What is the worlds largest prison?
Rikers Island
Rikers Island () is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. Supposedly named after Abraham Rycken who bought the island in 1664, the island is home to one of the world's largest correctional institutions and mental institutions and has been described as New York's most famous jail. The island was originally under in size, but has since grown over four times to more than . Much of the first stages of expansion was accomplished by convict labor hauling in ashes for landfill. The island itself is politically part of the Bronx, though it is included as part of Queens Community Board 1 and has a Queens ZIP Code of 11370.
Waldheim prison
Waldheim Prison in Waldheim, Saxony , about 30 km north of Chemnitz, was once the largest penitentiary in Saxony and is the oldest prison still in operation in Germany. It was opened in April 1716 under Augustus II the Strong. There are now 395 places for men.
Prisons in Poland
The largest prison in Poland is the Wronki Prison.
Fuchū Prison
As of December 2015, Fuchū Prison was the largest prison in Japan, housing 2086 prisoners. The prison covers an area of , and is surrounded by a wall with a height of , The cells are divided into four blocks (ordinary prisoners, foreign prisoners, mentally ill prisoners, and physically disabled or injured prisoners). Male foreign prisoners in Japan are generally housed at Fuchū Prison. The prison also contains numerous workshops for vocational training. Foreigners are incarcerated for various crimes but all in single cells in two or three blocks.
Halden Prison
Located in Halden, Østfold, Norway, Halden Prison was built over 10 years at a cost of 1.5 billion Norwegian kroner ($252 million/£138 million). The prison received its first inmates on March 1, 2010 and was officially opened on April 8 by the Norwegian King Harald V. It is Norway's second-largest prison with a capacity of 248–252 prisoners and a site of .
Hwasong concentration camp
Hwasong camp is a penal-labor colony in which detainees are imprisoned for life with no chance to be released. With around in area it is the largest prison camp in North Korea. Puhwa-ri (Chosŏn'gŭl: ), north of the entrance gate, is the camp headquarters. The number of prisoners is estimated at 20,000. They are classified as "anti-revolutionary and anti-party elements" and held on charges such as opposing the succession of Kim Jong-il. Many of the prisoners are merely family members of suspected wrong-doers, who are held captive in a “guilt-by-association” punishment. It is believed that the camp was founded in the 1990s.
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
HMP Wandsworth is the largest prison in the UK, with up to 1,665 inmates at any time. St George's Healthcare is responsible for providing a full range of health services at the prison.
Kieldrecht Lock
The Kieldrecht Lock (Dutch: Kieldrechtsluis) is the world's largest lock, taking over this title from the Berendrecht Lock. The Kieldrecht Lock gives access to the left-bank docks of the Port of Antwerp in Belgium. The lock, situated in the municipality of Beveren, was opened on June 10, 2016 in the presence of King Philippe of Belgium.
List of prisons
This page provides a list of prisons by country.
Best known prisons (mostly from 19th century or older, mainly still in function except the Katajanokka Prison and Kakola):For a longer list of prisons in Germany see 
There are 45 Prisons in Ghana which are managed by the Ghana Prisons Service. In all there are 14,324 prisoners of which 14,125 are males and 199 are females.Many of the fortifications, such as Fort Saint Elmo and Fort Ricasoli, were also used as prisons at some point.ReferenceThailand has four remand prisons:
Alcatraz Citadel
During the World War I, the citadel was used for incarcerating military prisoners as also German Prisoners of War, which necessitated building of a larger building structure by demolishing the old upper and lower prisons. A new cell house formed of four cell blocks with 600 cells was built, in 1912, which at that time was reported to be the largest reinforced concrete building in the world; the cells had toilet and electricity facilities.
Evin Prison
Of Iran has a total population of 82,021,564 people, of which 225,624 are incarnated including pre-trail detainees. One of Iran's most notorious prisons is Evin Prison, located in Tehran. Fox News has called this facility “Hell on Earth,” and is the home of many atrocities including, “widespread executions, tortures, and inhumane and unbearable conditions.” Two female inmates have stated that ‘[there are] solitary cells with no windows, ventilation [or] lavatory’. Human rights groups have been denied access into the prison for years, furthering the cover up of such abuses. Iran has been a subject of the United Nations for quite some time now. For instance, the UN's Committee for Human Rights continues to criticize the country for its executions of juveniles, those in religious minority groups and the LGBT community. Furthermore, the continuing practice of public executions is damaging to the mental health of Iran's citizens. In addition, those fighting for Human Rights just as often find themselves in prison, and when they have peacefully protested their unfair detainment, they have been given even longer sentences in response. To further the lack of freedom of expression, authorities have also blocked foreign satellites, closed newspapers, and Cohen 5 censor their media platforms. The Iran government is notorious for its restrictive nature in general, common punishments include: floggings, amputations, and blindings. According to Amnesty International, in 2014, miners were sentenced to 30-100 lashes for protesting working conditions. Other causes for punishment include: ‘publishing lies’ and ‘creating unease in the public mind'.
