Isolated from the outside world, with no possibility of escape, and in inhumane conditions. This is how thousands of inmates live around the world in the most extreme penitentiary centers. These prisons are not only a symbol of punishment, but also of systematic human rights violations. According to organizations such as Amnesty International and the United Nations, many of these prisons not only house the most dangerous criminals, but also exhibit alarming levels of overcrowding, torture, lack of hygiene, and forced labor. Although some of these facilities were built for high-security purposes, they have become extreme examples of how prison can cross the line between justice and torture. Gitarama, Rwanda: Originally designed for 600 criminals, this prison houses up to 6,000 people, including children and women with their babies, so inmates have less than 0.5 m² of space each. Furthermore, escape is impossible, as it is located on the edge of the jungle, surrounded by a minefield. The conditions are completely unsanitary and lack basic sanitation facilities, causing serious health problems. There are only twenty toilets for all the prisoners. According to Amnesty International, the prison conditions cause the death of at least four inmates a day due to diseases such as Ebola, cholera, gangrene, septicemia, suffocation, and malnutrition. Occasionally, the food of each person who dies is raffled off, which exacerbates tension and clashes among the prisoners, as each one only has one meal a day. Even the guards suffer trauma, ruptured eardrums, or bites from other prisoners, in addition to dehydration or dysentery. Furthermore, corpses pile up throughout the week.

Diyarbakir, Turkey

In this prison, located in southeastern Turkey, Kurdish prisoners were tortured and forced to remain in fecal baths until they consumed some of the excrement,which is why it is considered one of the most infamous in the world.

These systematic human rights violations occurred mainly during the 1980s. According to the organization Memorialize Turkey, after the 1980 military coup, the prison became a center of institutionalized torture, especially against Kurdish prisoners.

The methods included beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, and practices designed to destroy Kurdish cultural identity, such as forcing them to sing Turkish nationalist anthems.

One of the most shocking testimonies documents how new inmates were brutally beaten by dozens of guards and then thrown unconscious into bathtubs filled with human feces. Although some sections of the prison have since been converted into a museum, human rights organizations warn that a culture of impunity and mistreatment still persists in parts of the Turkish prison system. Gldani, Georgia: Located on the outskirts of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, it is known for its serious human rights violations. It has small, unsanitary cells and brutal treatment by prison staff, making Gldani one of the most extreme prisons in the world. In 2012, videos broadcast by TV9 revealed extreme abuses within the prison, including beatings, torture, and sexual violence against inmates, including the case of a prisoner sodomized with a broom by guards. These images sparked massive protests in the country and exposed the inhumane treatment of inmates, especially in conditions of overcrowding, lack of food, drinking water, and adequate medical care. Despite international attention and promises of reform, human rights organizations maintain that violence within the prison persists.Human rights organizations warn that a culture of impunity and mistreatment still persists in parts of the Turkish prison system. Gldani, Georgia. Located on the outskirts of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, it is known for its serious human rights violations. It has small, unsanitary cells and brutal treatment by prison staff, making Gldani one of the most extreme prisons in the world. In 2012, videos broadcast by TV9 revealed extreme abuses within the prison, including beatings, torture, and sexual violence against inmates, including the case of a prisoner sodomized with a broom by guards. These images sparked massive protests in the country and exposed the inhumane treatment of inmates, especially in conditions of overcrowding, lack of food, drinking water, and adequate medical care. Despite international attention and promises of reform, human rights organizations maintain that violence within the prison persists.Human rights organizations warn that a culture of impunity and mistreatment still persists in parts of the Turkish prison system. Gldani, Georgia. Located on the outskirts of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, it is known for its serious human rights violations. It has small, unsanitary cells and brutal treatment by prison staff, making Gldani one of the most extreme prisons in the world. In 2012, videos broadcast by TV9 revealed extreme abuses within the prison, including beatings, torture, and sexual violence against inmates, including the case of a prisoner sodomized with a broom by guards. These images sparked massive protests in the country and exposed the inhumane treatment of inmates, especially in conditions of overcrowding, lack of food, drinking water, and adequate medical care. Despite international attention and promises of reform, human rights organizations maintain that violence within the prison persists.