WANTS TO OPPRESS AND BUTCHER MILLIONS OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE – THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO SO. HE SAYS WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO CRITICIZE HOW OTHER PRISONS ARE RUN. IF YOU GET AN UNFAIR TRIAL-TOUGH, YOU HAD IT COMING. HE SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS ARE AN ILLUSION. YOU GET WHAT YOU GET AND WHATEVER THAT MAY BE IS WHAT YOU DESERVED. IN THAT CASE GOVERNMENTS MUST BE INFALLIBLE. I THOUGHT ONLY GOD WAS INFALLIBLE. THIS GUYS MONUMENTAL CALLOUSNESS, SHALLOWNESS AND COMPLETE ABSENCE OF ANY MORAL COMPASS IS ASTOUNDING. I AM SURE HE WOULD APPLAUD THE GENOCIDE OF HOMICIDAL MANIACS LIKE STALIN, CHAIRMAN MAO, GENGHIS KAHN AND ATTILA THE HUN. I AM SURE GLAD GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE OTHER FOUNDING FATHERS DIDN’T HAVE “THE YOU GET WHAT YOU GET AND WHATEVER THAT MAY BE IS WHAT YOU DESERVE” MENTALITY. IN JOSHUA’S OPINION JUSTICE, REASON AND COMPASSION ARE IRRELEVANT. AFTER ALL THE RULING PSYCHOPATHS KNOW BEST AND IF THEY SLAUGHTERED HIS FAMILY AND IMPRISONED HIM FOR NO REASON EXCEPT THE JOY OF KILLING OR A PERCEIVED THREAT TO THEIR POWER I’M SURE HE WOULD BE OK WITH THAT. NOT LIKELY, THIS FRIEND OF TYRANTS WOULD BE THE FIRST TO CRY FOUL. IN HIS SIMPLE MINDED VIEW IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE LAWS OF YOUR HOME COUNTRY MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE. MOST PEOPLE WHO RESIDE IN THESE COUNTRIES WERE BORN THERE AND THEY HAD NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER. HE SEEMS TO THINK THAT IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT YOU CAN JUST LEAVE ANY TIME YOU WANT TO. HOW SIMPLISTIC. FIRST OF ALL IT TAKES MONEY TO MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE AND MOST OF THESE THIRD WORLD CITIZENS ARE VERY POOR AND SPEND ALL OF THEIR LIMITED RESOURCES JUST TO SURVIVE. SECOND THERE IS A LANGUAGE BARRIER TO OVERCOME. FOR MOST IT TAKES YEARS TO BECOME FLUENT IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE AND THIS REQUIRES MONEY FOR LESSONS AND THOUSANDS OF HOURS TO BECOME FLUENT. THERE ARE A FEW GIFTED INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN QUICKLY ACQUIRE A SECOND LANGUAGE BUT FOR MOST ITS A DAUNTING TASK. THIRD: IMMIGRATION LAWS PRESENT ANOTHER BARRIER. THERE IS A LOT OF RED TAPE AND FEES ASSOCIATED WITH IMMIGRATION. AGAIN PEOPLE LIVING ON THE FRINGE OF SURVIVAL DON’T HAVE THE RESOURCES. MANY OF THESE COUNTRIES ARE TOTALITARIAN AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE FOR CITIZENS TO LEAVE. JOSHUA DOESN’T TROUBLE HIMSELF WITH GOOD AND EVIL BECAUSE EVIL IS GOOD AND GOOD IS EVIL IF THE GOVERNMENT SAYS SO. HE DOESN’T THINK ANYONE HAS A RIGHT TO BE OUTRAGED BY BARBARIC LAWS THAT CORRUPT AND POWER HUNGRY DESPOTS WRITE INTO LAW. IF EVERYONE THOUGHT THIS WAY THE WORLD BE IN A UNIVERSAL DARK AGE OF UNIMAGINABLE PROPORTIONS. WHEN HE SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS ARE AN ILLUSION THE BIBLE DISAGREES AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION WHICH WAS FOUNDED ON CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES ALSO DISAGREES. IF YOU READ THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS YOU WILL SEE THAT GOD LOVES GOOD AND HATES EVIL. HE THUNDERS AGAINST THE UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OF MEN. HE SAYS THERE WILL BE A FINAL JUDGEMENT WHERE THE SMALL AND THE GREAT WILL STAND BEFORE GOD AND BE JUDGED FOR THE DEEDS THEY HAVE DONE IN THE FLESH. CHRIST SAID THERE IS COMING A DAY IN WHICH ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES SHALL HEAR HIS VOICE AND SHALL COME FORTH: THEY THAT HAVE DONE GOOD UNTO THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE AND THEY THAT HAVE DONE EVIL UNTO THE RESURRECTION OF DAMNATION. ANYONE STILL SMUG IN THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS SHOULD REMEMBER THAT WE ARE ALL UNDER CONDEMNATION AND THAT NONE IS RIGHTEOUS NO NOT ONE. EVERY SON AND DAUGHTER OF ADAM ARE GUILTY BERORE GOD AND THE ONLY THING STANDING BETWEEN US AND THE WRATH OF GOD IS THE BLOOD AND MERITS OF JESUS CHRIST. CHRIST IS THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE AND HE ALONE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE ARE ALL EVIL LAWBREAKERS AND UNLESS WE REPENT AND TURN TO HIM OUR SITUATION IS HOPELESS. WE WILL BE FOREVER LOST. YES GOD INSTITUTED GOVERNMENTS TO PUNISH TRANSGRESSORS BUT TO THINK HORRIBLY REBELLIOUS HUMAN BEIGNS ARE CAPABLE OF TRUE JUSTICE IS THE ULTIMATE ILLUSION. ANYONE WHO THINKS FREEDOM GRABBING POLITICAL LEADERS WITH AN INSATIABLE LUST FOR POWER ARE RIGHT NO MATTER WHAT ARE TERRIBLY DELUDED.
