07/20/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/20/2022 08:36
Opened in 1994, USP ADX Florence is categorized as a supermax or control unit prison, which provides a higher, more controlled level of custody than a maximum-security prison.
Supermax prisons are designed to hold inmates that pose extreme security threats. Prisoners have little to no time outside of their cells, very few activities, and very little contact with other humans. ADX Florence is considered to be an early example of what would become the supermax model.
ADX Florence Prison forms part of the Federal Correctional Complex in Florence (FCC Florence), which is situated on 49 acres of land and houses various facilities with differing degrees of security. It was commissioned when the Federal Bureau of Prisons needed a unit designed specifically for the secure housing of those prisoners most capable of extreme, sustained violence toward staff or other prisoners.
What makes ADX Florence Prison one of the world's most secure buildings? Read on to find out.
ADX Florence was created after severe incidents occurred at other federal prisons. For instance, at Marion U.S. Penitentiary in 1983, there were two violent incidents where correction officers were stabbed to death. As a result of such ruthless prisoner attacks came the necessity for higher level security prisons.
Some of the most dangerous and notable criminals in the United States have been incarcerated at ADX Florence. The prison holds criminal leaders of a variety of violent gangs, along with domestic and international terrorists from major organizations like Al Qaeda.
Zacarias Moussaoui, who happens to be the only person convicted in a civilian court for the terrorist attacks on 9/11, is currently at ADX Florence. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was partially responsible for the Boston Marathon bombings, was transferred to this prison in July 2015. There are other notable criminals housed there, such as the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, shoe bomber Richard Reid, Oklahoma City bomber accomplice Terry Nichols, Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph, and Soviet spy Robert Hanssen. Overall, ADX Florence houses all sorts of dangerous criminals in one of the most secure environments.
According to SF Gate, ADX Florence is the only prison specifically designed to keep every occupant in near-total solitary confinement. The facility takes up 21 acres of land, holding dangerous male prisoners who require high levels of security. In total, the prison currently has 344 inmates, with a maximum capacity to hold up to 490 prisoners.
For at least the first three years at this facility, prisoners are not allowed to come into contact with other prisoners at any time, anywhere on the premises. Over time, good behavior can earn inmates more "outside" time, and for the most fortunate, a potential transfer back to a less-secure prison can be possible. The outside time is actually a bigger cell with vaulted ceilings called the "concrete pit" or "empty swimming pool".
The majority of the facility is above ground, except for a subterranean corridor that links cellblocks to the lobby. Each supermax prison cell has a desk, stool, and bed, which are almost entirely made out of poured concrete. There is also a toilet that shuts off if blocked, a shower that runs on a timer to prevent flooding, and a sink lacking a potentially dangerous tap. Rooms may also be fitted with polished steel mirrors bolted to the wall, an electric light that can be shut off only remotely, a radio, and a television that shows recreational, educational, and religious shows.
The 4-inch-by-4-foot windows are designed to prevent inmates from knowing their specific location within the complex. They can see only the sky and roof through these tiny window slits, so it is virtually impossible to plan an escape.
Prisoners exercise in a concrete pit that looks like an empty swimming pool. It is also designed to prevent them from knowing their location in the facility. The pit is only large enough for a prisoner to walk 10 steps in a straight line or 31 steps in a circle.
There is no mess hall. Food is hand-delivered to each inmate by the correctional officers. The ADX Florence Prison has a three-year program that keeps inmates in their cells 23 hours a day for the first year, then gradually socializes them with other inmates and staff. In their last year, prisoners can be out of their cells from 6 AM to 10 PM and eat meals in a shared dining room, instead of having food delivered through a slot in their steel cell door.
Each facility included in the FCC Florence complex offers various educational opportunities and numerous programs to the inmates. To educate the prisoners, programs such as the General Education Development Program, Adult Continuing Education, Adult Occupational Education, and English as a Second Language are available. Inmates can also take part in vocational training and parenting programs. Religious, food, recreational, medical, and mental health services are provided to the inmates at this facility.
The Recreational Program, in particular, encourages an active lifestyle and allows inmates to take interest in new hobbies and activities. It lines up activities such as team sports, wellness instruction, and crafting for the inmates. Although these programs are available, prisoners are still under 23-hour lock-up in their cells and have only 5 hours of recreation time each week.
ADX Florence Prison as a whole contains a multitude of motion detectors, cameras, and 1,400 remote-controlled steel doors. Officers in the prison's control center monitor inmates 24 hours a day and can activate a "panic button", which closes every door in the facility, should an escape attempt happen.
Pressure pads and 12-foot tall razor wire fences surround the perimeter, which is patrolled by heavily armed officers. As an added level of security, laser beams and attack dogs guard the area surrounding the prison's outlying fences.
The facility houses inmates at six differing security levels:
Many of the security levels at ADX Florence have special purposes or missions for the inmates that occupy them. For instance:
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