How to Survive the Top 5 Most Dangerous Prisons

5 min read

It doesn’t matter how hard you scream or how hard you fight. You are locked up in one of the most dangerous prisons on Earth, surrounded by murderers, rapists and even cannibals.

In some of these prisons, the guards aren’t there for the safety of the inmates but to torture, humiliate and sometimes kill them. Can you imagine having to sleep in one of these overcrowded and violent cells? It would not be pleasant, my friend.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the most dangerous prisons in the world. So you can survive if you end up behind these walls.

It’s not news that prisons are dangerous. But they’re getting even deadlier. In 2019, the UK reported 300 prison deaths. And in 2018, U.S. state prisons reported more than 4,000 deaths. Many deadly threats are waiting behind bars.

You can even be eaten by other humans. And some prisons are much deadlier than others. Which prison isolates inmates for 23 hours a day? Why was one nicknamed “The Slaughter Pen”? And how did the most dangerous prison kill 1,000 inmates in one year?

Number 5: Black Dolphin Prison, Russia

Located near the border with Kazakhstan, this prison has only 700 inmates. But those inmates have killed more than 3,500 people, an average of five people each. Although most are murderers, there are also terrorists, pedophiles and cannibals. But don’t worry, they’re not the biggest threat here.

What makes Black Dolphin the toughest prison in Russia is the isolation and hopelessness. Inmates have a tiny cell where they spend 23 hours a day. They never breathe fresh air because there is no yard. Also, all of them are imprisoned for life.

They will never put a foot outside these walls. The best way to survive here is, as inmate Nikolai Astankov advises, don’t think about it. Otherwise, “you simply won’t make it”.

Number 4: Holman Prison, U.S.

No country has more prisoners than the U.S. More than two million people are behind bars. But there is no worse place to serve time than Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama. The facility has earned a reputation as the most violent prison in the United States. The inmates call it the “Slaughter Pen”. Fights, riots and fires are the bread and butter here. Sometimes the victims receive no help at all. To draw attention to these terrible conditions, inmates and guards went on strike in 2016 and triggered an investigation. So, remember, peaceful protest can go a long way.

Number 3: Guantanamo, Cuba

This prison was established on a U.S. Navy base in Cuba after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Its purpose was to incarcerate Al Qaeda members captured during the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. But after 20 years, this place has become infamous for allowing torture, humiliation and denying prisoners access to justice.

Mansoor Adayfi, a survivor who was imprisoned without trial for 14 years, says this treatment did not break him because of the close ties he formed with some of the detainees. That’s why making friends can help you survive and keep you sane.

Number 2: The Litoral Penitentiary, Ecuador

On September 28, 2021, a violent fight broke out between opposing gangs in this South American prison. Unlike other prison fights, the inmates were armed with guns and explosives. 118 people died that day. Six of them were beheaded.

Local media reported that the savage killings were ordered from the outside as part of the violent struggle between Mexican cartels to control smuggling routes to the United States. So, whatever happens, don’t join a gang to get protection. The rival group could kill you.

Number 1: Gitarama Prison, Rwanda

After the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, 7,000 murder suspects were incarcerated in this small prison. It was built for 400 people. It was so overcrowded that more than 40% of the detainees suffered gangrene of the feet because they didn’t have space to rest or move.

Some reports say prisoners began killing each other and eating the flesh. A year after the mass incarcerations, Doctors Without Borders reported more than 1,000 people died due to the terrible conditions. One of the only ways to get medical treatment was to reach one of the doctors from this organization.

So if you were in this prison and needed help, you should contact one of them. Let’s hope you never end up in any of these dangerous prisons, or any prison at all for that matter.