I’ll allow this one for now, but for now on, do not post in all caps. I will not let it through the next time. To be hones, I don’t think anyone get read that much text as all caps so you are hurting your message.
I CAN TELL “COMMON SENSE” HAS LITTLE, IF ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THE HARSHER REALITIES OF LIFE. NEITHER, IN MY OPINION, HAS HE EVER THOUGHT DEEPLY ABOUT ANYTHING, THESE TYPES TEND TO VIEW LIFE ON A VERY SUPERFICIAL LEVEL. NOR, I WOULD GUESS, HAS HE EVER BEEN INSIDE A PRISON, I MEAN REALLY INSIDE, NOT JUST IN THE VISITING AREA. IN MANY OF THESE THIRD WORLD HELL HOLES AND SOMETIMES HERE IN THE U.S. THE PUNISHMENT IS TOTALLY OUT OF PROPORTION TO THE CRIME BUT SHALLOW PEOPLE LIKE “COMMON SENSE” HAVE NO SENSE OF PROPORTION. I WORKED AS A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER( PRISON GUARD) FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS IN THE U.S. AND AS CROWDED AND VIOLENT AS CONDITIONS WERE THEY ARE CLUB MED COMPARED TO MANY THIRD WORLD PRISONS WHERE STARVATION, EXTREME BRUTALITY, SWELTERING HEAT, MIND NUMBING FILTH, CROWDING THAT RIVALS THE INSIDE OF A SARDINE CAN, APPALLING VIOLENCE AND RAMPANT DISEASE ARE THE NORM. A MINOR DRUG CHARGE OR A MILD INSULT TO THE COUNTRIES DICTATOR OR KING CAN LAND YOU IN ONE OF THESE PLACES FOR YEARS. I WOULD WAGER “COMMON SENSE” HAS NEVER BEEN CAUGHT IN THE GEARS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR A MINOR OFFENSE OR EVEN NO OFFENSE AT ALL LIKE I HAVE. ALL IT SOMETIMES TAKES IS AN ACCUSATION, WITH NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER, TO GO FROM A SPOTLESS RECORD TO HAVING A RECORD. ALL IT TAKES IS SOME SMUG, SELF RIGHTEOUS LITTLE CLOWN LIKE “COMMON SENSE” TO TURN YOUR LIFE UPSIDE DOWN. I WOULD ALSO WAGER THIS GUY HAS NEVER SPENT TIME IN THE ARMED SERVICES OVERSEAS DURING WARTIME LIKE I HAVE(USMC 1965 TO 1969). I DOUBT IF HE EVEN SPENT TIME IN THE SERVICE DURING PEACETIME. I ALSO DOUBT IF THIS GUY HAS EXPERIENCED ANY MEANINGFUL TRIBULATION IN HIS LIFE. PEOPLE LIKE HIM, WHO EXPERIENCE FEW OF “THE NATURAL SHOCKS THAT LIFE IS HEIR TO” , ARE FREQUENTLY QUICK TO CONDEMN OTHERS AND TEAR THEM AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES AND INCARCERATE THEM IN SOME HELLHOLE FOR YEARS FOR A RELATIVELY SMALL OFFENSE. THEY OFTEN LACK THE CAPACITY TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN REAL CRIME AND AN OFFENSE GENERATED BY A DESPOTIC GOVERNMENT. THIS INDIVIDUAL DOESN’T APPEAR TO HAVE A DROP OF THE MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS BECAUSE AS HE SEES IT IF YOU LAND IN PRISON FOR ANY REASON NO MATTER HOW TRIVIAL YOU DESERVE ALL THE MISERY YOU GET, WHICH IS CONSIDERABLE IF YOU LAND IN A THIRD WORLD PRISON LIKE SOME OF THOSE MENTIONED IN “THE TOP 10 DEADLIEST PRISONS IN THE WORLD.” AND THE MISERY ISN’T CONFINED TO THE IMPRISONED PERSONS EITHER. MANY HAVE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN WHO EXPERIENCE NOT ONLY THE GRIEF AND LOSS OF THEIR LOVED ONE BUT EXTRAORDINARY FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AS WELL WITHOUT THEIR FATHER OR MOTHER. IN SOME PRISONS, LIKE IN ECUADOR, CHILDREN ARE OFTENTIMES THROWN IN PRISON WITH THEIR MOTHERS IF THERE IS NO ONE ON THE OUTSIDE TO CARE FOR THEM. I AM NOT SOFT ON CRIME BUT I BELIEVE THE PUNISHMENT SHOULD FIT THE CRIME AND IN THIS WORLD OFTENTIMES THAT IS NOT THE CASE, ESPECIALLY IN THIRD WORLD PRISONS. I BELIEVE IF FIRST TIME OFFENDERS, WHO WERE SENTENCED FOR MINOR OFFENSES, GOT LOCKED UP IN ONE OF THESE PLACES FOR A FEW MONTHS THEY WOULD NEVER WANT TO RETURN. IF THEY FAILED TO LEARN FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE AND VIOLATED THE LAW AGAIN THEN THEY WOULD RECEIVE LONGER SENTENCES. I AM ONLY TALKING ABOUT MINOR CRIMES NOT CRIMES LIKE MURDER, GREAT BODILY HARM, RAPE, OR CRIMES THAT DEFRAUDED PEOPLE OUT OF LARGE SUMS OF MONEY. PRISONS SHOULD BE A DETERRENT TO CRIME AND SHOULD BE SUFFICIENTLY FORBIDDING BUT THERE IS NO NEED TO CREATE A HORROR SHOW LIKE SOME OF THESE PLACES IN THE THIRD WORLD.
