Behind Bars: The World's Toughest Prisons

Urso Branco, Brazil

The pre-trial prison Urso Branco is one of the worst jails in all of Brazil. Riots have been taking place here almost every year since 2002. Gangs battling for control of the drug business are also fighting it out behind bars. They use every opportunity to eliminate rival gang members. In the past 20 years, more than 100 people have died in riots behind the walls of Urso Branco. A sad record for Brazil.

Colony 8, Zhytomyr, Ukraine

Colony Eight – one of the toughest and most notorious prisons in Ukraine. It is said that no one has ever managed to escape from here! Over eight hundred prisoners are behind bars in Colony 8 under maximum security. Until twenty years ago, the guards even carried out death sentences at this prison. Not any more – the concept is now a different one. Plenty of “freedom” on the one hand, draconian punishment and military drill on the other. Combined with permanent supervision: Around seventy cameras in the buildings ensure that anything moving gets noticed. One section of the prison is particularly notorious – the wing for the one hundred and sixty lifers: If you end up in this wing, you have absolutely nothing to lose. Because in Ukraine, life imprisonment means: literally being behind bars until you die. Access to this wing is specially secured. To gain entry, the guards must go through a multi-level security system of mechanical and electronic locks. Escape: impossible.

Maafushi Central Prison, Maldives

Maafushi Central Prison is a high-security prison covering an area the size of ten football pitches. Surrounded by six-meter-high walls, and the sea, the facility houses up to 800 criminals under the strictest security measures. All-round sureillance by a myriad of cameras, strict rules and daily searches are the key components in the success of this prison in the middle of a vacation paradise. The prison comprises a total of nine different units: The largest of these – Unit 9 - a star-shaped building, houses prisoners with higher security level. Units 5 through 8, which surround it, are for inmates with lower security level – and those soon to be released. The women’s wing is located at the other side of the prison.A workshop area is also available, where inmates with good behavior may be allowed to work.

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