The World’s Most Notorious Prisons and What They Really Cost to Run

Managed By: Cuban Government 
Number Of Inmates: 36*
Highlight: The most controversial in the world 

One of the most famous prisons in the world, Guantánamo Bay, was established after the horrific radical extremist attacks on the Twin Towers in 2001. It is also the most problematic prison in the world, due to the many alleged controversies surrounding its treatment of prisoners, among other things.

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba @Kathleen T. Rhem/commons.wikimedia.org

Only 36 of the approximately 780 detainees remain in the prison’s facilities now. Numerous organizations have denounced the treatment of inmates within the prison, including the United Nations and Amnesty International. Without a doubt, Guantánamo Bay is the most controversial prison in existence.

Managed By: South African Government 
Number Of Inmates: N/A
Highlight: Nelson Mandela was once imprisoned there 

Robben Island, located in Mesa Bay off the coast of South Africa, housed many inmates while it was active from 1961 until 1991, the year it ceased to serve as a prison for political prisoners. In 1996, Robben closed its doors permanently. Undoubtedly, the most famous of its prisoners was Nelson Mandela.

Robben, Sudáfrica @Anne Martin/Youtube.com

The Nobel Peace Prize winner and former South African President was one of the most important figures of the 20th century. After being unjustly sentenced to jail because of his political status, Mandela was incarcerated in Robben Prison for 18 of his 27 years in prison. Robben is now a museum with symbolic significance, as it represents the history of the South African nation.

Managed By: French Government 
Number Of Inmates: N/A
Highlight: It housed famous prisoners like Alfred Dreyfus and Henri Charrière

Of the coast of French Guyana is where you can find Devil’s Island, the dismal rock on which a penitentiary was once located. From 1852 to 1938, the main inhabitants of Devil’s Island were prisoners. More than 80,000 inmates passed through the island, though many did not leave it due to the terrible conditions in which they lived.

Isla del Diablo, Francia @Christian F5UII/commons.wikimedia.org

Among the prisoners who passed through Devil’s Island were famous soldier Alfred Dreyfus and writer Henri Charrière. The latter wrote about the island in his book Papillon, in which he described his ingenious escape. Charrière used a bag of coconuts to survive the terrible currents back from Devil’s Island to the mainland of France, where he declared himself a free man.

Managed By: California State Government 
Number Of Inmates: 3,082*
Highlight: The oldest and most-dangerous prison in California 

San Quentin State Prison, located in Marin County, California, is the oldest penitentiary in the state, as well as the most dangerous. Its reputation comes from the fact a lot of criminally delinquent, violent characters are securely confined behind its walls.

San Quentin Prison, USA Jitze Couperus/commons.wikimedia.org

San Quentin Prison is also the only prison in the state of California to have both a death row and an execution chamber. It was founded in 1852, which makes it historically important to the state, no matter how controversial. Johnny Cash fans will know San Quentin–it was the prison in which Cash, the Man in Black, recorded one of his most famous live performances. 

Managed By: El Salvador Government 
Number Of Inmates: 2,500
Highlight: De Barrios confines only inmates from the infamous gang Mara Salvatrucha

The Ciudad de Barrios prison in El Salvador is famous for being the place in which members of the deadly Mara Salvatrucha gang are exclusively confined. Originally built to hold a population of 800, the prison houses approximately 2,500 inmates behind bars, and, with one guard for every 50 prisoners, it is difficult for the prison’s administration to maintain control.

@TruthInsideOfYou/Facebook.com

Behind the walls of this prison, the inmates seem to have more control than the guards, which is why Ciudad de Barrios is also considered one of the most violent penitentiaries in the world. Prisoners do criminal business openly inside the jail, and the objective of Ciudad de Barrios appears to be loose confinement, rather than actual punishment and “penance.”

Managed By: The Crown 
Number Of Inmates: N/A
Highlight: There have been many rumors, some of which are credible, about the prison being haunted 

No trip to London is complete without a visit to the landmark Tower of London. Now called the Royal Palace and Fortress of His Majesty, the Tower remains one of the most famous former prisons in history. It now is a tourist spot that fascinates all who dare come to see it. Several famous figures were locked up in the Tower of London, including former Royals-brought-low Sir Thomas Moore and Anne Boleyn.

Torre de Londres, Inglaterra ©Joanna Lynch /Shutterstock.com

In addition to its historical prominence, the Tower of London is also said to be haunted. This is one of the reasons why tourists from all over the world come to get a glimpse of some would-be ghosts. There are many stories about phantom sightings, and some visitors have even claimed to have seen the specter of Anne Boleyn.

Managed By: Austrian Government 
Number Of Inmates: 205*
Highlight: The most luxurious prison in Austria 

Realistically, none of us would like to be in prison, but the Leoben Justice Center, if only for a second, might make us want to serve a few nights within its luxurious walls. Leoben was designed by the architect Josef Hohensinn and completed, at a cost of $25 million, in November 2004.

Centro de Justicia Leoben, Austria @Daniela Ebner/commons.wikimedia.org

The Leoben Justice Center is certainly one of the most beautiful prisons in the world. In addition to having everything necessary for the inmates’ stay to be comfortable, it features a gym and basketball court. The cells, if we can call them that, have a balcony, desk, and television. This is more of a hotel than a place of serious punishment.