Please no more all caps posts. They are too hard to read and make your message that much harder to communicate.
to get better impression, see it with own eyes, go with me Inside The Supermax prison with securty guard "California department of corrections" CDC and have nice time!
Inside of Supermax prison part 1
H??P://???.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqhh1edo9M
Inside of Supermax prison part 2
H??P://???.youtube.com/watch?v=Is8xWFpkyJ8
Inside of Supermax prison part 3
H??P://???.youtube.com/watch?v=1jSWNHn7tA0
Inside of Supermax prison part 4
H??P://???.youtube.com/watch?v=X0DZX53e0nw
Inside of Supermax prison part 5
H??P://???.youtube.com/watch?v=sNyY-LqRa8w
for more information.
H??P://???.cdcr.ca.gov/
I want to build a worst jail than these jails…….. As we see more illegal activities takes place around us.
And how exactly do you define a "criminal", oh Mr. High and Mighty? They don't have any rights? According to who? It is not the "criminals" in prison who are a disgrace to humanity, but people like yourself, whose militant ignorance and blatant disregard for human life is more appalling than any crime 90% of prisoners have committed.
I can only hope that some day you find yourself in unfortunate circumstances where you are forced to commit criminal acts, or are wrongfully incarcerated, so that you can get a taste of what you are wishing on people. Then you can find out real fast what a "country club" prison is. You truly make me sick.
And for the record, recidivism rates would be lower if prisons were more of the country club you think they are. The inhumane conditions only damage inmates more, leading to more sickness, more violence, and more crime. A man goes to prison one person and comes out someone totally different. Of course, you wouldn't know any of that seeing as you have a very limited grasp on reality.
good comment…
For the others pearls of wisdom …. even if they are prisoners, they are humans first…you cannot just let them die up there like animals..
Its because of these closed minded, lack of social conscience and ignorant people that there is so much violence in this world…
Great comment! I would also like to mention that not all prisoners are the same. Those “criminals” are in there for different things, with different situations. To treat a rapist/ murderer/ pedophile the same as a political prisoner (etc) is disgusting. I’m not a bleeding heart; i believe a person should be punished for there crimes- but how does torturing a human being for any reason make us any better than any criminal?
1: Carandiru Penitentiary Prison
2: Miguel Castro Castro Prison
3: Guantanamo Bay prison
4: ADX Florence Supermax Facility
5: Tadmor Military Prison, Syria
6: 0WK Prison Czech Republic
I think it interestingly ironic your moniker is common sense since you seem to have so little. Did you even read the article at all?
We know little of how the human psyche works. What we know for certain however is treating a human being inhumanely turns that person into an animal. Someone without conscious or concern for human life in general if only because they themselves were treated with such inhumanity.
Many or these people will one day be free. In a civilized society are you of a mind it behooves us as a nation to turn law-breaking people into aggressive angry abused predatory animals running free among us?
I agree with you, thanks for your comment.
I agree as well, great comment.
i wish we had more of the in holland. here prisons are like hilton hotels.
