If you’re prone to disorderly conduct, you may want to think twice about vacationing on the tiny island of Sark. Sark is part of the Channel Islands, which are located off the coast of Normandy, France. Since 1856, Sark has been home to a prison with two claustrophobic, windowless cells. If you have one too…
Much like San Francisco, California, the coastal city of Marseille in southern France is celebrated for its mild weather, rich history, and natural beauty. Similarly, Marseille has an infamous prison located on a small island just off its coast. Commonly known as the ‘Alcatraz of France,’ Chateau d’If is best known as the prison where…
Louisiana has the unfortunate distinction of consistently having the highest percentage of incarcerated individuals per capita in the world. The Louisiana Prison Museum and Cultural Center—which is located on the campus of Angola Prison in West Feliciana Parish—explores Angola’s fraught history and what life is like for inmates in one of America’s most notorious prisons….
Nestled in the historical town of Clifton, Arizona, a distinctive old jail is etched into the side of a cliff. The story goes that the builder of this jail became its inaugural inmate following a celebration, during which he was arrested for discharging his firearms into the air. This unusual, Old West prison was thought…
When most people think of Alcatraz, they immediately think of a foreboding island which was home to an infamous prison where some of America’s most notorious criminals were detained. Alcatraz Island is much more than the site of a former federal prison. The island is also home to a garden of rare roses, a bird…
If you’ve ever seen the old Ohio state reformatory, also known as the Mansfield, and have been struck with a strong case of deja vu, you’re not the only one. This might be the case, if you’ve watched Shawshank Redemption, since much of the movie’s scenes were filmed at this very prison. Built around the…
Finland is statistically proven to be the world’s happiest country in the world and there is a reason for it. Citizens receive various benefits from childcare subsidies and healthcare. Finnish prisons seem more like a staycation. If you ever do unfortunately land yourself in the big house in Finland, you might be even given a…
The penal colony of Port Arthur is located on the Tasman Peninsula, southeast of Tasmania. Surrounded by supposed shark-infested waters, the convicts were completely isolated from the rest of the region. The only way out, was a heavily guarded strip of land called Eaglehawk Neck. Throughout the 19th century, convicts held here were subjected to…