Zenica prison
Zenica prison ("Kaznenopopravni zavod zatvorenog tipa Zenica", "KPZ Zenica", "K.P. DOM") is a closed-type prison located in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was opened in 1886. It was the largest prison in Yugoslavia during its existence, and is currently the largest prison in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Fremantle Prison
Fremantle Prison, sometimes referred to as Fremantle Gaol or Fremantle Jail, is a former Australian prison and World Heritage Site in Fremantle, Western Australia. The site includes the prison cellblocks, gatehouse, perimeter walls, cottages, and tunnels. Initially used for convicts transported from Britain, but was transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use for locally-sentenced prisoners. Royal Commissions were held in 1898 and 1911, and instigated some reform to the prison system, but significant changes did not begin until the 1960s. The government department in charge of the prison underwent several reorganisations in the 1970s and 1980s, but the culture of Fremantle Prison was resistant to change. Growing prisoner discontent culminated in a 1988 riot with guards taken hostage, and a fire that caused $1.8 million worth of damage. The prison closed in 1991, replaced by the new maximum-security Casuarina Prison.
Rikers Island
Rikers Island has been referred to as the world's largest penal colony. For comparison, Europe's largest correctional facility, Silivri Prison in European Turkey, sits on and houses 10,904 prisoners.
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women is a prison in Bedford Hills in the Town of Bedford, Westchester County, New York, United States, at 247 Harris Road. Bedford Hills, the only New York State Department of Correctional Services women's maximum security prison, is the largest women's prison in New York state and has hosted many infamous prisoners. The prison previously opened under the name Westfield State Farm in 1901.
Fresnes Prison
Fresnes Prison ("Centre pénitentiaire de Fresnes") is the second largest prison in France, located in the town of Fresnes, Val-de-Marne South of Paris. It comprises a large men's prison ("maison d'arrêt") of about 1200 cells, a smaller one for women and a penitentiary hospital.
List of prisons in New Zealand
Rimutaka Prison is located in the suburb of Trentham, Upper Hutt. It is New Zealand's largest prison, holding up to 1078 prisoners and employing about 570 staff. The prison opened in 1967 and was originally named Wi Tako Prison until the name was changed to Rimutaka Prison circa 1990. It is on a large site at the end of Freyberg Road and the number of cells and prison units has grown substantially in recent years to accommodate rising prisoner numbers. In 2010, Rimutaka became the first prison in New Zealand to open a container-cell unit. The cells are constructed from refurbished shipping containers and the unit houses up to 60 prisoners in a mix of single and double-bunked cells.
Timothy Joseph McGhee
While awaiting trial, McGhee was held without bail in the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail, the largest single jail facility in the world just minutes south of Atwater Village. Being the charismatic leader that he was, he commanded the respect of equally intimidating criminals housed in cell block 3300 A-Row, the highest security area of the facility. McGhee was the shot caller and fellow inmates would not act without his permission. He claimed to have been verbally and physically assaulted by deputies during his time in jail, even reporting one incident to the ACLU.
Gowanda Correctional Facility
The grounds and buildings of both the Gowanda Correctional Facility and the Collins Correctional Facility, therefore, were formerly the Gowanda Psychiatric Center. In 1982, 40% of the original 500 acres of the Gowanda Psychiatric Center was utilized for the Collins Correctional Facility. The Gowanda Correctional Facility was built using the remaining acreage and opened its doors in 1994. The two prisons are separated by a fence, and are administered independently. Gowanda Correctional Facility houses more than 2,300 inmates, and is the second-largest prison in New York State. Another source reported that the prison houses 1,750 inmates. It also features one of the largest sex offender counseling programs of the New York State prison systems.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Alcatraz was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons. One of the world's most notorious and best known prisons over the years, Alcatraz housed some 1,576 of America's most ruthless criminals including Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the "Birdman of Alcatraz"), George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Bumpy Johnson, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Mickey Cohen, Arthur R. "Doc" Barker, Whitey Bulger and Alvin "Creepy" Karpis (who served more time at Alcatraz than any other inmate). It also provided housing for the Bureau of Prisons' staff and their families. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts during the 29 years of the prison's existence, the most notable of which were the violent escape attempt of May 1946 known as the "Battle of Alcatraz", and the arguably successful "Escape from Alcatraz" by Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin in June 1962 in one of the most intricate escapes ever devised. Faced with high maintenance costs and a poor reputation, Alcatraz closed on March 21, 1963.
United States
The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate and largest prison population in the world. At the start of 2008, more than 2.3 million people were incarcerated, more than one in every 100 adults. In December 2012, the combined U.S. adult correctional systems supervised about 6,937,600 offenders. About 1 in every 35 adult residents in the United States was under some form of correctional supervision in December 2012, the lowest rate observed since 1997. The prison population has quadrupled since 1980, and state and local spending on prisons and jails has grown three times as much as that spent on public education during the same period. However, the imprisonment rate for all prisoners sentenced to more than a year in state or federal facilities is 478 per 100,000 in 2013 and the rate for pre-trial/remand prisoners is 153 per 100,000 residents in 2012. The country's high rate of incarceration is largely due to changes in sentencing guidelines and drug policies. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the majority of inmates held in federal prisons are convicted of drug offenses. The privatization of prisons and prison services which began in the 1980s has been a subject of debate. In 2018, Oklahoma had the highest incarceration rate (1,079 per 100,000 people), and Massachusetts the lowest (324 per 100,000 people). Among the U.S. territories, the highest incarceration rate was in the U.S. Virgin Islands (542 per 100,000 people) and the lowest was in Puerto Rico (313 per 100,000 people).
