The Most Secure Prison in the United States
Guinness World Records acknowledges ADX Florence as the most secure prison in the world. It has 490 beds in a compound which encompasses 37 acres. It was designed to house prisoners deemed to dangerous or high profile for regular incarceration. Only five percent of inmates at ADX Florence were directly sent there. The othe 95% were transferred there after violent activity in other prisons.
Florence is known for its harsh conditions, inmates are kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. The one other hour inmates are still alone, but are allowed into a bigger cell with vaulted ceilings, known as "the empty swimming pool." The only window is four inches wide by four feet long so that they may not know where they are. For at least the first three years, no prisoner is allowed any contact with another at any time. Over time, good behavior can be awarded with more "outside" time, and for the most fortunate a transfer to a less secure prison.
Each cell contains a bed, desk, and stool made of poured concrete. The toilets are designed to shut off if they are plugged, and the showers are on a timer. Inmates who have shown good behavior may be awarded with a mirror, light, radio, and even a rare television. There is no mess hall for dining, meals are hand delivered to each cell by guards. There is also a special area of the prison called "Range 13" where there are two cells that hold the prisoners with the highest security threat. They are allowed no human contact at all, not even with guards.
The prison has numerous motion detectors and cameras, along with over 1400 electronically controlled steel doors. Every door is remote operated so there is no risk of an inmate getting hold of a key. Also, the entire compound is surrounded by 12 foot high razor wire. As an added security measure, laser beams, pressure plates, and attack dogs guard the area surrounding the prison's outlying fences.
Conditions are described as harsh, but clean and fair. Former ADX wardens have described it as "a cleaner version of hell." The prison operates under a strategy of "sensory deprivation" and solitude. Inmates are left to their own thoughts, and this often leads to hallucinations, memory loss, and increasingly irritable behavior. No one has ever escaped from ADX Florence, but four prisoners have committed suicide.
Florence is known for its harsh conditions, inmates are kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. The one other hour inmates are still alone, but are allowed into a bigger cell with vaulted ceilings, known as "the empty swimming pool." The only window is four inches wide by four feet long so that they may not know where they are. For at least the first three years, no prisoner is allowed any contact with another at any time. Over time, good behavior can be awarded with more "outside" time, and for the most fortunate a transfer to a less secure prison.
Each cell contains a bed, desk, and stool made of poured concrete. The toilets are designed to shut off if they are plugged, and the showers are on a timer. Inmates who have shown good behavior may be awarded with a mirror, light, radio, and even a rare television. There is no mess hall for dining, meals are hand delivered to each cell by guards. There is also a special area of the prison called "Range 13" where there are two cells that hold the prisoners with the highest security threat. They are allowed no human contact at all, not even with guards.
The prison has numerous motion detectors and cameras, along with over 1400 electronically controlled steel doors. Every door is remote operated so there is no risk of an inmate getting hold of a key. Also, the entire compound is surrounded by 12 foot high razor wire. As an added security measure, laser beams, pressure plates, and attack dogs guard the area surrounding the prison's outlying fences.
Conditions are described as harsh, but clean and fair. Former ADX wardens have described it as "a cleaner version of hell." The prison operates under a strategy of "sensory deprivation" and solitude. Inmates are left to their own thoughts, and this often leads to hallucinations, memory loss, and increasingly irritable behavior. No one has ever escaped from ADX Florence, but four prisoners have committed suicide.