Name: 10 Most Controversial Supermax Prisons in the World
Uploaded: 2026-01-30T17:10:55.000Z
Duration: 9 min 14 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Welcome to Watchmojo and today we'll be discussing maximum security prisons that have earned infamous distinctions as a supermax facility.

Al Haier Prison, Saudi Arabia Classifying a prison or rehabilitation center as a supermax often arise with a number of criteria.

The Al Hayer prison in Saudi Arabia achieves its somewhat loose descriptor as a supermax thanks to isolation measures that are enforced for many of its prisoners.

The Hair Prison, located west of Riyadh, jails high security prisoners linked to terrorism related charges.

Those held at Al Hayer prison can range from members of terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda to governmental critics or journalists who have spoken out against certain political figures.

And this is where El Hayer's reputation comes into question since it's been lauded by the Saudi government via its sponsored tours as a place with welcomed amenities.

Many meanwhile, human rights advocates have accused Al Haier as being a place where the uncharged are held against their will and tortured behind a smokescreen of goodwill propaganda.

But unfortunately, things are not always as they may appear.

Kaobin Central Prison, Thailand There are various infamous prisons to be found within Thailand.

From Bang Khuang Central Prison north of Bangkok to Kao Binh Central Prison in the west.

This supermax style facility houses a variety of inmates, from the intensely dangerous to those simply unlucky enough to be poor and on the wrong side of local law.

Isolation from the outside world is what most affects those confined within the walls of Kaobin, since visitors aren't allowed and the sentences are extensive for crime such as drug trafficking.

This has led to articles from outlets such as the Bangkok Post, ones that have exposed the amount of foreign nationals who reside forgotten within the depths of the Kalbin Central Prison.

Nusa Kambangan Prison, Indonesia it's been known by different names over the years, from Indonesia's Alcatraz to Execution Island.

Yet the reputation of Nusa Kambangan Prison all depends upon one's perspective.

This is thanks to some native Indonesians who've seen Nusa Kambangan's high capital punishment rate as a badge of honor, the ultimate endgame for the country's war on drugs.

Elsewhere, however, criticisms have been levied at those in charge at Nusa Kambangan Prison who isolate condemned prisoners in a cell prior to taking them out into island fields to face the firing squad.

The island's legacy as a colonial era Dutch penal colony seems to be intact in the modern day since Nusa Cumbagan's varied prisons range from lenient open sty to maximum security supermaxes.

Al Muakar II Correctional and Rehabilitation Center, Jordan those critical of the supermax system of imprisonment will often point to the psychological ramifications of isolation as a worrying factor with regard to inmate health.

But these worries pale in comparison to the real everyday dangers faced by those locked up within Al Muaga, the first and second correctional and rehabilitation center in Jordan.

Human rights advocates have accused officials at Al Mukar II of physically torturing inmates without any fear of reprisal.

Reports have also surfaced with regards to the quality of food and conditions at Al Muakar ii, although some modern assessments have pointed out some improvements at the center since the 2010s Federal Social Readaptation center number one, aka Altiplano prison, Mexico some dangerously high profile inmates have resided within the walls of Mexico's Federal Social Readaptation Center Number One over the years, including Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.

The facility, also known as Altiplano Prison, has boasted about its security levels over the years, including restricted airspace.

Yet this hasn't stopped certain successful escape attempts over the years, including one from the aforementioned El chapo.

Back in 2015, at around 9pm prison authorities inside Altiplano lost visual contact with Mr. Guzman.

El Altiplano retains its supermax distinction, however, via its isolationist practices and intense monitoring over the daily lives of its inmates, monitoring that includes constant surveillance and multiple inspections on a daily basis.

Giovanni Bacaducci Facility at Sassari District prison, Bencali, Sardinia, Italy the 41 bis regime, or Cassere Duro, serves the Italian prison system.