Managed By: New Mexico Government 
Number Of Inmates: 790*
Highlight: The infamous riots of 1980 

The New Mexico State Penitentiary, located in southern Santa Fe County, consists of four facilities: Level V (opened in 1985), Level VI (also opened in 1985), Level II (opened in 1990), and Level VI, which is super-maximum security and contains Death Row.

The Penitentiary of New Mexico (PNM), USA @Ken Piorkowski/commons.wikimedia.org

Despite all the security in the prison, the New Mexico Penitentiary was the site of the most violent prison riot in the United States in 1980. During the turmoil, inmates took over the facilities and took twelve guards hostage. Thirty-three inmates were killed during this massive riot, which caused controversy all across America, as people wondered whether prisons were, truly, as secure as they claimed.

Managed By: Hoshino Resorts 
Number Of Inmates: N/A
Highlight: The oldest prison in Japan, soon to become a luxury hotel

Nara Prison, the oldest prison in Japan, was built in 1901 and opened as a juvenile penitentiary in 1909. It closed in 2017 and has since become a popular tourist spot where visitors can appreciate what it was like to be imprisoned in historical Japan.

Prisión de Nara, Japón ©Takashi Images/Shutterstock.com

But this former prison will soon attract tourists for a different reason, as there are plans to convert Nara into a luxury hotel. Hoshino Resorts has taken private ownership of the prison complex, and it will transform it into a hotel from which people actually don’t want to escape, unlike Nara’s prison past.

Managed By: New York Government 
Number Of Inmates: 2,253*
Highlight: The most violent prison in New York

Not everything is as glamorous in New York as it is in the Big Apple (though NYC does have its dark side, too). New York State’s scariest inhabitants can be seen at its maximum security penitentiary in Attica. This prison has been home to some of the worst criminals in the United States, and it is no surprise that ACC is known as the state’s most violent jail.

Attica Correctional Facility, USA @Jayu from Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A./commons.wikimedia.org

One of the most frightening episodes in the history of Attica Correctional Center took place in 1971 when there was a riot inside the prison. During this bloody conflict, prisoners took forty-two staff members hostage. The riot ended four days later after forty-three lives were lost and millions in damage (both physical and reputational) done.

Managed By: Russian Government (Formerly USSR)
Number Of Inmates: 2,000*
Highlight: The most over-populated prison in Russia 

The largest remand prison in Moscow, Butyrka was built in 1879. It goes without saying that this is a place in which no human being would ever want to find themselves. Despite its size, this prison has a serious overcrowding problem. Its cells are designed for ten people, yet this ten-person capacity has been stretched, by Russia’s government, to one hundred.

Butyrka Prison, Russia @Stanislav Kozlovskiy/commons.wikimedia.org

Because of the prison’s overcrowding, health problems, including the proliferation of many diseases, abound. Butyrka Prison, which has been in operation for more than 200 years, has been home to famous figures such as Nobel Laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Managed By: NYC Government 
Number Of Inmates: 5,558*
Highlight: One of the most dangerous prisons in the world 

Rikers Island, located between Queens and the Bronx in New York City, is considered one of the world’s most dangerous prisons. It is not only a jail;  it also serves as a mental institution, which means that around 40% of its inmates have moderate to severe mental illnesses. There are nearly 70 “violent incidents” per 1,000 inmates a month at Rikers, says Politico. 

Rikers, Nueva York, USA @Sfoskett /commons.wikimedia.org

The prison has a budget of $860 million per year, and the annual cost of maintaining an inmate in New York City is approximately $556,539 per person. The infamous, deadly chaos at Rikers Prison has led the New York City Council to vote to close this prison by 2026.

Managed By: New Zealand Government 
Number Of Inmates: 335*
Highlight: The comfiest prison in New Zealand 

Everything is beautiful in New Zealand: the sunsets, the mountains, the rivers, and, apparently, even the prisons. An example of this penitentiary beauty is Otago Prison, located near the city of Milton. Otago is famous for being the cushiest jail in New Zealand.

Prisión de Otago, Nueva Zelanda. /hawkins.co.nz

This prison is so comfortable that many call it “Milton-Hilton” because it has a gym, library, and plasma screen TVs in common areas. Inmates can even, circumstances-depending, have a television in their jail cells. Otago, in a smart recidivism-reduction tactic,  also provides education to inmates in various trades so that they can develop professionally and seek employment when they leave.

Managed By: Indian Government
Number Of Inmates: 1,074*
Highlight: The largest, most overcrowded prison in Mumbai

Arthur Road Prison, also known as Mumbai Central Prison, is the largest, oldest, and most populous prison in the city of Mumbai, India. It is infamous for having a serious overcrowding problem. Arthur Road was built for 800 people, but behind its walls, there are more than 2,000 inmates.

Arthur Road Jail, India /hindustantimes.com

Unfortunately, Arthur Road Prison is also notorious for its violent incidents. There have been numerous attacks between gangs, which led the authorities to restructure Arthur Road by gang affiliation. Gangs are kept in different sections of the prison, so as to minimize potential bloody feuds.