The United States is known to have some of the most notorious and dangerous prisons. In these prisons, violence, overcrowding, and harsh conditions have become common things. For those who are interested in the prisons in the United States, find out the list of the top 10 most dangerous prisons in the United States below.
List of Top 10 Most Dangerous Prisons in the United States
According to WatchMojo, the top 10 most dangerous prisons in the United States include:
1. ADX Florence
As Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary that was known for its brutality, isolation, and high security measure is no longer operated, the United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility (USP Florence ADMAX) or the Florence Supermax or ADX Florence tops the list of the most dangerous prisons in the United States. The correctional facility that is called the Alcatraz of the Rockies is operated by a division of the United States Department of Justice named the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
ADX Florence houses dangerous inmates, including high-profile inmates and those who have a chance to commit extreme violence toward staff or other inmates, and in need of the tightest control. Some of the inmates are placed in a cell for most part of the day and are guarded 24 hours a day.
For anyone who is wondering about the most notable inmates of ADX Florence, they include the Oklahoma City bomber named Timothy McVeigh, the Soviet spy who sold out FBI agents named Robert Hanssen, the 9/11 Al-Qaeda architect named Zacarias Moussaoui, the Boston Marathon bomber named Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and the Unabomber named Ted Kaczynski.
2. Attica Correctional Facility
Attica Correctional Facility located in the Town of Attica, New York ranks second in the list of top 10 most dangerous prisons in the United States. This one is known for all bad things, including terrifying inmates, poor conditions, and riots. The most notable inmates include David Berkowitz, H. Rap Brown, Brandon Clark, Jimmy Caci, Mark David Chapman, Joseph Christopher, Edward Cummiskey, Valentino Dixon, Dean Faiello, Colin Ferguson, Kendall Francois, Joe Gallo, Arohn Kee, Sam Melville, El Sayyid Nosair, Ralph “Bucky” Phillips, Joseph ‘Mad Dog’ Sullivan, Joel Rifkin, Willie Sutton, and David Sweat.
Talking about inmates, poor conditions, and riots, there is an interesting story called Attica Prison Riot. This incident happened in September 1971. At the time, inmates took control of the prison for a few days. They demanded the authorities to improve the conditions at the facility and to find a way to fix the overcrowding issue. It was full of chaos, resulting in 43 people losing their lives and more than 89 getting injured. Among the 43 deaths, 39 of them were killed by police, including ten correctional officers and civilian employees who had been taken hostage.
3. Sing Sing Correctional Facility
Sing Sing Correctional Facility, which was known as Ossining Correctional Facility, is located in the village of Ossining, New York, the United States. This one is one of the most death-ridden prisons in the country, making it included in the top 10 most dangerous prisons in the country.
One of the reasons why Sing Sing Correctional Facility is considered dangerous is because of the existence of the electric chair at this prison called Old Sparky. This chair was there until it was moved to Green Haven Correctional Facility and was never used again. A total of 614 men and women inmates were executed in the past, including Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for espionage for the Soviet Union on nuclear weapon research, Gerhard Puff for the murder of an FBI agent, and Eddie Lee Mays for murder. Aside from these three, the other notable inmates include Frank Abbandando, Harry Maione, George Appo, Charles Becker, Maria Barbella, Robert Bierenbaum, Louis Buchalter, Elmer “Trigger” Burke, Louis Capone, Emanuel Weiss, Fran Cirofici, Charles Chapin, Mary Frances Creighton, and Monk Eastman.
4. Folsom State Prison
Folsom California State Prison opened in 1880 and is operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It has a violent history. This prison is known for the presence of prison gangs such as the Mexican Mafia and Aryan Brotherhood. It explains why there have been countless violent incidents in this prison over the years. Even though the authorities have tried their best to control gang activity, tensions remain high within the prison, making it a dangerous environment for both inmates and staff. The most notable inmates of this prison include Joseph Barboza, Sonny Barger, Edward Bunker, Thor Nis Christiansen, Eldridge Cleaver, Alfred Leonard Cline, George Contant, Craig Coley, Chris Evans, Joseph Gamsky, Glen Stewart Godwin, Cameron Hooker, Charles Jackson, Rick James, Edmund Kemper, Suge Knight, Timothy Leary, Charles Manson, Brandon Mclnerney, Erik Menendez, James Mitose, Ed Morrell, Ricky Murdock, Bobby Purify, Shorty Rossi, Leo Ryan, Glen Sherkey, Danny Trejo, and Jack Black.
5. San Quentin Rehabilitation Center
San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQRC), which was known as San Quentin State Prison, was established in 1852 and reopened in 1854. This one is the only prison to hold death row male prisoners in California. One of the most interesting things about this prison and what makes it dangerous is because it has its own gas chamber, even though it has not been used since 1993.