Plötzensee Prison
The original name of what is today "Haus 1" was "Strafgefängnis Plötzensee", which also translates to Plötzensee Prison. Up to 1,400 inmates lived on premises of including a church and a Jewish prayer area, then the largest prison of the German Empire. After World War II, the buildings demolished by the bombing of Berlin were rebuilt and housed a youth detention center ("Jugendstrafanstalt Berlin") for offenders between the ages of 14 and 21. When it in 1987 moved to a newly built annex on Friedrich-Olbricht-Damm in the west, "Haus 1" of Plötzensee Prison again became a men's prison with capacity for 577 inmates. Upon the end of the Cold War and German reunification, the last communist East German leader Egon Krenz, convicted for manslaughter by "Schießbefehl" order at the Berlin Wall, from 2000 until 2003 served his sentence there. Today about one third of the inmates are incarcerated for repeated fare evasion.
Werl Prison
Werl Prison has about 900 inmates, and is one of the largest prisons in Germany. It is located in the town of Werl in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, east of Dortmund.
Prison Fellowship
Prison Fellowship is the world's largest Christian nonprofit organization for prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading advocate for justice reform.
Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System
The Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS), nicknamed "Con Air", or ICE Air is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with the transportation of persons in legal custody among prisons, detention centers, courthouses, and other locations. It is the largest prison transport network in the world. Though primarily used by the Federal Bureau of Prisons or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, JPATS also assists military and state law enforcement.
Newport, Isle of Wight
The town's suburb of Parkhurst is home to two prisons: the notorious Parkhurst Prison and Albany; together they make up HMP Isle of Wight, the largest prison in the UK. Parkhurst and Albany were once among the few top-security prisons in the United Kingdom. Camp Hill was another prison in the area, but closed in 2013.
Fresnes Prison
Fresnes is one of the three main prisons of the Paris area, the Fleury-Mérogis Prison (Europe's largest prison) and the La Santé Prison (located in the centre of Paris) being the other two.
HM Prison Berwyn
HM Prison Berwyn (also known as Carchar Berwyn EM) () is a £250 million Category C adult male prison in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. When fully operational it will become the largest fully operational prison in the UK and Europe.
Gefängnis Zürich
The Gefängnis Zürich opened in 1916 under the dictatorship of Hitler, and has been extended several times, most recently in 1991 with the establishment of a provisional facility with 34 beds in one of two courtyards. It is the largest district jail of the Canton of Zürich, and has a capacity of 170 prisoners (including an 18-bed ward for female prisoners) and 48 employees (as of 2009). Its director is Markus Epple. It is located in the immediate vicinity of 5 general and 2 specialized district attorney offices. Most of the prisoners are remandees, with only a few convicts serving sentences there.
Monroe Correctional Complex
Monroe Correctional Complex is a Washington State Department of Corrections men's prison located in Monroe, Washington, United States. With an operating capacity of 2,500, it is the second largest prison in the state. It opened in 1910, 21 years after statehood.
Yerawada Central Jail
Yerwada Central Jail is a noted high-security jail in Yerwada, Pune, in Maharashtra. This is the largest jail in the state of Maharashtra, and also one of the largest prisons in South Asia, housing over 5000 prisoners (2017) spread over various barracks and security zones, besides an open jail just outside its premises. Many well known freedom fighters individuals including Mahatma Gandhi have been jailed here.
Central Prison Haripur
Central prison Haripur is the largest prison in Khyberpukhtoonkhwa. It was built in 1930 by the Britishers. It has a total area of 890 Kanals. The capacity of Jail is 1500 prisoners, but at present there are 2000 prisoners confined in this jail.
Carandiru Penitentiary
Carandiru Penitentiary was a prison located in São Paulo, Brazil. The prison was designed and built by Samuel das Neves in 1920, when it was considered a model-prison to meet the new demands of the 1890 criminal code. It was operational from 1956 to 2002 and, at its peak, was South America's largest penitentiary, housing over 8,000 inmates. In 1992 it was the site of the Carandiru massacre.
Pecos, Texas
Pecos is the site of the largest private prison in the world, the Reeves County Detention Complex, operated by the GEO Group.
Liangxiang Prison
Liangxiang Prison is a prison in the municipality of Beijing, China. It was established in 1960. The prison was once the largest elevator factory in China. It currently houses over 1,000 adult male criminals with 10-15 yr. sentences.
Tegel
Tegel is chiefly known for being the location of Berlin-Tegel "Otto Lilienthal", Berlin's main airport. It also houses the Tegel Penitentiary, Germany's largest prison with about 1,700 inmates as of 2007, known from Alfred Döblin's 1929 novel Berlin Alexanderplatz.
Ktzi'ot Prison
Ktzi'ot Prison is an Israeli detention facility located in the Negev desert 45 miles south-west of Beersheba. It is Israel's largest detention facility in terms of land area, encompassing . It is also the largest detention camp in the world.
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center is a medium security prison located in Connell, Washington. Coyote Ridge is the largest prison by capacity in the state of WA.
Abu Salim prison
Abu Salim prison () is a maximum security prison in Tripoli, Libya. The prison was notorious during the rule of Muammar Gaddafi for alleged mistreatment and human rights abuses, including a massacre in 1996 in which Human Rights Watch estimated that 1,270 prisoners were killed.
Plymouth County Correctional Facility
Plymouth County Correctional Facility is located in Plymouth, Massachusetts Operated by the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department. The prison is the largest prison in Plymouth. The prison is known for housing several celebrity inmates, most notably "" winner Richard Hatch, shoe-bomber Richard Reid, former President of Liberia Charles Taylor, reputed Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger, as well as multiple murderer Gary Sampson, and former New England crime boss Francis "Cadillac Frank" Salemme.