I read some of the comments above and I see that many believe those prisons are good establishments but the truth is those prisons might be a good way for punishing a criminal but they are not good at all in reforming a criminal.If you keep telling a man he is a dog over and over and over, eventually he will bark!.That is a saying in my country.
Is there a list of the worst child correctional systems in the world ?
This is a really scary list.About that picture of Tadmor prison, that is not the real Tadmor prison that is the town of Tadmor.Just felt I had to comment on the picture.Hope to read some new hot list from you guys!.
What about Colombian prisons??? All the US prisons are paradise compared to Colombian prisons:La Picota, La Modelo, La Distrital, and the rural prisons.
sounds about right to me
Here's what I don't get, Our Judicial System may not be perfect, but that's not my argument. Why let prisoners to out of their cell for any length of time? I hear about GANGS and hoochie girls that love these hard core dumb ass men. America needs to step up to the plate and stop allowing drug smuggling, gang fights, etc.
I personally believe that if convicted, you need to be locked up in a 9X6 cell with no freedom. Think about it. If criminals are locked up in their cell 24/7, there would not be riots, extortion, fights, loss of life from an officer, etc.
STOP THE PRISONER RIGHTS. Victims that are dead and gone don't have any rights. Why should we allow the CONVICTED prisoner have rights? You can't fix stupid!
Hmmm,
The problem with locking prisoners in their cells 24/7 is that they go insane. Then, when they are released back into society, they are actually more unpredictable and dangerous…
Heather tho I do agree with a lot of what you say, I find you are to concerned with people who have been wrongly imprisoned. I do agree that everyone has the right to a fair trial and it's a shame that people in other countries don't have these rights that many of us take for granted. But for these proven rapists, pedophiles, murderers or others who commit these horrible attrocities, should lose any sort of luxuries any normal law abiding person who contributes to society enjoys. We spend way to much of our hard earned tax dollars on these pedophiles and murderers. We should spend more of the tax dollars in the justice system then our ever burgeouning penal system. Spend the money proving who's innocent and who's guilty. Hundreds of thousands of tax dollars are spent over a murderers life time keeping him in prison. If you have the nerve to take a life, you lose the right to live your own.
hmm………atleast by seeing these prisons …i hope no person in the world should and must never ever commit any crime in his life time………i hope so……
Indeed, it can be easy to think, "These immoral people should suffer, with what they do!" and try to make them suffer, since their actions anger a person so much. This angered person wants these criminals to suffer like their victims suffer(ed).
In such circumstances, it can be very difficult to keep a stable mind or to keep a person's normal moral or ethical sense. I'm not saying that everyone's moral/ethical sense is the same, rather that, whatever sort of sense you have, it can be drastically affected by emotions like anger.
IMHO, we should find a golden median where criminals (and by that I mean true criminals, not wrongly-accused innocents) are punished, not too lightly or too cruelly, but somewhere in the middle. I also think that we should go by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Make of that what you will.
Animal abusers should go to the first prison along with child abusers, wife beaters, rapists, some murderers and serial killers.
We should never, ever take our freedom for granted. Nor do I believe that it is ok to jump on the bandwagon of "justice" for the people forced into these prisons. Political prisoners have committed no crime nor have they harmed anyone. Killing and torturing people, starving them is unacceptable.
Children have committed no crimes, and yet in many countries I have heard of where there is no social welfare system are forced into prison with their Mother's. They are starved, they witness these autrocities against Human's, perhaps even their own Mothers. It is not Ok.
I challenge anyone of you who say these people deserve this treatment to go and visit these prisons, to see it for your own eyes and then come back and say they deserve what happens to them.
In free Countries – we have a justice system, where albeit flawed at times, it is a thousand times better than Justice systems in other parts of the World. Countries where simply saying "I don't like this President" or "free Tibet" can land you in a prison, without fair trial, or trial at all… without an actual crime committed. Not all of these people are murderers and rapists.
There are so many variables to just shrug your shoulders and make a blanket statement. These people deserve what they get… they should have it worse… we should kill them all. Its easy to be black and white when thinking of serial killers or violent offenders. But the majority of people in these prisons are not violent offenders.
They are Mothers who stole food to feed their starving children, 13 year olds who murmured the words "free tibet", a man brave enough to stand up for the ability to be free and vote for a different president, a journalist who wrote a story about the atrocities their Government committed. Some are petty thieves, some committed crimes out of desperation because they saw it was their only way. With the exception of the prisons in the US, these are Countries where living conditions- especially for the poor – are so gut-wrenchingly desperate that most North Americans couldn't even begin to wrap their heads around it.
Human Rights, the enforcement of Human Rights is an issue everyone should be concerned about- it affects us all. Every single Human Being should be concerned about protecting basic human rights. We should be horrified by what is happening in these prison systems.
But it seems to me we only become horrified when Oil or other commodities are involved.
It is never, ever ok to torture another Human Being. To willfully starve them and putt hem through the horros that prisoners around the world are suffering.