Whenever regular security measures fail, it's incorporated within institutions such as the Giovanni Bacaducci facility at Cesare District Prison, a Sardinian area that houses Italy's highest level of vendors and biggest flight risks.

The hard prison regime implemented within these walls focuses upon again isolation, restricting and watching over all movements within the facility.

Giovanni Baccaducci also suffers from severe overcrowding and is controversially understaffed given the sorts of individuals that are housed on the prison grounds.

All of this and more has led to allegations of prisoner torture and abuse on prison grounds.

Tora Prison 992 maximum security, aka the Al Aqrab Scorpion Prison, Egypt it speaks volumes that a former warden at Torah Prison 992 maximum security, otherwise known as the Scorpion Prison, was quoted in 2012 explaining how it was designed so that those who go in don't come out again unless dead.

Al Krab was constructed to house political prisoners, but

human rights organizations have released reports detailing the horrific conditions and tortures that are said to go on behind its walls.

It's a pretty tough experience, I gotta say.

Accusations of violence towards inmates by the staff and a denial of basic toiletry needs are just the beginning.

Other accusations have included excessive solitary confinement, corruption of the due Process administration, and

even theft of funds sent between family members and inmates.

That is when said inmates are allowed to communicate with family members at all.

Between March and August 2015, the government denied all visits and as a result, inmates who rely on their families for food and medicine because what the government provides is so paltry, weren't able to receive it.

Goulburn Correctional Centre, AUSTRALIA don't confuse the upgrades made to the Goulburn Correctional Centre in New South Wales, Australia, as a means to offer conveniences to prisoners.

This is a supermax prison with a history that dates back to 1884.

While those aforementioned upgrades included more beds to increase capacity, these days it's home to a wide range of dangerous convicts, people deem too risky for any other jail.

This space is also used to further isolate some of the center's most dangerous criminals from the general population.

Visitors are allowed at Goulburn, but every conversation is monitored at all times by the staff.

With no native languages allowed, English only.

Some of them have some very violent attitudes and some pretty extremist points of view.

Goulburn is a place of controlled movement and controlled behavior as opposed to physical torture.

Yet this doesn't change the fact that this supermax is the last sort of place in which you'd like to land.

And if they're well behaved, they get one hour a day in an exercise yard.

Terrorism CONFINEMENT Center El Salvador It's a mega prison with a surprisingly modern history.

A supermax known as the Centro de Confinamiento de Turismo, or sicot, which translates to the Terrorism Confinement Center.

It's been equated to seven football stadiums.

It's almost multiple prisons within the prison.

It was constructed in 2022 in response to a regime de exception or state of emergency concerning gang violence in El Salvador.

The conditions here at SICOT are designed to intentionally damage the bodies and spirits of those inside.

Suddenly, you're hit with the intense gaze of dozens locking onto you.

Prisoners are frequently only let out of their cells for 30 minutes daily, are victims of severe overcrowding and aren't allowed any contact with anybody ever.

they give you the three times the food they give you some programs you go to do exercise.

Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.

You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.

If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and Switch on notifications.

USP Florence AdMax, aka ADX Florence, United States the United States only has one official supermax prison in operation at the time of this writing, but

its reputation definitely precedes it on the world stage.

Bureau Opens adx, which earns the nickname Alcatraz of the Rockies the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, better known as ADX Florence, possesses a reputation for housing some of the country's most infamous prisoners, names such as Timothy McVeigh, Ted Kaczynski and Ramzi Yousef, domestic terrorists who are privy to ADX Florence's extreme isolation policies.

This is the most secretive prison in America.

No one is allowed inside, and the only pictures we have are from federal lawsuits.

inmates should expect little to no stimulation, only a controlled existence between prison walls and constant surveillance.

Even if the behaviors are good, though, that's pretty much a 23 hour a day in the cell, one hour outside.

And even outside, it's not a walk in the park, it's a caged environment.

Should prison be about punishment or rehabilitation?