Woodford Correctional Centre
It is a high security facility for male prisoners with a capacity of 988 prisoners in single cell accommodation. It is the largest prison in Queensland.
World's largest palace
According to the Guinness World Records, the Forbidden City in Beijing, China is the "largest palace in the world". The Istana Nurul Iman, with of floorspace, holds the title as the "world's largest residential palace".
Gowanda State Hospital
In 1982, 40% of the original 500 acres of the Gowanda Psychiatric Center was utilized for the Collins Correctional Facility. The Gowanda Correctional Facility was built using the remaining acreage and opened its doors in 1994. The two prisons are separated by a fence, and they are administered independently. Gowanda Correctional Facility houses more than 2,300 inmates, and is the second-largest prison in New York State.
Maafushi Prison
Maafushi Prison is a prison in Maafushi on Kaafu Atoll in the Maldives, south of the capital, Malé. It is the largest prison on the islands and has held numerous political prisoners over the years, most notably the former president, Mohamed Nasheed.
Taiping Prison
The Taiping Prison (; formerly known as Larut Prison and Taiping Training Centre) was established in 1879 and is the first and oldest modern prison complex in Malaysia. It was also the largest prison complex at the time. In 1881 Sikh warders were brought in to assist Malay warders and vocational trainers were brought in from Hong Kong to introduce useful industry in the prison.
Michigan State Prison
The first permanent structure was constructed in Jackson in 1842. In 1926, the prison was relocated to a new building, and soon became the largest walled prison in the world with nearly 6,000 inmates. The prison was renamed the State Prison of Southern Michigan in 1935. Beginning in 1988, the prison was carved up into several correctional facilities. The Southern Michigan Correctional Facility (JMF), which contained the heart of the 1926 prison structure, was finally closed on November 17, 2007. After JMF was closed, much of the prison remains open however, 7 Block, which used to be quarantine, has been closed and changed into a prison museum and is now open to the public for tours.  The original 1842 site was used as a Michigan National Guard armory for some time, and now houses residential apartments as well as several art galleries and a bicycle cooperative.
Dubrava Prison
The Dubrava Prison () is a correctional facility located near Istok, Kosovo, the largest prison in the country.
Maximum Security Prison, Robben Island
Maximum Security Prison is an inactive prison at Robben Island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometers (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. It was prominent because of Nobel Laureate and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela was imprisoned there for 18 of the 27 years he served behind bars before the fall of apartheid. After that, three former inmates of this prison Nelson Mandela, Kgalema Motlanthe, and Jacob Zuma have gone on to become President of South Africa.
Taro Yamasaki
In Michigan, Yamasaki founded a carpentry company but quit the business in 1977 to work as a staff photographer at the "Detroit Free Press". He was hired by chief photographer Tony Spina and eventually worked alongside David C. Turnley. While at the "Free Press", Yamasaki asked for permission to create, research and produce his own stories. The first story he conceived of on his own was a documentation of the daily lives of inmates in Jackson Prison, the largest walled prison in the world with 52 acres inside the walls He then produced a lead story he had written, researched and photographed entirely on his own titled, "Jackson Prison: Armed and dangerous". The story was published on Sunday, December 14, 1980 as lead story of "Free Press"' Sunday Comment Front. Yamasaki had "spent 10 days talking to the prison warden, officials, guards and inmates." His writing focused on the inhumane conditions in which the inmates lived and the problems of overcrowding, violence and contraband. Against the prison's rules, Yamasaki was able to convince the guards not to escort him anywhere and gained permission to travel almost everywhere inside the prison entirely on his own. According to Yamasaki, the guards allowed him to do this because they wanted him to portray the great danger of their jobs as accurately as possible. Because Yamasaki traveled around the prison without guards, he was able to gain the trust of the inmates who confided things to him they otherwise would not have, in many cases, because they wanted him to portray the incredible danger and inhumanity of their lives as honestly as possible. Despite the danger he faced from the inmates without the protection of prison guards, Yamasaki was able to produce an in-depth investigative report which the "Detroit Free Press" nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Subsequently, Yamasaki won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography for the photographs he had taken inside Jackson Prison.
Vestre Prison
Vestre Prison () is the main jail of the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Erected in 1895, it is Denmark's largest prison with a total capacity of 530 inmates. It primarily houses pretrial detainees, not convicted felons.
Montgomery Correctional Center
With the consolidation of the city of Jacksonville in 1968, the City Prison Farm was renamed as the Jacksonville Correctional Institution. As Jacksonville was becoming the largest city in the United States, in terms of land area, it encompassed the prison unit.
In dedication to Director James I. Montgomery, in 1986, the Jacksonville Correctional Institution was renamed the Montgomery Correctional Center.