I am not sayingto make it a 4-star hotel and a cake walk, but torture, humiliation, starvation, beatings are and should be unacceptable, and everyone should be outraged by this.
As I read th comments, I see that most of you are from developed countries.I am from Turkey and I find it normal for people who are from developed countries to not to understand the conditions in the underdeveloped countries. You do not have to commit a crime to be imprisoned in Turkey, and in this very moment I am scared of being accused of supporting terrorist organisations just because I'm writing these. Most inmates in Diyarbakir prison had not commited any crimes(the prison was closed when the torture and other atrocities surfaced); they were imprisoned because they did not think as the military wanted them to; actually almost all of them were imprisoned just because they had leftist visions. For example, if someone had found reading an Engels' book or carried a protest banner, that person was imprisoned. Some of the torture acrocities were: Inmates were forced to speak Turkish,learn nationalistic Turkish anthems(most people from Diyarbakir are Kurdish and Turkish language is totally different from the Kurdish language), eat alive rats and crawl in feces. I believe people are not treated this way because of their visions in developed countries. I respect all your opinions but I think it is necessary to understand the world does not consist of G-8 countries and there may be many sides of a story.
Did any of you people read the article?!? People are getting tortured…tortured! I understand that when a crime is commited there should be punishments, but there is a fine line between punishment for an action and being abused, starved, isolated, and murdered! Because that is what it is! Murder! It is wrong, and I pray that God will forgive you for not caring about others lives.
Yeah, most criminals only act on there feelings or experiences. There should be more counseling for inmates in the joint than there is now. They should have to pass an evaluation after getting set free. Then another evaluation months after being released. Might bring crime down a bit.
These are the polar opposites of our New Zealand prisons, which are more like 4-Star motels, complete with Sky TV and weekly menus, for our rapists and violent gang members. Its as though our govt is afraid of inconveniencing our criminals, or something terrible like that.
I reckon the lot of them should be sent to one of these places for a month. And if that still doesn't scare some good behaviour into them, we can hang them. Job done. And no, you are right, I don't have any sympathy for criminals.
Murderers, rapists, child molesters,violent thugs, terrorists and traitors should all be executed. A just punishment and a heathy deterrent.
But what about those who are wrongly convicted of crimes? This has happened in the past…
Do you people realize that when people are treated this badly they wind up going into the civilian world when they get released and take it out on innocent people? What good does it do us on the outside if people who go to prison without HIV come out with it? That just makes it more likely to spread outside of the walls. This stuff effects people on the outside, most prison terms are less than 10 years so they WILL get out and when they do it puts all of us at risk for contracting diseases and/or being the victim of their repressed aggression.
I'm not saying make prison a cakewalk, but for god's sake being okay with people leaving prison walls with HIV or Hepatitus is just borderline retarded. And don't give me that, "well I wouldn't have sex with a criminal", well it only takes one person to start a chain reaction with STD's.
by the way great article, I really enjoyed it
thanks for your comments, mankind716…I enjoyed reading your views. 🙂
mankind716 I think if Met you I would punch you, I have many friends and know a lot of people who have STDs and are positive, and they didn’t get it from people we used to be in prison, they got thru significant others with no records who lied and cheated, or from blood transfusions, saving peoples lives, STDS DIDN”T start in prison, just like any thing is this world, it was transfered there from a person from the outside world. you should actually think before you say something.
Then you, sir, are exemplary of what’s wrong. You clearly think violence secedes intellect.
mankind716 didn’t say that people with STDs catch them from prison – he said that it’s a problem that healthy people go into prison and come back out infected.
The problem, as he pointed out, isn’t the physical health, after all, medical aid is available to anyone with STDs who is willing to take care of themselves and other people – it’s the mental effect it carries on convicts and former convicts.
They leave prison bitter and resentful because ‘I got screwed over in prison, they destroyed my life and future, why should I care what happens to everyone now?’
‘Why shouldn’t I spread my STD everywhere?’
YOU should think and perhaps, read a little more, before you say something.
Bro, are you mentally ill. I think you need to be tested for another common disease called stupidity. Try reading the whole comment instead of the first two lines and then take the time to think it all over in your own mind before you write something back that makes completely no sense.
Someone special… I hope you read this… you are a complete tool.
Katie,
I agree with you 100 percent. Thanks for commenting on the list 🙂
Hi Joel,
I have to admit, I actually had a nightmare about Tadmor after reading about the prison. It seems too horrible to be real – but it is. However, in terms of body count, Carandiru is widely considered to be the worst prison around.
Thanks so much for commenting on my list, have a great day 🙂
Hmmm… very interesting list indeed. Only i believe that number 1 and number 2 should be switched. Number two seems much more terrifying and deadly.
HI frenchman,
There was an expose in the New York Times about La Sante prison, you can find it online.
Thanks for your comment.