The current notable inmates who are currently held at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center include Vincent Brothers, Joseph Danks, Bruce Davis, Richard Allen Davis, Skylar Deleon, Jon Dunkle, Wayne Adam Ford, and Billy Ray Waldon. As for the former ones, they include Jeffrey Aguilar, Isauro Aguirre, Rodney Alcala, William Dale Archerd, Alejandro Avila, Bobby Beausoleil, Charles Bolles, Richard Delmer Boyer, Luis Bracamontes, William Bradford, Albert Greenwood Brown, Brandon Browner, Edward Bunker, Rodolfo Cadena, David Carpenter, Curtis Carroll, Dean Carter, Steven David Catlin, Eldridge Cleaver, Kevin Cooper, Joseph Cosey, Henry Cowell, Tiequon Cox, Louis Craine, Scott Dyleski, Sonny Enraca, Pedro Espinoza, John Famalaro, Richard Farley, Rickie Lee Fowler, John Linley Frazier, Gerald Gallego, Alex Garcia, Michael Gargiulo, Willie Earl Green, Griffith J. Griffith, Steve “Clem” Grogan, Jose Guererro, Merle Haggard, Billy Ray Hamilton, Charles Ray Hatcher, Larry Hazlett, Glenn Helzer, Ivan Hill, Roebrt Hohenberger, Eric Houston, Ryan Hoyt, Michael Hughes, Michael Wayne Hunter, Jang In-Hwan, Emyrs John, Tyrone Miller, Kesaun Sykes, Tomoya Kawakita, Roger Kibbe, Randy Kraft, Chol Soo Lee, John Irving Lewis, Gunner Lindberg, Bruce Lisker, Russ Little, Franklin Lynch, Dorothy Mackaye, Kelvin Malone, Charles Manson, Jarvis Jay Masters, Timothy Joseph McGhee, Charles “Chase” Merritt, Andrew Mickel, S. S. Millard, Barry Mills, Jim Mitchell, Thomas Mooney, Michael Morales, Frank Morgan, Joe “Pegleg” Morgan, Ed Morrell, Wallace Fard Muhammad, Joseph Naso, Earle Nelson, and so on.
6. Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola)
Louisiana State Penitentiary or Angola or the Alcatraz of the South is one of the most popular prisons in the United States for bad reasons. In this prison, many different kinds of violences often occur, including riots and regular escape attempts that end in prisoners being shot to death. Not only for violence, but this prison is also known for its poor conditions. Its conditions are far from the living standards. That’s why it has been labelled by judges in a state of emergency. The notable inmates of this prison include Nathaniel Code, Derrick Todd Lee, Wilbert Rideau, Billy Sinclair, Gary Tyler, Gerald James Bordelon, John A. Brown, Jr., Jimmy L. Glass, Antonio G. James, Andrew Lee Jones, Leslie Lowenfield, Leslie Dale Martin, Dalton Prejean, Robert Wane Sawyer, Elmo Patrick Sonnier, Feltus Taylor, Jr., Thomas Lee Ward, Dobie Gillis Williams, Robert Wayne Williams, Robert Lee Willie, Jimmy C. Wingo, Michael Louding, C-Murder or Corey Miller, Angola 3 (Rober Hillary King, Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox), James Booker, Lil Boosie, Jack Favor, Sean Vincent Gillis, Patrick O’Neal Kennedy, Huddie William Ledbetter or Lead Belly, Carlos Marcello, H. Lane Mitchell, Kirksey Nix, Marlowe Parker, Robert Pete Williams, Clifford Etinne, Ronald Dominique, Vincent Simmons, Warren Harris, Henry Montgomery, Will Hayden, and Clementine Barnabet.
7. Rikers Island
Rikers Island is the prison that is named after Abraham Rycken, the one who took possession of the island. It is located in the East River in the Bronx. This best prison in New York is one of the most dangerous prisons in the country because it is known to house tough inmates and to victimize their inmates. the most notable inmates of Rikers Island include Jason Echevarria, Ronald Spear, Bradley Ballard, Jerome Murdough, Rolando Perez, Eugene Castelle, and Layleen Xtravaganza Cubilette-Polanco.
8. Pelican Bay State Prison
Pelican Bay State Prison or PBSP refers to a supermax prison facility that houses some of the most notorious gang members. The most dangerous inmates are usually located in the Security Housing Unit, a place with no windows and a place that requires the inmates to stay in their cells for 22 hours a day. The most notable inmates of this prison include Hugo Pinell, Joe “Pegleg” Morgan, Sanyika Shakur, Rene Enriquez, Damian Williams, Mark William Cunningham, Lloyd Avery II, Marion “Suge” Knight, Charles Manson, Richardo Medina Jr., and Donny Johnson.
9. Orleans Parish Prison
Orleans Parish Prison that is located in New Orleans, Louisiana was included in the list of one of the ten worst prisons in the United States in 2013 by Mother Jones magazine. This one also makes it to the list of top 10 most dangerous prisons in the United States by WatchMojo because it houses many violent prisoners. Most violences occurred at this facility were due to divides among prisoners and due to guards who are known to always ignore incidents.
10. Holman Correctional Facility
William C. Holman Correctional Facility, which is also more known as Holman Correctional Facility in short, is located in Atmore, Alabama. In 1016, it was named as the most violent prison in the country due to overcrowding and understaffing. Besides these issues, regular stabbings to both inmates and correctional officers also often happen. The death row includes Henry Francis Hays, Anthony Ray Hinton, Shonelle Jackson, Joe Nathan James Jr., Courtney Lockhart, Walter McMillian, Walter Leroy Moody, Devin Moore, Matthew Reeves, Daniel Lee Siebert, Thomas Warren Whisenhant, Nathaniel Woods, Robert Bryant Melson, and Kenneth Eugene Smith. As for non-death row, they include Bobby Frank Cherry, Bobby Ray Gilbert, and James Emery Paster.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, the top 10 most dangerous prisons in the United States include ADX Florence, Attica Correctional Facility, Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Folsom State Prison, San Quentin State Prison, Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola), Rikers Island, Pelican Bay State Prison, Orleans Parish Prison, and Holman Correctional Facility. These prisons are highly controlled environments, housing the most violent offenders. They are known for their gang activities, violent histories, and sometimes inhumane or poor conditions. This is the reason why they are considered dangerous for not only inmates but also for the staff.