Supermax prison
There is only one supermax prison in the United States federal system, ADX Florence in Florence, Colorado. It houses several inmates who have a history of violent behavior in other prisons, with the goal of moving them from solitary confinement for 23 hours a day to a less restrictive prison within three years. However, it is best known for housing several inmates who have been deemed either too dangerous, too high-profile or too great a national security risk for even a maximum-security prison. Residents have included Timothy McVeigh, perpetrator of the Oklahoma City Bombing who was executed by lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute on 11 June 2001; Theodore Kaczynski, a domestic terrorist otherwise known as the Unabomber, who once attacked via mail bombs; Robert Hanssen, an American FBI agent turned Soviet spy; Terry Nichols, McVeigh's accomplice in the Oklahoma City Bombing; Richard Reid, known as the "Shoe Bomber", who was jailed for life for attempting to detonate explosive materials in his shoes while on board an aircraft; Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the underwear bomber; Richard Lee McNair, a persistent prison escapee; Charles Harrelson, a hitman who was convicted in 1979 of killing Federal Judge John H. Wood Jr.; and Vito Rizzuto, boss of the "Sixth" Mafia "Family," released on 5 October 2012. The Boston Marathon Bomber was housed there. Deprivation of social contact and the isolation of inmates has some unintended positive and negative effects. Inmates are safer being in isolation, and prisons create more jobs for their local communities. Supermax prisons however are extremely expensive to run and can cost about three times the national average for a maximum security facility.
Westville Prison
Westville Prison located in Westville, is one of the largest prisons in South Africa and the only prison located in the Durban area.
Stadelheim Prison
Stadelheim Prison (), in Munich's Giesing district, is one of the largest prisons in Germany.
Lowell Correctional Institution
Lowell Correctional Institution is a women's prison in unincorporated Marion County, Florida, north of Ocala. A part of the Florida Department of Corrections, it serves as the primary prison for women in the state. Almost 3,000 women are incarcerated in the complex, which includes the Lowell Annex. As of 2015 2,696 women are in the main Lowell CI, making it the largest prison for women in the United States; its prison population became larger than that of the Central California Women's Facility that year.
Janakpuri
Central Jail, Tihar was set up in 1958 on the land of Tihar Village in Janakpuri. In the beginning, only one Central Jail was commissioned with the lodging capacity of 1273 prisoners. The prison population gradually grew and today as many as 11000 odd inmates are lodged here. Tihar Prisons is the largest prison complex in Asia. The prison complex has nine central jails apart from a District Jail at Rohini, which was commissioned in 2004.
Prison–industrial complex
As the prison population grows, a rising rate of incarceration feeds small and large businesses such as providers of furniture, transportation, food, clothes and medical services, construction and communication firms. Furthermore, the prison system is the third largest employer in the world. Prison activists who dispute the existence of a prison industrial complex have argued that these parties have a great interest in the expansion of the prison system since their development and prosperity directly depends on the number of inmates. They liken the prison industrial complex to any industry that needs more and more raw materials, prisoners being the material.
List of U.S. states by incarceration and correctional supervision rate
According to the World Prison Brief the United States currently has the largest prison population in the world, and the highest incarceration rate.
La Santé Prison
La Santé Prison (literally meaning Prison of the Health) ( or ) is a prison operated by the French Prison Service of the Ministry of Justice located in the east of the Montparnasse district of the 14th arrondissement in Paris, France at 42 Rue de la Santé. It is one of the most infamous prisons in France, with both VIP and high security wings.
Butyrka prison
Butyrka prison (, a colloquial term for the official , Butyrskaya tyurma) is a prison in the Tverskoy District of central Moscow, Russia. It was the central transit prison in Tsarist Imperial Russia. During Soviet times, it held many political prisoners. Currently, Butyrka remains the largest of Moscow remand prisons. Overcrowding continues to be a problem. In December 2018, Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service announced that it will close the prison, as well as Moscow’s Krasnaya Presnya prison.
Political censorship
According to the "2015 prison census" by the Committee to Protect Journalists, the world's biggest jailers of journalists are:
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison (), founded as Mountjoy Gaol and nicknamed "The Joy", is a medium security prison located in Phibsborough in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.
The current prison warden is Brian Murphy.
Jackson, Michigan
As noted above in the History section, Jackson's state prison complex includes the first state prison building, which was expanded and became known as the largest walled prison in the world. Portions of the prison complex closed in 2007, including the Annex of the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center Annex (RGC) and the Southern Michigan Correctional Facility (JMF). One of the closed cell blocks at JMF has been adapted and re-opened as the Cell Block 7 Prison Museum.
Toronto South Detention Centre
The Toronto South Detention Centre is a correctional facility in the district of Etobicoke in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a Government of Ontario-operated maximum-security correctional facility for adult male inmates serving a sentence of "2-years-less-a-day" or less, and offenders who have been remanded into custody while awaiting trial. It is built on the site of the former Mimico Correctional Centre, which closed in 2011 and whose origins dated back to 1887. 
The Toronto South Detention Centre officially opened on January 29, 2014 replacing the Toronto Jail, the Toronto West Detention Centre, and the demolished Mimico Correctional Centre. The Toronto South Detention Centre is the second-largest jail in Canada; The Edmonton Remand Centre being the largest.
Lujiang Prison
Lujiang Prison is a prison in Chaohu City, Anhui, China established in 1957 with an area of 987mu. It is a high security prison for serious offenders currently employing over 1,600. The prison is one of the largest national valve manufactures with a 40-year-old state enterprise that produces standard valves such as: GB code, English BS, American ANSI, API, AWWA, MSS, German DIN 4.0, "Bai Hu" brand gate valve, cut-off, check, ball, valve, water special purpose valves as well as micro anti-slow products and filters. There are a total of 100 models, 1000 specifications and valves sizes of 15-1600mm produced here. Past projects have included the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant. In 1997 it received (DNV)ISO9002 quality system authentication via Norwegian Classification Society. In 1998 it had large shares of stock in Shanghai East China Valve Ltd. "Baihu" was given famous provincial brand and trademark title, and a top-notch brand award in valve profession. Also labeled a high-quality product and exempt from inspection. In 1998 the prison received Anhui Province prize for quality control. Lujiang Changtai Machine Works was approved by the State Economic and Trade Commission to manage valve factory's imports and exports. Products are exported to other countries including Britain and the US. Several valves are best-selling in over 60 countries and regions, including the US, Japan, Britain, France, and Germany.