These prisons are so horrifying and i wonder what about those who really serves a time there. If they are hardened criminals then it's okay but for the innocent people who might have falsely alleged by the society or government its a nightmare.
I strongly believe that keeping criminals away from the society is a good move but do not forget that you are keeping other humans away so they also should get all kinds of facilities and medical attentions.
hmm………atleast by seeing these prisons …i hope no person in the world should and must never ever commit any crime in his life time………i hope so……and i also agree with u that the prisoners needs some fecilities and good medical attention…
I agree with the island idea in the US but only after their 2nd or 3rd offense. We all make mistakes and yes sometimes even the innocent are convicted. But if you don't learn from your mistakes or your a repeat offender you don't deserve society's time and financial support.
well, it's been proven that many abused people grow up to abuse. but if someone hurt my child, I wouldn't care about their excuses or past history. It's a very complex problem. I believe some of these prisons are disgusting, but that's just my opinion. It was interesting to read your views.
Hi,
I'd very much like to know where did you get your info about La Santé prison (the french one) ?
You claim that male rape and enslavement occur on a daily basis in french prisons. Ironically, rape in european prisons is a rare phenomenon, unlike in the US of A, where it's pratically part of daily-life of a prisoner.
after reading some of the comments I came to one conclution, Not all these people are bad, some are messed up in the dead, I do not beliee that the prison guards are doing all they can to protect these offenders. Not to say that some of them don't have in coming cause some do, like the baby rappers and wrongful killers, but how many of these people were committing these crimes because it is how they were raised or because they honestly and truthfully have had a wrong done to them by the person they did it too? how many of these people can't say "ask him" because they reacted before they thought and now the only person who could say "F U and I would do it again" is dead. I believe that when a man or woman is in a position where they believe they have to defend something such are their family or their "turf" they would do anything….even kill, but,I am not saying it is right I am just saying that maybe that is how it has always been for them and they may not have thought that at that point in time that they had any other option, What about the first time offenders who murdered a man for robbing them or laying their hands on a friend or came into their domain and disrespected their family, What if it was something they realized was a mistake and there is no way in HELL they would do it again…send them to a doctor…send them to a shrink.. make them appoligize to the family, in person. But that is not how our country works, we would rather send them away for life and ruin their families lives and their lives(not to say that they didn't ruin someone elses life)but maybe it was a moment they were having and all they saw was red, maybe they are sick, maye they were hurt inside at the time….figure out the facts before over populating our prisons and spending moree money then what our country can offord.. you never know, some of those people who say they would never do it again are actually telling the truth, maybe some of them are telling the truth when they say they didn't do it or do it alone, or maybe it was truly an accident.
It is an irony that we have to deal or face such situations in life.
If one looks back at these people as children who can imagine that one day they would end up like this.The grim fact is that once they become adults they turn out to be different as they move along in life.
Therefore it is really important to understand before giving a judgement.Yes it is important to be humane under all circumstances.The best thing to do is to give out justice right there and then to avoid prolonged contemplating as to what needs to be done,because the more we delay the more unfocussed one becomes and moves away from the main theme.
Thank you Kalevi. I was suprised that people posting here were so opposed to the idea of human rights for prisoners, especially in third world countries with different rules about arresting and convicting criminals. I found it shocking.
@Common sense
Week knees? I don't know about Heather Matthews' knees, but I do feel that your comment is the typical KNEE-JERK reaction to the critical human rights perspective expressed in this entry. Your contention that the best way to integrate prisoners to society is to deprive them of their human rights is precisely the opposite of what someone more familiar with the social causes of crime would advocate. You also completely ignore the social reality of many of the inmates prior to their incarceration, which in many cases is such that it almost coerces the individual to the path of crime. Wouldn't it be better to remove the poverty and social inequality that motivate criminal behaviour instead of further victimising people already let down by their society?
thank you. people tends to forget the society factor..
hey murderers should be in a prison that is really really tough so they would regret the things they've done wrong, perhaps they shouldnt be in prison they should be killed too
how do you justify a killing with another killing? two wrongs never make a right.
THA MAN HAS NO BRAINS
Bianca, I can see why you feel the way the way that you do. I'm sorry your relatives suffered that way. All I am saying is that a fair trial should be the basis for imprisonment, and other countries do not have the same system we do. Political prisoners in Tadmor have not necessarily had a fair trial and due process.
I THINK WE COULD SAVE THE TAX PAYERS TONS OF MONEY BY CLOSING ALL THESE PRISONS WITH THE LIFE SENTENCES AND DEATH ROW INMATES AND DUMP THEM ON AN ISLAND MILES AWAY FROM ANY MAIN LAND AND LET THEM MAKE IT WITH WHAT EVER THEY CAN FIND,
IF THEY DIE OH WELL.
tHEN WE COULD JUST PATROL AND SET UP AN BODY HEAT SENSOR SYSTEM TO CATCH ESCAPEES.
