Friday, September 11, 2009

ADX Florence (Florence, Colo.) -- Where 'Maximum' Isn't Enough

Hey kids, welcome to SuperMax prison. Anytime you hear the term "supermax" and you're not dealing with feminine hygiene products, something bizarre is afoot.

ADX is a prison intended for the worst felons the country has to offer (such as Ted Kaczynski). It and prisons like it are the most hardcore penitentiaries we have before we have to resort to calling in Tina Turner and making Thunderdome a reality.

Where ADX differs from the average hellhole is that it is a control-unit prison. For 23 hours a day, inmates get to experience solitary confinement. There's no communal cafeteria where awesome fights break out, there's no laundry room where deals get made, and there's no shower room, so everyone is free to drop the soap as much as their little felonious hearts desire. For that one remaining hour a day, they get to go outside and have some exercise. Alone. It's entirely possible for an inmate at ADX to serve a life sentence without ever having contact with another prisoner.

Prisoners are served meals in their cells. The room is mostly poured concrete which ensures the furniture can't be moved or even humped comfortably. The toilet will shut off if someone tries to plug it and showers work on a timer to cut back on potential flooding and inmates singing Ace of Base while they lather up, which is just inhumane.

ADX Florence is officially as interesting as forever being stuck in an episode of "CSI"; it's the same thing over and over again.
Via

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