Titan (prison)
Examples from abroad also showed failings in programmes similar to the proposed titans. Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, gave evidence to the House of Commons Justice Select Committee in December 2007, and said: “We assess every prison we inspect against our 4 tests of a good prison - that prisoners are held safely, treated with respect, engage in purposeful activity and are prepared for resettlement - and it is very evident, when we look at those assessments, that small prisons do better... That is because they provide an environment in which people are known, in which relationships can develop, in which people are often closer to home… In France, in 1992 it was decided to build a very large prison just outside Paris, a place called Fleury-Mérogis. That was to hold 2,800 people. It currently holds 3,600 people and the one thing the French have decided is they will never do it again…because they found that it could not be managed well.”
2013 Palmasola prison riot
Palmasola is Bolivia's largest prison and holds about 3,500 prisoners. Like many prisons in Latin America, guards exert minimal control over what happens within the prison, leading to it being described as a "prison town". Guards instead concentrate only on securing the perimeter of the facility. According to former inmates, almost anything can be obtained in the prison. Businesses operate inside the prison to supply weapons and drugs. Under Bolivian law, children under the age of six may live in a prison with one of their parents. Four out of five prisoners in Palmasola are awaiting trial.
Washington Corrections Center
Washington Corrections Center is a Washington State Department of Corrections men's prison located in Shelton, Washington. With an operating capacity of 1,300, it is the sixth largest prison in the state (after Stafford Creek Corrections Center) and is surrounded by forestland. It opened in 1964, seventy-five years after statehood.
Qubbah prison
Qubbah prison () is the largest correctional facility in northern Lebanon, located in Tripoli, Tripoli District. It regularly holds nearly 600 prisoners and has been deemed to be very overcrowded.
Parnall Correctional Facility
The facility's buildings were first opened in 1926. Present-day Parnall is one portion of the former Michigan State Prison, described as the largest walled prison in the world as late as 1981, when it was rocked by extensive, damaging riots. The prison was divided in 1988 into smaller institutions. As of 2016, Parnell and three other components remain open:
Pudu Prison
The Pudu Prison () was a prison in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Built in phases by the British colonial government between 1891 and 1895, it stood on Jalan Shaw (now Jalan Hang Tuah). The construction began with its 394-metre prison wall at a cost of Straits $16,000, and had been adorned with the world's longest mural at one point in its history. The cells were small and dark, each equipped with a window only the size of a shoebox. As of December 2012, the prison complex was largely demolished, leaving only the main gate and a portion of the exterior wall still standing.
HM Prison Wandsworth
HM Prison Wandsworth, is a Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, South West London, England. It is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service and is the largest prison in the United Kingdom.
Clinton Correctional Facility
Clinton Correctional Facility is a New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision maximum security state prison for men located in the Village of Dannemora, New York. The prison itself is sometimes colloquially referred to as Dannemora, although its actual name is derived from its location in Clinton County, New York. The southern perimeter wall of the prison borders New York State Route 374. Church of St. Dismas, the Good Thief, a church built by inmates, is located within the walls. The prison is sometimes referred to as New York's Little Siberia due to the cold climate in Dannemora and the isolation of the area. It is the largest maximum security prison and the third oldest prison in New York. The staff includes about a thousand guards.
History of Fremantle Prison
The history of Fremantle Prison, a former Australian prison in Fremantle, Western Australia, extends from its construction as a prison for convicts, using convict labour, in the 1850s, through to its modern-day usage as a tourist attraction. The design for Fremantle Prison was based on the Pentonville Prison in Britain, and it would be the longest, tallest prison cell block in the southern hemisphere. Construction began in 1851, and was completed by the end of 1859. The prison was transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use for locally sentenced prisoners. Following a Royal Commission held in 1898−99, some changes were made to Fremantle Prison, including knocking down the inner wall between two cells, introducing a prisoner classification system, and constructing internal walls in the main block to create four separate divisions. A new cell block, New Division, was completed in 1907 and occupied in 1908.
Al-Ha'ir Prison
Al-Ha'ir Prison ( also romanized as al-Hayer, al-Hayar, or al-Haer) is a Saudi Arabian maximum-security Mabahith-affiliated prison located approximately 25 miles south of Riyadh. Saudi Arabia's largest prison, the complex includes facilities for both common criminals and security offenders, and reportedly houses a number of al-Qaeda figures.
Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Cedar Junction
The Massachusetts Correctional Institution—Cedar Junction (MCI-Cedar Junction), formerly known as MCI-Walpole, is a maximum security prison with an average daily population of approximately 800 adult male inmates under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Correction. It was opened in 1956 to replace Charlestown State Prison, the oldest prison in the nation at that time. MCI-Cedar Junction is one of two (the other one being Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center) maximum security prisons for male offenders in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MCI-Cedar Junction also houses the Departmental Disciplinary Unit (DDU). During the 1970s, Cedar Junction (then known as Walpole) was one of the most violent prisons in the United States. It is located on both sides of the line between the towns of Walpole and Norfolk, and has a South Walpole mailing address. (South Walpole is not a political entity.)