Wasn’t that island called Australia? lol
SEX CASES DESIRVE NO MERCY ALL CONS ARE NOT BAD PEOPLE
Murderers, rapists, child molestors, wife beaters, child beaters, gangsters (who reak havok and have no concideration for society) and stalkers ( who make life a living hell for an individual), oh yes, and the tiny few animal abusers and killers who actually to prison. ALL of them should be in any of the above mentioned prisons. They should be cold, sick, hungry, enslaved, beaten, raped, and generally tortured on a daily basis. There should be prisons like those in this country, and not the bull s**t we have now. This has NOT made me lose my humanity, as you think (and you can go ahead and think that, I think people who think like you are total pussies). It's just that I am a (very close) relative of a few rape, molestation, wife beater (and stalker) and murder victims and unless you see THEIR torture up close, you can NEVER understand.
I defenitely agree with you. I care more about the victims than victimator. I have always asked myself, if ppl. just like Heather will change their point of view if they ever get to go through a rape of herself or kids?? Do you still thinking that they deserve to be treated with respect?? Or you will say " This is what u deserve for what u did to me, kids or love ones??
Please do not tell me the contrary because it will be so weird …
i’m with Bianca because unless you go through what the close relatives then no you can’t understand the mental breakdowns and pain that the victim and their families go through. i’m not saying that we should like make the prisoners kill themselves, but it is necessary that these criminals undestand the pain and agony they put others through, however in this our liberal country it is damn near impossible to get everyone to agree on what is the best way to punish these offenders.
then You must understand that 50% of females in prisons are IN prison for self defense, who suffered [and maybe more terribly than you] the very same things you complain about. HYPOCRITE MUCH? In fact, in the US the fastest growing segment of prisoners are females, for non-violent crimes. Try saving a child from court ordered child abuse and find yourself in jail, prison…think that’s acceptable that Those women should be raped, beaten, MURDERED via medical neglect?
As for the other prisons, countries, the human rights in those countries is nill to none, one can go to prison for THOUGHT CRIMES,
some of the idiots here who spouse inhumane treatment, make me sick, you’re worse than Nazi’s, in fact, you’re sociopaths who are worse than the criminals in the system. Indifferent, apathetic, selfish spoiled sociopaths. As for the moron who spews about sexual criminals needing to go to prison and be raped, tortured, etc., uh, dumb dumb, have you not seen the cases of INNOCENT men who have served hell time for crimes they didn’t commit?
Prison systems are nothing more now than murder camps, plain and simple, hell our cops, our judges, our prosecutors and prison guards ARE THE WORST CRIMINALS, Charles Manson move over because the Luciferians who run the mafia system are far worse and they have America’s full loud mouth totin support.!!!
Now we see debtors prisons, again in America while banks and corrupt officials are BAILED OUT, you know, America is already a fascist state thanks to the dumbing down of citizens but it won’t be long until prisons or er, camps, are the route for most Americans, then what ya gonna say then?
The truth of the matter is, that the penal system is in fact, jailing and murdering not just criminals, but VICTIMS, that includes juvenile penal system that rapes and tortures CHILDREN, who have acted out from abuse in ‘let’s make money off of cult type abuse paid by gov’ foster care, or outright court ordered child abuse, or neglect from the authorities when abuse is reported and nothing is done. The truth of the matter is that corporations and ‘uh, many non-profits’ who milk the misery of suffering for $$$, are using prisons for mega slave camps….
of course costing you, mr and mrs redneck haters your jobs.
The truth of the matter is, these human right abuses in America’s jails, prisons, the kangaroo crock mafia run court systems, in government and in other countries [and don’t accuse Taliban America you’re far worse, to women, at least they don’t ‘lie’ about their misogyny and murders] are a sad face of what this nation that SPEWS human rights has become…and if it doesn’t outrage you, then that’s more evident that this nation has gone down the toilet. It should infuriate any decent thinking MORAL person that these abuses occur–anywhere, to prisoners, criminals, etc. Punishment and REHABILITATION which is what prisons are supposed to be about, should not include cruel, inhumane and psychopath treatment…
hate to say it, but the attitudes of so many towards the hellish brutality of prisoners by THUGS proves to me, that the SANE are in the prisons more and more while the INSANE are on the outside….and that’s scary. When you, think it’s acceptable to treat ANY human being in these ways than YOU SIR, MADAME, ARE THE THUG, CRIMINAL, SICK MIND,
and you need mental help.
please do society a favor…go get it. Because it’s mentality such as yours, that contributes to the environments that create criminals in the first place. Syria would love you…as would numerous other harsh nations, hey, go to North Korea, if you support tyranny, TERRORISM, of citizens…then that’s where you belong. WE were the light of human rights in this world, and these prisons are horrendous, forget reform, CLOSE THEM DOWN…AND OPEN UP A TRIBUNAL CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY FOR ALL THOSE CORPS, GOVERNMENTS AND OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE. enough said.
