Supermax PrisonsBy: Dustin Kennelly

Overview Definition Purpose History Today Cost Construction Life Inside Against

Definition A Supermax facility (or control unit facility) is a

facility that holds prisoners in their personal cells 22-23 hours per day, under constant surveillance, generally only allowing them out for medical attention, visitations that are extremely rare and non-contact.

Purpose Intended to hold the “worst of the worst” prisoners

the corrections department feels that pose the highest risk to a correctional facility.

History From “The Contemporary Relevance of Early Experiments with Supermax

Reform” by Hans Toch Ideas similar to Supermax was looked at as early as the 1800’s but

abandoned due to effect on mental health of the prisoners After being ordered by the New York State Legislature Auburn Prison

warden Gershom Powers placed a “select class of convicts to be composed of the oldest and most heinous offenders, and to confine them constantly in solitary cells” on Christmas 1821.

Government and the public felt that the corrections system wasn’t working and needed to fix it.

After reports surfaced of attempted suicide and psychological problems the New York Governor ended the experiment.

Another experiment in Rhode Island by a Dr. Cleveland also found that prisoners held in solitary confinement began to have psychological problems, after studying 40 prisoners 25% of them “manifested decided symptoms of derangement”

History Alcatraz Was opened as a federal prison in August 1934 and is now considered the

countries first Supermax due to its design, location and at that time it held the countries worst criminals

It is believed that no one ever escaped the facility Held major criminals of its time including Al Capone, Robert Stroud,

George Kelly, and James Bulger

Closed in 1963 due to expense in operating facility, was replaced by a new

facility being constructed in Marion, Illinois The United States Penitentiary

History The United States Penitentiary opened in 1963 to replace Alcatraz Facility held 500 of the countries worst inmates Became the United States first Supermax when it was placed on

permanent lockdown in 1983 after inmates killed two guards Lockdown continued till 2006 when the facility was remodeled into a

Medium Security Prison and fully replaced by ADX Florence in Florence, Colorado.

Today United States Federal Government Operates Administrative Maximum

Facility (ADX) Florence or Alcatraz of the Rockies Opened in 1994 at a cost of $60 million Was designed as a Supermax facility unlike the Marion Facility Generally has around 430 male prisoners under 23 hour lockdown, with

one hour spent in cement recreational yard. Prison has 1,400 remote controlled doors, Laser beams, pressure pads,

and guard dogs to prevent escape Reported by “An Assessment of Supermax Prisons Using a Evaluation

Research Framework” by Daniel P. Mears 44 States also operate at least one Supermax unit housing over 25,000

inmates

Cost Reported by “An Assessment of Supermax Prisons Using a Evaluation

Research Framework” by Daniel P. Mears 2-3 times more expensive to build and operate due to technology,

increased staffing, and only one inmate per cell.

Cell Construction Based of ADX Florence Construction 7 ft x 12 ft Solid Metal Door then a space and a steel bar door Cement poured BED, DESK, STOOL Stainless steel SINK, TOLIET and polished metal Mirror Each prisoner has personal shower All water appliances have shutoffs built in to make sure prisoners cannot

flood or damage the appliance Cells have windows that are 4 ft by 4ft, but allow you only to see the sky

and the roof Electronically controlled doors, cameras, censors to monitor every

movement.

Life Inside 22-23 hours a day in your personal cell TV & Radio that can be taken away as punishment Every movement is monitored by cameras Every time a prisoner is moved the facility shuts down. 1-2 hours outside the cell is spent in a cement recreational area. Prisoners may be able to get out of supermax’s in some cases ADX Florence has a 3 year program that slowly socializes you to

interacting with other inmates to eventually release you back to maximum security prison

A single violation gets you placed back into full restriction

Against Many people today are still against Supermax facilities Why?

Psychological Stressors Are they Truly Needed? Do they prevent or increase delinquency in prisons? Cost Lack of Programming and Treatment May be just a short term solution. Suggested by “An Assessment of Supermax Prisons Using a

Evaluation Research Framework” by Daniel P. Mears

References The Contemporary Relevance of Early Experiments with Supermax Reform

by Hans Toch An Assessment of Supermax Prisons Using a Evaluation Research

Framework by Daniel P. Mears Supermax Prisons in the Consciousness of Prisoners by Kenneth E.

Hartman