Ktzi'ot Prison
The report comments that the first reaction of visitors to the prison is one of shock: its large size, one of the largest prisons in the world, and its makeshift appearance; the loudspeakers broadcasting the Arabic station of "Voice of Israel"; the smell of fuel oil. Conditions were very much harsher than in other Israeli prisons. The report suggests that this was due to the military's lack of experience and that the camp was regarded as temporary. It was noted that the Commander, Ze'ev Shaltiel, broke judicial rulings and was using solitary confinement as a means of punishing prisoners. Some prisoners were being held in isolation for longer than the two weeks maximum stipulated.
Incarceration in the United States
Incarceration in the United States is one of the main forms of punishment and rehabilitation for the commission of felony and other offenses. The United States has the largest prison population in the world, and the highest per-capita incarceration rate. In 2016 in the US, there were 655 people incarcerated per 100,000 population. This is the US incarceration rate for adults or people tried as adults. In 2018 2.2 million Americans have been incarcerated, which means for every 100,000 there are 655 that are currently inmates. This costs the United States government $80 billion dollars a year.
HM Prison Holloway
HM Prison Holloway was a closed category prison for adult women and young offenders in Holloway, London, England, operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. It was the largest women's prison in western Europe until its closure in 2016.
Côn Đảo Prison
Côn Đảo Prison (), also Côn Sơn Prison, is a prison on Côn Sơn Island (also known as Côn Lôn) the largest island of the Côn Đảo archipelago in southern Vietnam (today it is in Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province. The prison was built in 1861 by the French colonists to jail those considered especially dangerous to the colonial government. Many of the high-ranking leaders of Vietnam were detained here. It is ranked a special historical relic of national importance by the government of Vietnam. The most famous site in this prison are the "tiger cages" (vi:"chuồng cọp"). The French tiger cages cover an area of 5.475 m, within which each cell occupies 1.408 m, solariums occupy 1.873 m, and other spaces occupy 2.194 m. The prison includes 120 cells.
The prison was closed after the end of the Vietnam War and opened for visitors soon after.
Reeves County Detention Complex
The complex is operated by the GEO Group. With a combined capacity of 3,763 prisoners in its three sub-complexes, it has been called the largest private prison in the world. The GEO Group houses prisoners at this facility under contract with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Arizona Department of Corrections. Most prisoners at the complex are low-security criminal aliens, serving sentences of one to five years for drug offenses or immigration violations. They face deportation when released.
HM Prison Isle of Wight
HMP Isle of Wight is a prison on the Isle of Wight, UK, combining the two island prisons, Albany and Parkhurst. The two former prisons along with Camp Hill were merged in 2009 and each site still retained its old name. Across the three sites there were nearly 1,700 prisoners making it one of the largest prisons in the country. The reorganisation took effect on 1 April 2009. In March 2013 Camp Hill closed, reducing the overall prison population by 595.
Douglas County Correctional Center
Douglas County Correctional Center (DCCC) is a jail in Omaha, Nebraska. The jail is the largest in the Midwest and is operated by the Douglas County Department of Corrections. The jail is used to house inmates in criminal or migration related offenses. The jail is located at 710 S. 17th St, Omaha, NE.
Prisons by country
The French Ministry of Justice's French Prison Service division has 194 prisons in mainland and the overseas territories. As of 1 January 2009, statistics showed approximately 52,000 available places, with around 58,000 "hosted" prisoners. France is home to Fleury-Mérogis Prison, Europe's largest correctional facility.
Carandiru (film)
"Carandiru" tells some of the stories that occurred in Carandiru Penitentiary, which was the biggest prison in Latin America. The story culminates with the 1992 massacre where 111 prisoners were killed, 102 by Police. The film was the last thing for which the prison was used before it was demolished in 2002, one year before the release of the film.
Pul-e-Charkhi prison
Pul-e-Charkhi (Pashto/Persian: زندان پل چرخی), also known as Puli Charkhi or Afghan National Detention Facility, is the largest prison in Afghanistan east of Kabul. Construction of the jail began in the 1970s by order of former president Mohammed Daoud Khan and was completed during the 1980s. The prison became notorious for torture and executions after the 1978 Saur Revolution as well as during the 10 year Soviet war that followed. Between April 1978 and the Soviet invasion of December 1979, the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) under Nur Muhammad Taraki, executed around 27,000 political prisoners at Pul-i-Charkhi. The Afghan National Army's 111th Capital Division is based nearby Pul-e-Charkhi.
Gowanda, New York
Gowanda Correctional facility houses more than 2,300 inmates, and is the second-largest prison in New York State. It features one of the largest sex offender counseling programs of the New York State prison systems. Collins Correctional houses 1,700 inmates.
Vladimir Central Prison
Vladimir Prison, popularly known as Vladimir Central (), is a prison in Vladimir, Russia. It is the largest prison in Russia, with a capacity of 1220 detainees, and is operated by the Federal Penitentiary Service as a maximum-security prison with most inmates serving a minimum of ten years to life sentences.
Yongchuan Prison
Yongchuan Prison is a prison in the municipality of Chongqing, China. It was established in 1952. It is located on the Xinsheng Tea Farm, and is the largest tea farm in China producing Yuzhou Tea, Biluochun green tea, Junshan Yinzhen tea, and Maofeng tea. It has approximately one thousand inmates.