Libtard living in a dream world, too bad that dream world intersects with the real one.
ill agree with you on rapists,murderers and child molesters…. but a “wife beater” getting tortured,raped, beaten etc etc on a daily basis is ridiculous. now i dont condone a man who beats up a woman for no reason, i think its disgraceful, but the most they deserve is to get a good beating, maybe several times.but you cant say a man who just beats up a woman deserves all of that other stuff.
I would have to say, that if your going to subject criminals to that form of torture,rape,sickness and extreme disparities,then they should never again be allowed to walk free in society to take out all that rage that has been beaten into them.
well, its obvious you were once a victim. Even, if u were, one thing you should bear in mind is about making society a better place. i completely agree that someone should be responsible for committing crime. but what people are saying here is that it should be more of rebuilding instead of hostility. because if you re fair to someone definitely that person will have a second thought. thank you for your comment.
Do you really believe that every prisoner in Tadmor got a fair trial before being locked away? If you do, you're assuming all countries employ the same system of fairness and democracy that we enjoy in North America. I don't think it's logical to assume that every prisoner in one of these hellholes is just getting what they deserve.
hmmmm, well, I think this may be an insight as to why the USA is most popular for ''illegals''. Our prison system is a cake walk compared to the rest of the world.
Another note…..wah wah wah for those who commit crime. I've no sympathy for you. I think about the victims, not the perpetraitors.
Oh yeah….common sense is right. Look at Mariposa, AZ and Sheriff Joe.
Many of the prisons in the US are worse than prisons abroad. While conditions are cleaner and more hygenic rape and violence are rampant.
This makes a US supermax prison worse than most prisons in the developing world (with of course exceptions Latin America, THailand, Iran).
Well you have criminals whom commited victimless crimes, and some people who got screwd by the american court system, and their crooked police departments. Sadsack I truly hope this happens to you so you can get a taste of the sympathy you so graceously show.
Sadsack; did you not notice the US has the majority of prisons on the list? Do you not realize the US is a first world country with third world crime rates? Oh, it’s because of the immigrant’s, right? Well, I live in Canada, a country with higher immigration %’s than the US, yet a third the crime rates. The reason? Because we treat people decently here…
Oh, and sheriff Joe is a tool, and his released prisoners have some of the highest recidivism numbers in the world…
Take a look at this stat… Canada incarcerates 101 people per 100,000 population
USA incarcerates 689 people per 100,000 population! And recidivism; we are at under 25% (among the lowest in the world), and the US is 43%, among the highest.
Show prisoners some decency and the results are obvious to anyone with an open mind.
I have to disagree: when we lose our humanity and treat prisoners in an inhumane fashion, we all lower ourselves: we become what we despise. Human rights violations matter a lot: political prisoners don't deserve to be killed or tortured. There are a lot of reasons why I stand behind my story, which is just a top ten list after all 🙂 I don't write just from the heart, either, and I'm not the only one who believes these prisons are inhumane. Thanks for the feedback.
reading about all these things i feel very bad….and a thought just flash in my mind that we are living
in civilized world …..were is the civilization??? what does it reflect ?
You know I've read most if not all of your comments here and can honestly say I find your heart-minded perspective heart-warming and refreshing. Thank you for your comments.
What a nice thing to say – thank you 🙂
First of all one thing i did notice is that each prison reflected the standard of living in the country or state it was located in. So the prisoners are prisoners or the society they choose to live in.And subject to its laws no matter how unfair or barbaric they are. No person is bound to the country they live in. Rules of a society are well know to even the average 10 year old. Yes the rules may not be fair. But they are the rules. California's prisons are rough do to the massive balck and latino population.same is true for newyork prisons. White collar prison are not heavy on the rules cause they dont have to be. Most prsioners are sent to a a different type of prison for the crime they commit and there threat to society. There is one exception child molestors are sent to violent crimes prison for the purpose of being degraded ,tortured, snd killed by the violent inmates.Because society shows no humanity to sex offenders. 90% of sex offenders commit non vilolent sex crimes and should not be in dangerous or supermax facilities.But society feels uneasy in sending them to a cushy work camp where they belong. Botom line each part of society does as it see's fit we have no right to criticize how other prisons are ran. This even means by way of unfair trial no one deserves to be treated a certain way. alot of the problem with the world today is that everyone thinks there owed somthing. Human rights is a illusion. You get what you get and whatever that may be is what you deserved.
Joshua, That is the worst arguement ever more than only following orders. The German Society fealt fit to attempt to eradicate an entire race torture them in ways that were almost incomprehendible but according to you they deserved it. Should the world have stood by and done nothing because according to you we have no right to critisize what other societies do. We have every right to critisize torture. If you are not aware you total moron there are international Laws that forbid torture and anyone who breaks these laws should be held accountable. Anyone who thinks that chopping up someone with an axe is fine because they spoke out against a regime is probably an evil Sadist. Which I suggest you are.
Well said Tim