Oslo Prison
Oslo Prison () is the district prison of Oslo, Norway. It is the largest prison in Norway, with a capacity of around 350 detainees. The prison was called "" until 2001. The prison has several departments. Department A is the former Botsfengselet, Grønlandsleiret 41, popularly called "Botsen". Department B is a former brewery located in Åkebergveien 11, popularly called "Bayer'n". Department C, called "Stifinner'n", is located in the former prison hospital at Åkebergveien, and is designated for prisoners with drug problems.
William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility
As of 2010 the facility can house 1,492 prisoners. The Alabama Department of Corrections classifies Donaldson as a maximum security prison. The agency uses Donaldson to house inmates who have multiple or repeated violent offenses and who ADOC cannot easily manage. Hundreds of offenders who are housed at Donaldson have life without parole sentences. The prison includes a segregation unit for 300 inmates; Donaldson's segregation unit is the largest unit in the State of Alabama. The prison includes a death row for up to 24 prisoners that are required to be located in the Birmingham, Alabama judicial area.
Wronki Prison
Wronki Prison () is the largest prison in Poland, holding over 1400 prisoners. Established by the German Empire in 1889, it is located in the town of Wronki, within the Greater Poland Voivodeship.
List of prisons in New Zealand
Waikeria Prison is located 16 kilometres south of Te Awamutu, in the Waikato region. It was built in 1911 and held 1031 prisoners and employed 480 staff. It used to be New Zealand's largest prison. However, in 2012, the Government announced that some older prisons would close including units at Waikeria.
HM Prison Barlinnie
Today Barlinnie is the largest prison in Scotland, regularly holding well over 1,000 prisoners, although it has a design capacity of 1,018. The prison currently receives prisoners from the courts in the West of Scotland as well as retaining male remand prisoners and prisoners serving less than 4-year sentences. It also allocates suitable prisoners from its convicted population to lower security prisons, including HMP Low Moss and HMP Greenock as well as holding long-term prisoners in the initial phase of their sentence, prior to transfer to long-term prisons such as HMP Glenochil, HMP Shotts, HMP Kilmarnock or HMP Grampian.
La Santé Prison
Along with the Fleury-Mérogis Prison (Europe's largest prison) and the Fresnes Prison, both located in the southern suburbs, La Santé is one of the three main prisons of the Paris area.
San Pedro prison
San Pedro prison or El penal de San Pedro (Saint Peter's Prison) is the largest prison in La Paz, Bolivia renowned for being a society within itself. Significantly different from most correctional facilities, inmates at San Pedro have jobs inside the community, buy or rent their accommodation, and often live with their families. The sale of cocaine base to visiting tourists gives those inside a significant income and an unusual amount of freedom within the prison walls. Elected leaders enforce the laws of the community, commonly through stabbing. The prison is home to nearly 3,000 inmates (not including the women and children that live inside the walls with their convicted husbands), with additional guests staying in the prison hotel.
Drapchi (film)
Drapchi Prison, or Lhasa Prison No. 1 (simplified Chinese: 拉萨第一监狱; traditional Chinese: 拉薩第一監獄) is the largest prison in Tibet, located in Lhasa. Originally built as a Tibetan military garrison, Drapchi was transformed into a prison after the 1959 Tibetan uprising. It officially opened as a prison in 1965 and consists of a series of nine units and has recently been expanded and restructured. It has an estimated population of 1000 of which some 600 are thought to be political prisoners ranging in age from 18 to 85 many of which are captured monks and nuns. According to Central Tibetan Administration, the prison has gained a notorious reputation and is feared by the Tibetans due to its strong management. Reports of brutality have been alleged by Tibetan exile groups.
Washington State Penitentiary
Washington State Penitentiary (also called the Walla Walla State Penitentiary) is a Washington State Department of Corrections men's prison located in Walla Walla, Washington. With an operating capacity of 2,200, it is the second largest prison in the state (after Coyote Ridge Corrections Center) and is surrounded by wheat fields. It opened in 1886, three years before statehood.
Riots at Fremantle Prison
Fremantle Prison is a former Australian prison in Fremantle, Western Australia, constructed as a prison for convicts, using convict labour, in the 1850s. The design for Fremantle Prison was based on the Pentonville Prison in Britain, and it would be the longest, tallest prison cell block in the southern hemisphere. Construction began in 1851, and was completed by the end of 1859. The prison was transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use for locally sentenced prisoners. Following a Royal Commission held in 1898−99, some changes were made to Fremantle Prison, including knocking down the inner wall between two cells, introducing a prisoner classification system, and constructing internal walls in the main block to create four separate divisions. A new cell block, New Division, was completed in 1907 and occupied in 1908.
Tihar Jail
Tihar Prisons, also called Tihar Jail and Tihar Ashram, is a prison complex in India and the largest complex of prisons in South Asia. Run by Department of Delhi Prisons, Government of Delhi, the prison contains nine central prisons, and is one of the two prison complexes in Delhi, along with a district prison at Rohini Prison Complex. It is located in Tihar village, approximately 3 km from JanakPuri, to the west of New Delhi, India. The surrounding area is called Hari Nagar.
Burl Cain
Louisiana State Penitentiary is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States. Many of the inmates are serving life sentences and will never be released. A devout Christian, Cain encouraged a spiritual atmosphere in the prison to build a culture of morality and to help inmates serve their time. Under his leadership, violent incidents decreased markedly among the inmate population of more than 5,000.